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Wissahickon board readies final budget; administration adds staff to reduce incoming sixth‑grade class sizes
Summary
Board signaled next‑week votes on a $133M‑range final budget and related tax resolutions and discussed last‑minute staffing shifts to lower incoming middle‑school class sizes, with administrators outlining how the district repurposed positions and payroll savings to fund an extra teacher.
The Wissahickon School Board reviewed a proposed final budget and related tax resolutions on May 20 and outlined steps administrators used to reduce class sizes for the incoming sixth‑grade cohort at Wissahickon Middle School.
Board discussion and administration remarks focused on why the district adjusted staffing after the budget was drafted and how those changes were funded. Business administrator Tim (first name used in meeting) said the budget includes an additional math teacher and that administrators used a mix of strategies — transferring a vacant high‑school position, reducing one 1‑to‑1 aide cost based on updated student needs, and converting a 10‑month full‑time clerk into a 12‑month part‑time position to avoid benefit costs — to create funding for a second middle‑school teacher. Tim said those moves would bring class sizes “to about 24.”
The board emphasized trade‑offs required to balance the bud get. Board member Joe (first name used in meeting) summarized the choices: with a legally capped tax increase available, the district faced limited revenue and had to prioritize program and staffing requests. “We have a fixed pie we’re dealing with,” he said, describing the need to shift resources from other planned uses to address the middle‑school cohort.
Why it matters: board members said smaller class sizes for incoming sixth graders were a high priority after recent enrollment updates showed a larger cohort than projected. Trustees asked administration for the specific staffing moves needed to achieve the reductions and pressed for transparency about the trade‑offs required to fund the changes.
Supporting details: At the meeting the board reviewed a set of budget‑related resolutions to be voted on at the June 2 meeting, including the final budget resolution and the annual tax levy. The business administrator summarized the items, noting the district had been through multiple budget workshops and that the proposed budget reflects many competing priorities. One board member asked for and received a short explanation of how the district produced the additional middle‑school teacher without adding net new recurring benefit costs: move an unfilled high‑school position to the middle school, use updated special‑education aide staffing estimates to reduce one 1‑to‑1 aide, and adjust clerical staffing structure.
What’s next: The board will vote on the final budget and related tax resolutions at its June 2 meeting. Administrators said they will continue to review enrollment and staffing as scheduling finalizes and will report further adjustments in the fall if needed.
Ending: Board members reiterated that balancing the budget required prioritization and trade‑offs and invited public input at upcoming budget hearings and future workshops.
