Budget
In 2007, the Lakeland School District employed 104 teachers working 180 days of pupil instruction. The average teacher salary in the district was $50,940. As of 2007, Pennsylvania ranked in the top 10 states in average teacher salaries. When adjusted for cost of living Pennsylvania ranked fourth in the nation for teacher compensation.
In 2008, per pupil spending at Lakeland School District was $9,381 for each child. This ranked 496th among Pennsylvania's 500 school districts.
Lakeland School District administrative costs per pupil in 2008 was $545.37 per pupil. This is ranked 485th among in the 500 school districts in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The lowest administrative cost per pupil in Pennsylvania was $398 per pupil.
In 2008, the Lakeland School District reported an unreserved designated fund balance of zero and an unreserved-undesignated fund balance of $957,872.
In February 2010, the Pennsylvania Auditor General conducted a performance audit on the district. Several findings were reported to the school board and administration. The auditors noted that that the district did not take appropriate corrective action regarding erroneous reports and that the transportation department had made some possible Conflict of Interest transactions. The Superintendent and School Board took no action pending a state investigation. In 2011, the transportation director plead guilty to conspiracy to obtain by fraud school district funds. In 2010, the state Ethics Commission fined the transportation director $49,529.20. The order from the commission alleged he steered almost $450,000 in van contracts to his live-in girlfriend.
The district is funded by a combination of: a local tax on income, a property tax, a real estate transfer tax 0.5%, coupled with substantial funding from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the federal government. Grants have provided 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 level of wealth.
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