East Stroudsburg Area School District - Budget

Budget

In 2009, the district reported employing 890 teachers and 12 administrators with a median salary of $61,304 and a top salary of $130,000. Teachers work a 184-day year with a 7.5-hour day including a 30-minute duty free lunch period each day. Additionally, the teachers receive a defined benefit pension, health insurance, dental insurance, vision insurance, disability insurance, life insurance, professional development reimbursement, 3 paid personal days, 10 paid sick days which accumulate, 3 bereavement days and other benefits. Teachers receive a retirement incentive of up to 50% of their salary plus $65/day for unused sick days.

In 2007, the district employed 578 teachers. The average teacher salary in the district was $52,758 for 180 days worked. The teacher salary ranked 1st in the county. 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.

East Stroudsburg Area School District administrative costs per pupil in 2008 was $634.14 per pupil. The lowest administrative cost per pupil in Pennsylvania was $398 per pupil. 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 $14,807 which ranked 66th among Pennsylvania's 501 school districts. In 2010, the per pupil spending had decreased to $14,555.42 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 $1,380,000 in an unreserved-designated fund. The unreserved-undesignated fund balance was reported as $7,097,129. In 2010, East Stroudsburg Area Administration reported an increase to $10,843,377 in the unreserved-undesignated fund balance and $15,671,200 in its unreserved-designated fund. 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.

For the 2012-13 school year the board of Education is considering 30 alternatives to deal with a large budget shortfall. Cuts include eliminating full-day kindergarten, negotiating pay freezes with the professional and support staff, eliminating activity buses, eliminating driver's education and reducing the number of credits required to graduate. The district expects the retirement of 15 professional staff, seven support staff and two administrators for 2012-13 which would save an estimated $1 million. The elimination of 37 non-tenured teaching staff is also under consideration.

In March 2011, Pennsylvania Secretary of Education, Ron Tomalis approved a voter petition (signed by 800 residents) to transfer Porter Township to Wallenpaupack Area School District. The transfer was sought based on educational merits. Thirty four school aged children live in Porter Township. East Stroudsburg Area School District has sued, in Pike County Court of Common Pleas, to stop the transfer citing the loss of tax revenue. In August 2011, Judge Joseph Kameen approved an agreement which required Wallenpaupack Area School District to pay to East Stroudsburg that portion of debt shared by Porter Township. It was to be paid in eight yearly installments of $1,094,506.63. East Stroudsburg Area School Board appealed the decision. For the purpose of the anticipated transfer, the geographical boundaries of Porter Township is temporarily designated as an independent school district. Bruce Johnson was named Director of the Porter Township Initiative School District until the matter is resolved. In April 2012, the case was heard by the Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court.

In April 2011, the Pennsylvania Auditor General conducted a performance audit of the district. The findings were reported to the school board and administration. The district was cited for "Not Follow Proper Bidding Procedures" and for "Tuition Billing Internal Control Weaknesses". East Stroudsburg Area School District purchased, without solicitation of bids, 132 new school buses in a three-year period for a total of $8,794,225; purchased computers totaling $509,497 paid for over four years; authorized roof repairs for one of the intermediate schools for $261,250 and purchased an employee time keeping system with an upgrade for $170,626.

The district is funded by a combination of: a local earned income tax, 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 the of individual’s personal wealth.