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Dallastown Area SD projects $4.7 million 2024–25 surplus; board cautioned about governor’s proposed funds
Summary
Dallastown Area School District finance staff told the board on March 13 that 2024–25 year-end projections showed about a $4.7 million surplus driven by state grant increases, capital-reserve transfers and higher interest and tax collections.
District finance staff presented the 2024–25 budget status to the board on March 13, saying current projections show roughly $134,000,000 in expenses and $139,000,000 in revenue, yielding an estimated year-end surplus of about $4,700,000.
Mr. Levin, who presented the figures, identified several drivers of the projected surplus: the district’s receipt of incremental state allocations (an additional $1,400,000 for basic education and $400,000 for special education was noted as newly provided funds during the year), a Ready-to-Learn block grant increase of about $1,900,000, a capital reserve transfer of $2,000,000 approved in January, higher-than-expected interest earnings (he cited an additional $1,000,000 projection) and stronger than-expected collections of delinquent real-estate taxes.
Levin also called out expense-side savings: health-care costs were tracking about $800,000 under budget (with three months of claims remaining) and salary/benefits savings from open positions and turnover. He described the administration’s recommendation to transfer additional dollars to capital reserves in June 2025 (including a roughly $3.5 million transfer to front-load capital reserves) and noted $600,000 of the capital transfer was already baked into the current budget.
Board members and administration cautioned that the governor’s proposed 2025–26 budget — which the district staff estimated would total approximately $2,600,000 in new dollars for the district if fully enacted — is not guaranteed. Dr. Dahl and Mr. Levin warned that only a fraction of the governor’s proposal typically becomes enacted and that guaranteed recurring (“hold harmless”) funds represent a much smaller, more certain portion of that proposal. Levin said the district would be guaranteed only about $400,000 in recurring funds under current assumptions. Board members urged continued caution when using one-time or nonrecurring state money to fund recurring personnel costs.
Timeline: Administration will present a formal proposed 2025–26 budget next week to give the board time for review, with the district’s proposed budget slated for the first board meeting in May for PDE filing and a final adoption planned for June 12, 2025.
