Franklin Area School District - Budget

Budget

In 2009, the district reports employing over 190 teachers with a starting salary of $40,000 for 180 days of pupil instruction. The average teacher salary was $52,248 while the maximum salary is $102,275. 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. The school day is limited by the union contract to 7.5 hours. The administration is required to appoint 11 teacher coordinators who receive compensation for the title. Additionally, Franklin Area School District teachers receive a defined benefit pension, health insurance, professional development reimbursement, paid personal days, 15 paid sick days and many other benefits. Teachers are paid extra when they are required to work outside of the regular school day hours. Teachers receive extra compensation for additional duties. 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 2007, the district employed 166 teachers. The average teacher salary in the district was $49,480 for 180 school days worked. Franklin teachers were the highest paid in Venango County.

Franklin Area School District administrative costs per pupil in 2008 was $857.56 per pupil. The district is ranked 136th out of 500 in Pennsylvania for administrative spending. 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, Franklin Area School District reported spending $13,362 per pupil. This ranked 145th in the commonwealth. In 2010, the district's per pupil spending had increased to $14,524.97, which ranked 149th statewide. 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.

In May 2011, the school board adopted a 2011-2012 Proposed Final General Operating Budget for the 2011-2012 school year. It anticipated revenues of $30,563,914 and expenditures of $31,672,356 to include an approximate fund balance draw down of $1,108,442.

Reserves

In 2009, Franklin Area School District reported $4,788,676 in an unreserved-undesignated fund balance. The designated fund balance was reported as $1,370,311. In 2010, Franklin Area School District reported $1,415,523. in its unreserved-undesignated fund. The designated fund balance was reported as $2,357,623. 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 January 2011, the Pennsylvania Auditor General conducted a performance audit of the district. Serious findings were reported to the administration and school board. The audit noted that the administration had failure to apply for Alternative Education Funding.

The district is funded by a combination of: a local income tax, a property tax, a state wide real estate transfer tax 0.5%, coupled with substantial funding from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the federal government. Grants can provide an opportunity to supplement school funding without raising local taxes. In the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, pension and Social Security income are exempted from state personal income tax and local earned income tax regardless of the individual's wealth.