Twin Valley board committee moves $77.6 million 2025-26 budget to final approval after additional reductions

The Twin Valley School District finance committee voted Monday to forward a proposed 2025-26 general fund budget totaling $77,623,317 to the full board for final approval next week.

The committee heard a final budget update from district staff before the vote. The presenter said additional staff resignations and subsequent lower-cost replacements reduced salary and benefits by $28,000, and a further review of department budgets produced roughly $83,000 in additional cuts for a total expenditure reduction of $111,000 since the May presentation.

The presenter said the proposed budget represents a 3.7% increase over the current year's budget and gave an average millage impact figure of 1.82%. The presenter also described county-by-county impacts: "in Berks, that would be an increase of 5.4, and in Chester, it would actually be a decrease of 1.177 based on the equalized amount," according to the update provided to the committee.

Committee members asked for clearer, regular budget-to-actual reporting during the fiscal year. A committee member suggested monthly updates so board members can track expenditures earlier in the process and avoid last-minute changes. In response, staff said they are working on account-code changes and an executive-summary reporting format to make department-level tracking easier.

The committee also reviewed the technology budget within the overall package. Staff described the technology spending pattern over recent years: about $1.3 million in 2021, a spike to $1.877 million in 2021-22 driven by Chromebook and other device purchases, and a decline in later years when some costs were covered by E-Rate and ESSER funds. The presenter said the budget line now proposed for technology is roughly $1,179,000 to $1,190,000 and that some large purchases in previous years reduced needs in the coming budget.

The committee approved the motion to forward the proposed 2025-26 general fund budget and accompanying revenue resolution to the full board. The committee vote was recorded in roll call as: Tom Burden, Nate DeCiccoffin, Trevor Glaze, Karen Schmidt and Jay Oliver voting yes.

The superintendent and finance staff reminded the committee that the one remaining step is adoption of the final budget at the next board meeting and that supplemental materials have been updated to reflect key changes, including debt service, estimated millage impact, and a five-year estimate.

A staff member also noted uncertainty on state and federal funding levels: there was no new statewide update from CASBO at the time of the meeting, and proposed state changes (including a charter reform measure discussed in the state legislature) remain unresolved and could affect district revenues if enacted.

The committee's motion will appear on next week's full-board agenda for final adoption.