Letter to the Editor: WCASD Forming Community Budget Task Force

Dear WCASD Community

The West Chester Area School District is inviting the entire community to be part of a new Community Budget Task Force. The initial meeting for our Community Budget Task Force II will be held on Tuesday September 13, 2011, 7PM in the auditorium of East High School located at 450 Ellis Lane, West Chester Pa, 19380.

The District’s first Community Budget Task Force met back in the fall of 2009, and ultimately recommended $6 million in potential budget cuts and revenue enhancements. The school board adopted more than $4 million of suggested cuts in the first year, and continues to adopt suggestions made by that task force, including this year’s transportation plan changes saving taxpayers $1 million.

The West Chester Area School District remains committed to involve our community in major decisions such as those that impact our annual budget. Demands for services continue to increase and revenues are forecast to decrease again in 2012-13 and beyond. It is more important than ever for us to hear directly from community members what the priorities are when it comes to making decisions about funding programs. We must close a projected budget gap of approximately $5 million, or about 3% of the annual budget, for the 2012-13 school year.

The purpose of the task force is to make recommendations to the Superintendent and School Board about delivering services in more cost effective ways and areas in which spending reductions can be enacted, as well as increasing non-tax revenues. 

The committee work will continue through October and is expected to be completed by November 23, 2011, followed by the presentation of a report to the community on Wednesday December 7, 2011. The school board will begin evaluating the recommendations in January, 2012, and will incorporate accepted recommendations in the vote on a final budget by June, 2012.

The Task Force will be divided into five areas consisting of 13 sub-committees. The goal of each committee will be to look for budget reductions or increased sources of non-tax revenue, while maintaining the integrity of classroom instruction and programs. Anyone volunteering their time to participate on a budget task force committee will be asked to select one committee on which to serve.

The committee areas:

• Class size
• Revenue
• Non-Instructional programs
• Instructional Programs
• Space Consolidation

The chart is accessible through this link and provides more information about each sub-committee. We look forward to working with everyone in our community and thank you for supporting our schools!

Sincerely,
Dr. Jim Scanlon
Superintendent