Red Lion Area School District - Budget

Budget

Pennsylvania public school districts budget and expend funds according to procedures mandated by the General Assembly and the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE). An annual operating budget is prepared by school district administrative officials. A uniform form is furnished by the PDE and submitted to the board of school directors for approval prior to the beginning of each fiscal year on July 1.

Under Pennsylvania’s Taxpayer Relief Act, Act 1 of the Special Session of 2006, all school districts of the first class A, second class, third class and fourth class must adopt a preliminary budget proposal. The proposal must include estimated revenues and expenditures and the proposed tax rates. This proposed budget must be considered by the Board no later than 90 days prior to the date of the election immediately preceding the fiscal year. The preliminary budget proposal must also be printed and made available for public inspection at least 20 days prior to its adoption. The board of school directors may hold a public hearing on the budget, but are not required to do so. The board must give at least 10 days’ public notice of its intent to adopt the final budget according to Act 1 of 2006.

In 2011, the average teacher salary in Red Lion Area School District was $60,356.45 a year, while the cost of the benefits teachers received was $16,131 per employee, for a total annual average teacher compensation of $76,488.41. In 2011, fifty-five (55) Red LIon Area School District teachers and guidance counselors earned a salary of over $82,500 per year.

In 2009, Red Lion Area School District employed 484 teachers and administrators with a median teacher salary of $66,272 and a range of $41,624 to $142,830. The contract year is 191 days. The teachers have a 7 hours 45 minutes work day with a 30 minute duty free lunch and a daily preparation period. Teachers receive additional pay for: special education, extracurriculars, department head, home bound instruction, online instruction, and head teacher positions. The teachers' union has 16 paid leave days a year to attend to union business including union meetings.

In 2007, Red Lion Area School District employed 359 teachers. The average teacher salary in the District was $52,613 for 180 days worked. In 2007, the district's starting salary was $37,000 and the top teacher salary was $78,706 which was the third highest in York County. Additionally, the district's teachers receive: a defined benefit pension, health insurance (teacher pays up to $64 a month), life insurance, college credit reimbursement 100% when teacher earns and A or B in the course, 2 paid personal days, 10 paid sick days, 4 paid bereavement days, a retirement incentive bonus and other benefits.

Red Lion Area School District administrative costs was $648.91 per pupil in 2008. The lowest administrative cost per pupil in Pennsylvania was $398 in 2008. In July 2007, the Red Lion Area School Board awarded a five year contract (July 1, 2007 through June 30, 2012) to Frank R. Herron. as Superintendent, with an initial salary of $132,000. He was also awarded an extensive benefits package which includes: health insurance, life insurance 2.5 times salary, annual dues paid, paid travel, 23 days paid vacation, defined benefit pension and more. The contract expires in 2012. In 2009, his salary was reported as $138,000. The Pennsylvania School Board Association tracks salaries for Pennsylvania public school employees. It reports that in 2008 the average superintendent salary in Pennsylvania was $122,165. In 2007, the Average District Administrator salary in Red Lion Area School District was $91,550 which ranked ninth in York County. The Average School Administrator salary in Red Lion Area School District was $81,888 which ranked third in York County.

Other Administrators - Dr. LeeAnn Zeroth, Assistant Superintendent salary $106,500 in 2009, Dr. Michael Lowe, Elementary Supervisor - $93,690, Mrs. Mary Smith, Supervisor of Pupil Personnel - $92,933, Mrs. Laura Fitz, Supervisor of Special Education - $94,065, Mr. Terry L. Robinson, Business Manager - $113,779, Mr. Jeffrey A. Bryan, Director of Buildings and Grounds - $98,832, Mrs. Sandy Emerich, Director of Transportation and Human Resources - $90,375, Mrs. Amy Glusco, Supervisor of Language Arts - $82,143, Cynthia Williams, Principal - $83,109, Susan Dunham, Principal - $83,109, Norina Bentzel, Principal - $85,916, Timothy Gulley, Principal - $88,710, Kitty Reinholt, Principal - $91,502, Kurt Fassnacht, Principal - $102,334, Wayne Neff, Ast. Principal - $106,314, Charles Humberd, Principal - $114,604.

Red Lion Area School District administration reported that per pupil spending in 2008 was $10,928 which ranked 400th among the 501 school districts in Pennsylvania. In 2010, the per pupil spending had increased to $12,332.94. Among the states, Pennsylvania’s total per pupil revenue (including all sources) ranked 11th at $15,023 per student, in 2008-09. In 2007, the Pennsylvania per pupil total expenditures was $12,759.

Reserves In 2009, Red Lion Area School District reported an unreserved designated fund balance of $3,000,000 and an unreserved-undesignated fund balance of $4,547,340. In 2010, the reserves had increased to an unreserved designated fund balance of $$4,311,465 and an unreserved-undesignated fund balance of $4,434,011.

Audit In January 2010, the Pennsylvania Auditor General conducted a performance audit of the Red Lion Area School District. The findings were reported to the administration and the school board.

APA study According to an extensive study of York County school districts conducted by APA Associates in 2008, Red Lion Area School District achieved a +7 rating based on Performance and Relative Efficiency. Central York School District and Northeastern York School District ranked +10. Eleven of 16 York County districts achieved a positive rating.

Tuition Students who live in the Red Lion Area School District's attendance area may choose to attend one of Pennsylvania's 157 public charter schools. A student living in a neighboring public school district or a foreign exchange student may seek admission to Red Lion Area School District. For these cases, the Pennsylvania Department of Education sets an annual tuition rate for each school district. It is the amount the public school district pays to a charter school for each resident student that attends the charter and it is the amount a nonresident student's parents must pay to attend the Red Lion Area School District's schools. The 2012 tuition rates are Elementary School - $8,714.42, High School - $9,936.97.

Red Lion Area School District is funded by a combination of: a local earned income tax 1%, a property tax, a real estate transfer tax 0.50%, coupled with substantial funding from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the federal government. In the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, pension income and Social Security income are exempted from state personal income tax and local earned income tax, regardless of the level of personal wealth.