Chester‑Upland presents balanced final budget; millage increase reduced to $14.49 (Chester City)

Miss Gedders, a member of the district business office, presented the Chester‑Upland School District’s final budget update at the Committee of the Whole meeting on June 16. "Before we move on our proposed budget last month, we had a deficit of $1,557,900... and as of now, the final budget is balanced," Gedders said.

Gedders said the district reduced the recommended aggregate millage from the previously proposed maximum (the index had indicated 6.3 at one point) and reported a lower effective aggregate rate of 3.26 in the final scenario. She reported the city millage for Chester City would be 14.49 and the borough/township millage would be 13.68 under the final budget scenario. Using a $125,000 home as an example, Gedders said the annual tax increase for Chester City property owners would be about $15 and about $75 for township property owners; she noted the mean house value in the district is about $57,000, which would lower the dollar impact for many residents.

On revenues, Gedders said the district’s final budget assumes full (100%) funding for basic education and special education lines from the state and assumes 65% funding for the Ready‑to‑Learn line, which she described as volatile. The district also added a Title IV grant of about $661,000 that had not been included in the earlier proposed budget and adjusted delinquent‑tax revenue (Crozer) downward by about $800,000. Gedders said the district entered a one‑year contract with its education association, which clarified personnel costs and benefits in the final numbers.

On expenditures, Gedders said charter‑school tuition remains the largest single category — about 42% of total expenditures — followed by personnel and student services. She said the district added a PDE loan of roughly $1,500,000 to the budget, listed transportation at about $7,600,000, and student support at about $19,900,000. Gedders reported that past‑due obligations declined to zero in the current projection and that the final revenue/expenditure picture totaled roughly $177.5 million and is in balance.

Board members and administrators thanked the business office, PFM and partners and noted personnel adjustments including adding an assistant principal at Main Street and several special education teachers, middle‑school teachers and custodians. Gedders said the district updated actuarial assumptions for pensions, unemployment and workers’ compensation while removing duplicate or unfilled positions from the prior budget.

Gedders introduced Paul Ammon, the district accounting specialist, and said Ammon and the assistant business manager will present at the receiver’s meeting on Wednesday at 6 p.m. The committee of the whole will not meet again until September; the receiver's schedule remains active during July and August. The committee took no formal vote to adopt the budget at the June 16 session; Gedders presented the final figures for review and the receiver will consider them at the scheduled meeting.