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Marple Newtown board hears 2026–27 final-budget update; adoption vote set for June 16
Summary
District finance staff outlined a $435,000 reduction from the proposed budget, said the district will need about $575,000 of unassigned fund balance to balance next year’s budget and proposed a millage of 12.9106; several operational motions were listed for a June 16 vote.
Dominic, the district finance presenter, told the Marple Newtown School District School Board on June 9 that revenue changes—principally a decline in state support for Social Security and Medicare cost-sharing—reduced available funding for the 2026–27 budget.
"There's a $435,000 decrease in expenses we were able to find," Dominic said, while noting that total expenditures for the year are only about 2.2% higher than last year. He added the district expects to rely on roughly $575,000 of unassigned fund balance to close the gap and reported a proposed millage rate of 12.9106 for next year.
The finance presentation reviewed drivers of cost changes: increases in professional services, recently negotiated wage and benefit adjustments and additional transportation staffing, offset by savings from attrition, nutrition program savings and efficiencies identified in a transportation audit.
Dominic also explained the district is designating $980,000 in assigned fund balance for one-time expenditures that will be presented for separate board approval during the year. He said total expenditures in the presentation came to just over $119 million.
Board members asked few questions during the update and thanked staff for the work. The board was told the final 2026–27 budget will be scheduled for formal adoption at the June 16 meeting; staff noted the district must allow at least 30 calendar days between the proposed final budget and the final adoption.
Several operational motions were outlined for the upcoming meeting rather than voted on June 9. Dominic said the June 16 agenda will include authorization to release checks for payment through July while the board is not meeting, a required annual vote on fund-balance designation (final amounts to be confirmed after the district audit), the designation of banking institutions, closure of inactive scholarship accounts and a purchase request for football uniforms. Staff also listed two food-service items: a 10-cent lunch-price increase and the required transfer of any uncollectible meal debt from federal to the general fund. No formal votes on these items were recorded at the June 9 session.
The board is scheduled to reconvene on June 16, when members will be asked to act on the final budget and the listed motions.
