Frequently Asked Questions

Specific discussions will be held at publicly advertised meetings through the 2025 - 2026 school year.

The projected budget deficit for 2026 - 2027 is approximately $4,900,000. The goal is to address that deficit through a combination of increased revenue and decreased expenditure. A tax increase of 3.5% would raise approximately $2,500,000 and leave a similar amount that would need to be addressed through reductions in expenditure and/or other sustainable revenue.

Given the structural nature of the CLR-driven deficit, the district is working to identify structural changes to revenue and expenditure that can be sustained over time. One-time decisions are less effective. The Emerging Recommendations slide included on all Joint Governance presentations identifies a list of potential actions. All of these actions will be necessary to some degree. These actions include potential reductions in staff through attrition. Reductions in the workforce can have direct and indirect impacts on class size and/or programming. It is too soon in the school year to know which potential positions and their possible impacts. Public discussion by the board and administration will continue throughout the year with specific discussion about potential reductions.

The annual salary structure and year-over-year compensation increases are contained in the Collective Bargaining Agreements, Compensation Plans and/or contracts as appropriate. Since personnel is approximately 70% of overall expenditures, it serves as the primary driver of annual cost increases. This is routine and appropriate for public education.

This topic was explored at the October 20th joint governance meeting. Given the current reserve position, new debt (i.e., additional debt) is not advisable at this time. The current approach to managing debt has seen debt as percentage of operating budget reduce from approximately 14.5% in 2013 to a little more than 8%. The district has taken advantage of refinancing existing debt when cost-benefit thresholds are met. Through our PNC Capital Markets advisor, an analysis of restructuring existing debt is being explored to determine viability.

No. The District will explore all potential strategies to ensure that operational expenses are addressed through operational revenue. 

Approximately 80% of PRSD revenue is locally generated. While the vast majority of revenue comes from residential and commercial real estate, EIT is the next largest source of local revenue. EIT at PRSD is stable and has seen annual increases due to increased overall population and increases in salaries earned by residents.

Although the CLR-driven structural deficit is serious and significant with respect to preserving education excellence and community value, the district is still in a strong overall financial position. We have a stable tax base. We have strong reserves for capital expenses. We are using future-focused projections in an attempt to strategically address the structural deficit. The district will not be “flagged” by PDE.

This is a complex question with different values and variables between school districts. Community members can access publicly available data if interested.

The district provides support in a variety of ways for students and families in need. Consistent with Federal law and local policy, free or reduced lunch programs are available to qualifying families. Those families may also receive a waiver from participation fees. In each building, effort is made to provide other resources as needed for school supplies. In partnership with the PTO, other supports can also be put in place for field trips or activities.

The Homestead Exclusion is available to all qualifying residential homeowners. We have approximately 68% participation in this program. In addition, the board historically and currently supports a Senior Citizen Tax Rebate program. Information is shared on an annual basis with the community and referenced in the Annual Report mailed to all homes.

For the last 15 years or so, the district has maintained a stable student enrollment of approximately 4,550 students. Multiple demographic study updates have been conducted in that time frame to determine projected changes. Student enrollment is projected to remain stable with the potential for a slight increase over time.

The district has insurance through Liberty Mutual. When necessary, the district notifies our insurance company of a potential or active claim. The district then selects legal counsel from an approved panel. Legal costs are then shared through an initial deductible followed by insurance coverage. 

Legal expenses have remained largely consistent. Based on specific complaints and/or variables such as the number of Right-to-Know requests or property tax appeals, fees can increase or decrease.