Budget
For the 2007-08 school year, the district employed 60 teachers and the average teacher salary in the district was $42,365 for 180 days worked. In 2008-2009 the district employed over 60 teachers with a salary range of $38,680 to $84,671. The contracts limits the elementary school work day to 7 hours which includes a 30 minute duty free lunch. The high school work day is seven hours 15 minutes. Teachers are provided with a preparation period each day The professional staff also receives a benefits package that includes: health insurance, life insurance, 10 paid sick days which accumulate, 4 paid personal days, 5 paid bereavement leave days, reimbursement for professional development courses 100% for a grade of A or B and 80% for a C grade. The District also provides the union with 10 paid leave days for union reps to conduct union business. Teachers with 10 years of service may go on sabbatical leave for up to one year and receive 50% of their salary while on leave. All Pennsylvania public school teachers receive a defined benefit pension. According to Rep. Glen Grell, a trustee of the Public School Employees’ Retirement System Board of Trustees, a 40-year educator can retire with a pension equal to 100 percent of their final salary.
Cornell School District administrative costs per pupil in 2008 were $1,608.79 per pupil. The district ranked 3rd out of 500 school districts for per pupil administrative spending. The lowest administrative cost per pupil in Pennsylvania was $398 per pupil. ref>Fenton, Jacob. (February 2009). "Pennsylvania School District Data: Will School Consolidation Save Money?". The Morning Call. http://projects.mcall.com/school_consolidation/state/a_per_e/1/1/. Donna Belas was named superintendent by the school board in August 2009. 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. Superintendents and administrators receive a benefit package commensurate with that offered to the district's teachers' union.
In 2008 Cornell reported spending $16,028 per pupil. This ranked 39th among Pennsylvania's 500 public school districts.
In October 2009, the Pennsylvania Auditor General conducted a performance audit on the district. It found that the District had a General Fund Deficit of $456,901 as of June 30, 2008. Other findings were reported to the school board and administration.
The district is funded by a combination of: a local earned income tax - 0.5%, a property tax, a local services tax $5, 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 Pennsylvania, pension income and Social Security income are exempted from state personal income tax and local earned income tax, regardless of the individual's wealth.
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