NEWS INFORMATION FROM |
|
|
THE OFFICE OF MAYOR STEPHEN R. REED |
FOR IMMEDIATE USE |
BUDGET REDUCTIONS UNDERTAKEN, NO LAYOFFS EXPECTED; EARLY CHILDHOOD PROGRAM TO REMAINMayor Stephen R. Reed today announced that major budget reductions are being undertaken in the Harrisburg School District to cut $5.4 million in expenditures for the school fiscal year which began July 1st. The cuts are necessary to have a balanced budget. The sum of $20 million was needed in additional state funding to maintain current operations. In the final state budget adopted during the July 4th Holiday weekend, the district received $14.6 million, leaving the $5.4 million gap. Reed credited the support and leadership of state Sen. Jeffrey Piccola, state Rep. Ronald I. Buxton and Governor Edward G. Rendell for the added funds, along with other state legislators: “Their help has been significant and critical.” There will be a total of 68 positions eliminated from the district payroll but there will be no layoffs. The positions are now vacant or will become vacant this summer due to retirements or transfers. The eliminated posts include many in the district administration, including one assistant superintendent, one principal, three assistant principals and one dean position. Thirty eliminated positions are teacher posts, with twenty of them at the elementary school level. The rest are at the high school level. Reed said “any layoff of teachers would have had a particularly adverse effect and we worked hard to avoid this. Nonetheless, the average class size will increase by 3 to 5 students as a result of the teacher vacancies being eliminated, which is not a good thing.” Most of the $5.4 million in reductions comes from personnel positions being eliminated, but $1,790,000 of this sum is in non-personnel cost cuts involving contracted services, equipment, training and transportation. The mayor also reported that the school district’s Early Childhood Program, started four years ago, and which is funded in a separate budget from the district’s General Fund, is being retained. It accords preschool instruction for 3 and 4 year olds and has been proven to be successful in preparing youngsters for first grade and beyond, as reflected by increased scores in the DIBEL tests administered in the early grades, which measure literacy and other skill levels. The Early Childhood Program costs $5 million a year for the 560 students in the program this coming school year. $2.1 million of this amount is not yet funded and Reed said aggressive efforts are underway to raise this amount from grants, educational tax credit donations, and general contributions from companies, foundations and citizen groups. Reed said: “The district is now expected to do more with less, which is a challenge. However, with the gains already achieved in many areas, we approach the new school year with optimism and confidence. Nothing has changed in the absolute commitment of the district to provide full educational opportunity and preparation to ensure that every child has a bright and promising future. The children and young adults of this city are the sole focus of everything the district has done and shall do.” The Harrisburg School District has not increased taxes in the past six years. |
|