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Gettysburg Area SD faces multimillion-dollar shortfall; administration presents three tax-rate options ahead of June 1 vote
Summary
District finance staff told the board a projected year‑end deficit and reduced federal allocations leave a $200K–$482K gap under several scenarios; administration will present three millage options (2.9%, 3.5%, 4.12%) and cash‑on‑hand forecasts at the next meeting for final budget approval on June 1.
Belinda, the district finance lead, told the Gettysburg Area School District board on May 18 that preliminary federal allocations and local assessment updates have widened a projected shortfall and forced revisions to the capital plan.
"Right now, we have a current year end projection of just over a $1,200,000 deficit," Belinda said, explaining the district plans to use assigned and unassigned fund balance to meet obligations and that Title I and Title II revenues are decreasing.
The finance presentation described a $500,000 reduction in capital projects and a corresponding $500,000 reduction in assigned funds, leaving about $448,000 proposed for future capital projects. Belinda said the administration modeled multiple tax-rate scenarios: 2.8% (board-requested scenario), 2.9%, 3.5% (administration recommendation) and an index-based option near 4.12%–4.2%. Under those assumptions, she reported an unreconciled shortfall of about $442,600 at 2.9% and $203,003.68 at 3.5%; a balanced budget would require about a 4.1% rate in the current projections.
Board members pushed for more detail and time to review documents that arrived shortly before the meeting. "We didn't receive this information until 30 minutes before we met," said Kathleen, who asked the administration to break requested additions into "needs" and "nice-to-haves" and provide cost estimates for each.
Belinda replied the most constrained items stem from special-education shifts (new positions moved from intermediate-unit funding into the district budget) and certain contractual or mandated costs that are difficult to cut. She said items that could be deferred include some technology positions but cautioned about service degradation.
Board member Ryan Kearney and others asked administration to return with three precise scenarios — 2.9%, 3.5% and 4.12% — and to show the millage impact and cash‑on‑hand for each option. "So next meeting, 3 options: 2.9, 3.5, and 4.12," Belinda summarized for the board.
Public commenters expressed concern about raising taxes. Resident Walter Glass urged the board to "live within your means," saying the district should prioritize cuts over expansion. Ken Calabresi recommended adopting a disciplined baseline at 2.8% and deferring hires where possible.
The board is scheduled to take final budget action, including adoption of a tax rate and fund-balance decisions, at its June 1 meeting. Administration committed to emailing the requested forecasts and millage-impact worksheets before that meeting.
What happens next: administration will provide detailed cash-flow and average-homestead millage-impact figures for the three options (2.9%, 3.5%, 4.12%) ahead of the June 1 vote.
