Currently the budget includes funding for a two-days-per-week foreign language program, and all current programs and services including the school's own bus service. Dr. Lehner pointed to several "lucky breaks" that account for this year's favorable budget.
First, the Warren School experienced an increase in enrollment, which resulted in a lower cost per pupil and a higher Act 82 cap.
"We had a small but significant increase in the number of students the state allows us to count; this increase serves to lower the cost per pupil (which is the basis of the school tax rate) and raises the Act 82 two-vote budget cap enough to let us include the part-time foreign language teacher position we were struggling to keep," Lehner explained to parents in the school's newsletter.
He continues, "Warren's CLA actually increased this year, from 104.4 to 105.8 percent. Ever since Act 60 started, this number has dropped, increasing the tax rate on residential properties, turning a budget increase of 1.3 percent into a tax increase of 6.1 percent. This year, however, our per pupil budget increase of 3.4 percent translates into a tax rate decrease of 3.4 percent."
Also, there will be no increase in health insurance premiums, and the Warren Residential tax rate went down by 4.6 cents. The Warren School Board is considering contracting out their bus services to First Student, but it still evaluating all options.
The board had previously considered the financial impact of continuing the preschool program, but found that the preschool programs reduce the cost per pupil compared to operating the school without them, because of the increased enrollment. Warren's tax rate would increase if the preschool was eliminated, according to an analysis completed by Washington West Supervisory Union representative Michelle Baker.
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