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Board cancels June 16 meeting, faces push to use full Act 1 tax increase
Summary
Board members agreed to cancel the June 16 meeting and move business to June 23 to meet 30-day posting rules. A public comment letter read into the record urged the board to raise property taxes to the full Act 1 limit to avoid cuts, criticizing reliance on donations and linking prior small increases to current shortfalls.
The Kutztown Area School District board agreed to cancel its June 16 regular meeting and move necessary business to the June 23 meeting so the district can meet a 30-day posting requirement for the proposed budget.
During new-business discussion, members debated budget options to present at the upcoming meeting. Administrators said the primary option prepared was a 4% tax increase scenario and that at least one member had asked to also include a 5% option. The board discussed policy around agenda-setting and the president’s responsibility to post options; members asked to limit the number of budget options forwarded to administration to keep the posted agenda manageable.
A board member read an emailed public comment from Reverend Dr. Dennis Ritter, who urged the board to raise property taxes by the full amount permitted under Act 1 and criticized suggestions that donations substitute for stable funding. The letter read, in part, that "Mister Hess was right to call it, 'a ridiculous suggestion,'" and urged the board to avoid decisions that will lead to larger class sizes and reduced services.
Board counsel and members clarified voting procedures for abstentions and said abstentions should be used for conflict-of-interest situations with required documentation. The board set a deadline for members to submit any alternate budget options by the end of business on June 16 so staff can prepare materials for the June 23 adoption meeting.
The district confirmed fundraising efforts by the Education Foundation and encouraged better public outreach to make donation opportunities more visible, but said the June 23 budget vote will not include a donation line as revenue.
