The Blairsville-Saltsburg School Board approved the next school year’s budgets and heard from a representative of the Petrarca Committee concerning options for Saltsburg’s separation at tonight’s meeting.
According to Business Manager Gary Zuchelli, expenditures in the district total $33,083,069, and the budget projects a deficit of $565,549, which will be covered by the fund balance. As projected, tax levels will remain at 15.98 mils for Indiana County residents and 109.86 mils for Westmoreland County residents, which marks the ninth year rates have gone unchanged.
The Board also passed the ICTC budget. Blairsville-Saltsburg’s total of the member districts’ shares is $581,482.
Additionally, Petrarca Committee representative Nick Pantalone presented two possible separation options for Saltsburg. One option, dubbed the “Break-even” option, would produce a balanced budget with 0 surplus. The second, “Thrifty” option, would pursue the maximum state-allowed cost savings for the largest possible surplus of $1.5 million. The “Thrifty” option would eliminate or consolidate a handful of teaching positions, and reduce salaries by upwards of 22%. Pantalone maintained that while the cut seems aggressive, salaries would still be competitive with neighboring school districts.
