Delaware Valley School District - Budget

Budget

In 2009, the district reported employing 452 teachers and 12 administrators with an average salary of $60,824 and a top salary of $210,686. The starting salary was $45,250 for 180 days. Additionally, the teachers receive a defined benefit pension, health insurance, life insurance, vision insurance, dental insurance, professional development reimbursement, paid personal days, 10 paid sick days, and other benefits.

In 2007, the district employed 359 teachers. The average teacher salary in the district was $52,527 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.

Delaware County School District administrative costs per pupil in 2008 was $851.41 per pupil. The lowest administrative cost per pupil in Pennsylvania was $398 per pupil. In 2009, the district reported that 20 administrators earned $100,000 or more with the superintendent earning over $200,000. The Pennsylvania School Boards Association keeps statistics on salaries of public school district employees in Pennsylvania. According to the association's report, 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 the district administration reported that per pupil spending was $11,424 which ranked 349th among Pennsylvania's 501 school districts. In 2010, the per pupil spending had increased to $12,372.21. 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 2008, the district reported a balance of $7,430,539. in an unreserved-designated fund. The unreserved-undesignated fund balance was reported as zero. In 2010, Delaware Valley Area Administration reported an increase to $9,051,568.00 in the unreserved-designated fund balance. The unreserved-undesignated fund balance remained zero. Pennsylvania school district reserve funds are divided into two categories – designated and undesignated. The undesignated funds are not committed to any planned project. Designated funds and any other funds, such as capital reserves, are allocated to specific projects. School districts are required by state law to keep 5 percent of their annual spending in the undesignated reserve funds to preserve bond ratings. According to the Pennsylvania Department of Education, from 2003 to 2010, as a whole, Pennsylvania school districts amassed nearly $3 billion in reserved funds.

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

In June 2011, the district developed a mandatory summer school for students with low grades at an estimated cost of $175,000. Enrollment was anticipated to be 200 students. At the end of the school year, only 26 children met the grading criteria for the new program. The district expects to pay between $35,000 and $40,000, or some $1500 per student for the five-week program, for materials, transportation and teacher salaries.

The district is funded by a combination of: a property tax, a real estate transfer tax 0.5%, 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 the individual’s personal wealth.