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Colonial IU 20 seeks 0% contribution increase from Easton as it outlines services and budget drivers
Summary
Colonial Intermediate Unit 20 presented its general operating budget to the Easton Area School District board, asking Easton to maintain its $63,588 contribution while outlining programs for early intervention, special-education staffing pipelines and behavioral-health services.
Colonial Intermediate Unit 20 presented its 2025–26 general operating budget to the Easton Area School District board and requested that Easton’s contribution remain unchanged at $63,588, representing a 0% increase from the previous year.
The IU’s assistant executive director and presenter emphasized that the general operating budget is a small portion of IU finances but supports the organization’s core operations. “Based on data that I collected this past year, Colonial IU 20 provides more services to students than any other IU in the Commonwealth of PA,” the presenter said, noting the budget’s proposed 4.1% overall increase in dollars but no increase in district assessments.
Why it matters: the IU supports services used by multiple districts and the general operating budget requires proportionate approval from the districts it serves. Maintaining Easton’s contribution at the current level avoids increased local cost while the IU funds growth from other revenue sources.
Key details: the IU said salary and health-care costs are the primary drivers of expenditure growth and that medical costs in particular may rise more than initially budgeted. The presenter said the IU had budgeted medical at 10% but received updated actuarial advice suggesting medical costs may be closer to 15%.
The IU described how it will offset increases: using a portion of employees’ premium shares, investment income, and additional grant-funded work through the Pennsylvania Department of Education that brings revenue to the IU without charging districts. The presenter also provided a seven-year historical average showing modest increases to the general operating budget.
Program highlights provided to the board included: - Early intervention services (ages 3–5). The IU said it serves roughly 2,500 children in the region and emphasizes kindergarten readiness, literacy and instructional coaching. - Teacher-pipeline programs aimed at growing special-education staffing, including paraeducator-to-teacher pathways and partnerships with local colleges to offer certification supports at low or no cost to districts. - Transition and work-readiness programs for students with disabilities, including job-placement partnerships (Project SEARCH, partnerships with local employers and a campus café run by the IU) and community-based training opportunities. - An expansive behavioral-health program that includes consultation, licensed providers, and a school-based partial hospital program the IU described as among the first in Pennsylvania. - Technology and operations supports, including regional cybersecurity collaboration and a district-accessible print shop.
The IU noted it is not requesting an increase in district assessments for 2025–26 and described the next steps: more district approvals, IU board vote, and submission to Harrisburg by May.
Ending: board members asked where to get more detail; the IU offered to take questions and to share the full budget booklet. The IU said its request to Easton is to maintain the district contribution at $63,588 for 2025–26.
