Abington Heights superintendent outlines budget timeline, signals possible tax increase tied to special-education costs

Dr. Schaeffer, superintendent of the Abington Heights School District, told the school board on Jan. 8 that the district will advertise a special meeting to hold an Act 34 hearing on Feb. 27 and will present a preliminary budget on Jan. 22 that could include a tax increase above the Act 1 index to cover rising special-education and health-care costs.

The superintendent said the board will advertise the special meeting on Feb. 5 and publish notice of intent to request Department of Education approval for an Act 1 referendum exception on Jan. 23. He said the district must submit the referendum-exception application by the state deadline of March 6. "I want to make sure I announce that in public," Dr. Schaeffer said about the Act 34 hearing, which the district will facilitate with its solicitor, the construction management firm and KCBA, the design firm.

The nut graf: The request to exceed the Act 1 index is being driven primarily by higher special-education enrollment and rising self-insured health-care costs, Dr.…