Finance committee reviews student‑service contracts, recommends early Ricoh copier refresh and previews Act 1 tax index implications
October 13, 2025 | Pennridge SD, School Districts, Pennsylvania
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The Pennridge School District Finance Committee on Oct. 13 reviewed multiple contract items, a proposed early copier fleet refresh, and the state Act 1 index and broader revenue outlook ahead of next year’s budget process.
Contracts and memoranda: The committee reviewed a package of educational and services contracts (student placements, LearnWell medical‑facility educational services billed at an hourly rate, a yearbook vendor for Sellersville Elementary, an MOU with Bucks County Children & Youth on transportation for foster students, and the Bucks County Intermediate Unit mailing contract). Committee members discussed several individual items (example amounts: a Camp Hill School educational services placement at $68,999.40; three LearnWell hourly contracts at $61.55 per hour; Sellersville Elementary yearbook at $21.80 per book paid by parents). The committee did not finalize all contract approvals in committee; these items were presented for committee review and are on the consent/board docket for final action.
Ricoh copier refresh and software migration: Finance staff recommended a contract with Ricoh to refresh 66 multifunction devices (MFDs) in December 2025 rather than waiting for the current contract end of June 2026 because the district’s current fleet‑management software, Equitrack, is scheduled to go end‑of‑life on Dec. 31, 2025. The plan would replace aging hardware, install the PaperCut fleet‑management software, and transition devices before Equitrack support lapses.
Key financials presented by staff: the district’s current equipment lease payment is $9,520.11 per month; under the proposed Ricoh agreement the monthly equipment lease would drop to $9,137 per month after a six‑month carryover period. Ricoh proposed a negotiated discount from state PA Costars pricing; service copy rates were negotiated to $0.0036 per black‑and‑white copy and $0.0306 per color copy. Staff reported estimated five‑year copy volumes have fallen from a projection of 112 million copies to about 70 million copies and presented an estimated five‑year net savings of roughly $140,000 from the negotiated refresh and resizing of the fleet. Committee members asked about color use and default settings (staff said defaults are black and white and principals will receive usage reports).
The committee moved to forward the Ricoh refresh to the full board for approval so the district can execute before the vendor hardware and tariff risks increase costs.
Act 1 index and state‑funding outlook: Finance staff reviewed the 2026–27 Act 1 index (3.5%) and noted that, at Pennridge’s current assessed value of $672,916,760, raising the millage to 145 mills (the equivalent of applying the 3.5% index) would generate roughly $3.21 million for next year’s budget. Staff also warned of state funding uncertainty: the governor’s 2026 proposal included modest increases in basic education and special education, but a House FY‑26 proposal (SB 160) would reduce Pennridge’s share by about $82,500 relative to the governor’s plan, and the Senate had indicated it may move toward flat funding. Committee members and staff noted the district has already tracked significant lost state funds during the budget impasse and that revenue risks will shape the district’s budgeting process.
Next steps: staff will present the Ricoh contract to the full board, continue to process routine student placements and contracts through the board consent agenda, and proceed with the district’s usual budget calendar — including an opt‑out resolution for the Act 1 process if the board chooses to follow that path — while conducting more detailed budget modeling through winter and spring.
Ending: The committee advanced the copier refresh to the board for approval, left regular contracts on the finance/consent docket for board action, and urged continued budget planning as state funding remains unresolved.
Contracts and memoranda: The committee reviewed a package of educational and services contracts (student placements, LearnWell medical‑facility educational services billed at an hourly rate, a yearbook vendor for Sellersville Elementary, an MOU with Bucks County Children & Youth on transportation for foster students, and the Bucks County Intermediate Unit mailing contract). Committee members discussed several individual items (example amounts: a Camp Hill School educational services placement at $68,999.40; three LearnWell hourly contracts at $61.55 per hour; Sellersville Elementary yearbook at $21.80 per book paid by parents). The committee did not finalize all contract approvals in committee; these items were presented for committee review and are on the consent/board docket for final action.
Ricoh copier refresh and software migration: Finance staff recommended a contract with Ricoh to refresh 66 multifunction devices (MFDs) in December 2025 rather than waiting for the current contract end of June 2026 because the district’s current fleet‑management software, Equitrack, is scheduled to go end‑of‑life on Dec. 31, 2025. The plan would replace aging hardware, install the PaperCut fleet‑management software, and transition devices before Equitrack support lapses.
Key financials presented by staff: the district’s current equipment lease payment is $9,520.11 per month; under the proposed Ricoh agreement the monthly equipment lease would drop to $9,137 per month after a six‑month carryover period. Ricoh proposed a negotiated discount from state PA Costars pricing; service copy rates were negotiated to $0.0036 per black‑and‑white copy and $0.0306 per color copy. Staff reported estimated five‑year copy volumes have fallen from a projection of 112 million copies to about 70 million copies and presented an estimated five‑year net savings of roughly $140,000 from the negotiated refresh and resizing of the fleet. Committee members asked about color use and default settings (staff said defaults are black and white and principals will receive usage reports).
The committee moved to forward the Ricoh refresh to the full board for approval so the district can execute before the vendor hardware and tariff risks increase costs.
Act 1 index and state‑funding outlook: Finance staff reviewed the 2026–27 Act 1 index (3.5%) and noted that, at Pennridge’s current assessed value of $672,916,760, raising the millage to 145 mills (the equivalent of applying the 3.5% index) would generate roughly $3.21 million for next year’s budget. Staff also warned of state funding uncertainty: the governor’s 2026 proposal included modest increases in basic education and special education, but a House FY‑26 proposal (SB 160) would reduce Pennridge’s share by about $82,500 relative to the governor’s plan, and the Senate had indicated it may move toward flat funding. Committee members and staff noted the district has already tracked significant lost state funds during the budget impasse and that revenue risks will shape the district’s budgeting process.
Next steps: staff will present the Ricoh contract to the full board, continue to process routine student placements and contracts through the board consent agenda, and proceed with the district’s usual budget calendar — including an opt‑out resolution for the Act 1 process if the board chooses to follow that path — while conducting more detailed budget modeling through winter and spring.
Ending: The committee advanced the copier refresh to the board for approval, left regular contracts on the finance/consent docket for board action, and urged continued budget planning as state funding remains unresolved.
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