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Pottsgrove projects roughly $1.17 million deficit; administration outlines steps, proposes ~2.62% tax impact
Summary
Business administrator Ron Lankey reported the district moved from a $906,000 deficit at the proposed final budget to an approximately $1,170,000 deficit after restoring several positions and contracts; administration said that equates to roughly a 2.62% tax increase and will continue monitoring before the June 10 final adoption deadline.
At the Pottsgrove School District board meeting, Business Administrator Ron Lankey gave an update on the 2025-26 budget and described changes since the board adopted a proposed final budget at its April 22 meeting.
Lankey said the board had adopted a proposed final with a roughly $906,000 deficit that would have required about a 2.02% tax increase to balance. Administration restored several items to the budget after the April meeting, including the reach counselor, a special education teacher at the high school, a special education teacher at Lower Pottsgrove Elementary, summer help for the technology department, a contracted drug-and-alcohol counselor and other adjustments tied to retirements and Social Security/subsidy estimates. With those restorations, Lankey said the deficit rose to about $1,170,000 — “approximately a 2.62% tax increase” — which he described as the middle of the range the board had discussed (2.5%–3%).
Lankey presented line-item context: total proposed budget is about $5 million higher than last year (a 6.5% increase). New staffing requests accounted for about $486,000; other salary increases totaled about $1.1 million (roughly 3.7% over last year); benefits rose by about $1.04 million, with roughly $500,000 attributable to retirement and Social Security costs tied to raises. He also listed budget drivers including charter school costs, contracted services, transportation vehicles, special-education outplacements, a new iPad lease and a Pre-K Counts program that is currently operating but not yet in the budget.
Lankey said administration will continue to monitor state budget actions and seek cost reductions, noting the board has until June 10 to adopt a final budget and will receive an update on May 27. A board member emphasized the structural nature of salary and benefit increases, saying those are recurring costs that future budgets must accommodate.
No final tax rate was set at the meeting; administration presented the figures for board discussion and said it will bring updated numbers at the next meeting and at the scheduled June 10 final-adoption meeting.
