Avella Area School District - Budget

Budget

In 2009 the district reports employing 70 teachers with a salary range of $32,000 to $96,160. In addition, the teachers receive a benefits package which includes: health insurance, life insurance, 3 paid personal days, 10 paid sick days, reimbursement for college courses and other benefits. There is an early retirement incentive program that pays a maximum of $12,400.

In 2007, the district employed 59 teachers. The average teacher salary in the district was $47,051 for 180 days worked.

Avella Area School District administrative costs per pupil in 2008 was $1,128 per pupil. The administrative spending ranks 32nd out of 500 school districts in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The lowest administrative cost per pupil in Pennsylvania was $398 per pupil. In 2005, the school board awarded a five-year contract to Wayde Killmeyer to be superintendent with an initial salary of $88,000 a year and a 3% annual raise coupled with potential merit raises. Additionally, an extensive benefit package was included in the contract. The Pennsylvania School Boards Association keeps statistics on salaries of public school district employees in Pennsylvania. According to the association, the average salary for a superintendent for the 2007–08 school year was $122,165.

In 2008, the district administration reported spending $13,822 per pupil which ranked 115th among Pennsylvania's 501 school districts.

In September 2010, the Pennsylvania Auditor General conducted a performance audit of the district. The findings were reported to the administration and the school board by state officials.

Reserves In 2008, the district reported a $1,768,573 in an unreserved-undesignated fund balance. The designated fund balance was repoted as $128,044.

The district is funded by a combination of: an income tax, a property tax, a real estate transfer tax 0.5%, coupled with substantial funding from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the federal government. Grants can provide an opportunity to supplement school funding without raising local taxes. In the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, pension and Social Security income are exempted from state personal income tax and local earned income tax, regardless the of income level.