Midd-West School District - Budget and Taxes

Budget and Taxes

The Midd-West School District budget was set at $26.17 million for 2007-2008. In May 2007, voters rejected a referendum to increase the local earned income tax 0.5 percent in exchange for a $166 property tax rebate.

The school board voted to purchase 2 parcels of land totaling 80 acres (320,000 m2) for $1 million dollars. That land is intended to replace 8 acres (32,000 m2) of land that were primarily used for athletics. Athletic fields had been lost in the renovations of the high school building.

In April 2009, the Pennsylvania Auditor General conducted a performance audit of the MIdd-West School District. Findings were reported to the school board and administration.

In May 2011, the administration and teachers agreed to a pay freeze for one year. It will save the district over $579,000. The freeze was part of an effort to close a $3.7 million deficit in the proposed budget. In June 2011, the board adopted a $30.18 million budget. The board also eliminated the Adult agriculture Education program and furloughed the coordinator. they set a 4 day work for the summer months, expecting to save $10,000 on utilities.

In 2009, the Midd-West School District employed over 180 teachers with a salary range of $37,000 to $110,000.

In 2007, the district employed 165 teachers. The average teacher salary in the district was $47,237 for 180 days worked. 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. Additionally, the teachers receive a defined benefit pension, health insurance, professional development reimbursement, paid personal days, paid sick days, a retirement bonus and other benefits. According to State Rep. Glen Grell, a trustee of the Pennsylvania Public School Employees’ Retirement System Board, a 40-year educator can retire with a pension equal to 100 percent of their final salary.

In 2008, the district administration reported spending $10,577 per pupil which ranked 433rd out of 500 school districts.

The district administrative costs per pupil in 2008 were $712.29 per pupil. The lowest administrative cost per pupil in Pennsylvania was $398 per pupil. In December 2008, the School Board awarded a contract to Wesley Knapp, as superintendent, with an initial salary of $110,00 plus an extensive benefits package that includes: life insurance, pension, health insurance and more. He is the 12th superintendent at the district since 1989. From July 2007 to December 2008, the district had two superintendents and two acting superintendents. The average time for a superintendent to remain in a school district in Pennsylvania is about six years, says Stinson Stroup, executive director of Pennsylvania Association of School Administrators, a private, nonprofit organization that focuses on the professional development of school superintendents.

The district is funded by a combination of: a local earned income tax, a property tax, a real estate transfer tax, grants, coupled with substantial funding from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the federal government. In Pennsylvania, both pension income and social security income are exempted from the Pennsylvania personal income tax and the local earned income tax, regardless of the individual's level of wealth.