Lindner: colleagues are ‘kicking the can down the road’
By Mike McGann, Editor, The Times
EAST MARLBOROUGH — Apparently, appearances matter.
At the end of the day, it seemed that the optics of having a tax increase higher than 3% in Delaware County outstripped concerns over long-term finances and the state of the Unionville-Chadds Ford School District’s balance reserve, as the Board of Education voted Monday to amend the prior budget resolution and cut the balanced tax increase to 2.66% in the final budget.
The change comes from taking about $74,000 from budgetary reserves, instead of just over $1,000.
Both the change and the budget were approved by 7-2 votes, with Michael Rock and Gregg Lindner dissenting, the latter strongly so.
The final numbers look like this: a total budget of $82,493,427, with a tax increase of 2.59% in Chester County and an increase of 2.93% in Delaware County, for a balanced rate increase of 2.66%. The increase exceeds the state Act 1 limit through use of exceptions for special education and pension costs.
The rate changes came after board president Victor Dupuis said last week that he had become uncomfortable with seeing an increase between 3% in Delaware County (the previous budget proposal called for a balanced increase of 2.77%, with the differential between the counties coming as a result of the difference in relative property values). But Lindner made it clear he felt that position was hypocritical, especially in light of Dupuis’ constant criticism of the state legislature’s budgeting process.
“We’re sending the wrong message,” Lindner said. “We’re kicking things down the road, acting just like the state legislature.”
Lindner said his concern was that the district’s reserve is now below 4% — well below the district policy of a minimum of 5% — and while the separate pension reserve fund sits at some $2.5 million, meaning technically the overall reserve exceeds 5%, pulling funds out the reserve just to make the numbers look nice is poor fiscal management, he said. The pension reserve is intended to soften the blow on pension costs through 2032 — and shouldn’t be used lightly. He also expressed concerns about the impact on bond rates and the district’s bond rating for future planned renovations later this decade.
Budget supporters argued that it provides the full educational program while offering some relief to taxpayers.
In other district news, district officials said a formal committee to change the start time for Unionville High School to as late as 8:30 a.m. will be created to further investigate whether it is financially and logistically feasible. While current medical data suggests that teens tend not to fall asleep early enough to get a proper amount of sleep, wider issues ranging from child care for siblings, the impact on elementary school students, who presumably would start class at 7:30 a.m. as well transportation and interscholastic sports conflicts remain challenges.
UHS senior Matthew Daniels spoke about the effort he and other students have put into pushing the concept, including making presentations to school boards around the county, as well as working with the Chester County Intermediate Unit.
The forming committee is expected to include stakeholders from around the district, including parents, students, educators and others — and specifically those in favor and in opposition.
Officials stressed that no decision had been made about it, but that it was possible for a change to come as early as the 2017-18 school year.
