Budget Focuses East Penn School Board

East Penn Superintendent Thomas Seidenberger said at Monday night's meeting of the East Penn School Board that he expects the district’s final budget to include a 1.9 percent real estate tax increase, down from the 2.7 percent hike in the proposed budget adopted on May 23.

He said discussions with State Reps. Pat Browne and Doug Reichley and State Sen. Bob Mensch produced another $557,000 in state funding for the district, which will be reflected in the final budget to be adopted at the next board meeting on June 20.

Seidenberger credited the smaller tax increase to $5 million in budget cuts and the sacrifices of district employees who offered salary freezes to help ease the budget crunch.

Another group of school workers -- the administrative assistant and instructional/staff assistant employees – made their sacrifice official Monday night as the board agreed to amend their contract. The workers will accept a salary freeze in the 2011-2012 school year plus other concessions in exchange for a two-year contract extension.

Teachers, Teamsters and administrators have all agreed to a salary freeze next year as well as other concessions to help fill a hole in the school budget created by reductions in state funding.

School Board President Charles Ballard cautioned that earned income tax revenues after Jan. 1, 2012, will be slower coming into the district under Lehigh County’s new tax collection system, which will be handled by Berkheimer Tax Administrator. The board agreed to amend its earned income tax resolution to conform with the new county standards.