Penn-Delco School District - Budget

Budget

In 2009, the district reported employing over 330 teachers and administrators with a salary range of $47,457 to $180,250. The median salary was $58,113. In 2011, the school board offered the teachers a bonus of $25,000 to retire early as long as at least 5 teachers agreed to the deal.

In 2007, the district employed 222 teachers. The average teacher salary in the district was $54,080 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, 10 paid sick days, and other benefits.

Penn-Delco School District administrative costs per pupil in 2008 was $847.62 per pupil, which was in the top 20% in the state. 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 2011, the Sun Valley High School athletic director abruptly stepped down after admitting to stealing Penn-Delco School District funds.

Reserves In 2008, the district reported zero, in an unreserved-designated fund balance. The unreserved-undesignated fund balance was reported as $3,416,365. In 2010, the unreserved-undesignated fund had $3,528,651. PA 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 2008, the district administration reported that per pupil spending was $12,545 which ranked 216th among Pennsylvania's 501 school districts. In 2010, the per pupil spending had increased to $12,810.56. Among the states, Pennsylvania’s total per pupil revenue (including all sources) ranked 11th at $15,023 per student, in the 2008-09 school year. In 2007, the Pennsylvania per pupil total expenditures was $12,759.

In January 2012, the Pennsylvania Auditor General conducted a performance audit of the district. The findings were reported to the school board and administration. The audit found that on November 18, 2008, the District and the District’s Chief Administrative Officer executed a Release and Settlement Agreement, which terminated the CAO’s contract prior to its end date of June 30, 2011. the District’s solicitor stated there were concerns about the District’s business operations. These concerns included various deficiencies identified by an outside firm that was hired by the District to review its business activities. In addition, the solicitor indicated that other concerns were raised regarding the CAO’s performance.

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 personal wealth.