TheArmstrong School District Budget.
The numbers of the ASD budget are a point of controversy. Numbers have been changed, moved, combined and twisted to make things look better or worse, why should the ASD Board be able to use different accounting than we use in our households?
The most important factors are:
and Income from the ASD Board meeting on February 22nd, these numbers have not been manipulated.
For the 2008 – 2009 Budget, please note the following:
Total Revenue (including State / Federal Subsidies) $82,340,095
Total Expenditures (including debt servicing) $83,440,253
Surplus
Surplus Balance $ 5,000,000 (rounded)
Surplus Balance for FY 2009-2010 $ 4,000,000 (rounded)
Thanks to cost cutting from the administration, our balance has a surplus of over $4,000,000, this excess is used as justification that our district is in sound financial shape.
Can Your TAX dollars PAY for Your SCHOOLS?
The table below provides a straight forward example of YOUR TAXES and the EXPENDITURES for each attendance area. This does not include debt servicing or other items, which will be discussed later.
No attendance area pays for itself.
On a per student basis, Kittanning has a deficit of $2,242 per student, the lowest of all attendance areas.
YOUR TAX DOLLARS AND STATE/FEDERAL MONEY
The following table includes debt servicing, STATE and FEDERAL money (really this is YOUR money as well) included in YOUR taxes.
The data in the table, are a little confusing. There is a formula for State/ Federal money which is
complicated, such as the number of special needs students, poverty levels etc. It will take a while to get the data and put it in a useful format.
What is important is our District is losing money on day to day operations!
Questions:
Just for fun, lets take the State/Federal Money and divide it based on the percentage enrollment of each attendance area. Please find the information below:
By removing the State’s formula, and distributing money based on enrollment numbers, we get a picture, of how things would look if all things were equal (we understand they are not). There is something in the state’s formula which favors Kittanning and Elderton, ( greatly) yet West Shamokin seems to lose in this formula.
That is another Story.
Watch Out for Part II
The numbers of the ASD budget are a point of controversy. Numbers have been changed, moved, combined and twisted to make things look better or worse, why should the ASD Board be able to use different accounting than we use in our households?
The most important factors are:
- How much money is coming in?
- How much money is being spent?
and Income from the ASD Board meeting on February 22nd, these numbers have not been manipulated.
For the 2008 – 2009 Budget, please note the following:
Total Revenue (including State / Federal Subsidies) $82,340,095
Total Expenditures (including debt servicing) $83,440,253
Surplus Balance $ 5,000,000 (rounded)
Surplus Balance for FY 2009-2010 $ 4,000,000 (rounded)
Thanks to cost cutting from the administration, our balance has a surplus of over $4,000,000, this excess is used as justification that our district is in sound financial shape.
Can Your TAX dollars PAY for Your SCHOOLS?
The table below provides a straight forward example of YOUR TAXES and the EXPENDITURES for each attendance area. This does not include debt servicing or other items, which will be discussed later.
| Attendance Area | TAX REVENUE | SCHOOL EXPENSES | Surplus / Deficit |
| Elderton | $ 4,896,427 | $ 7,782,046 | -$2,885,619 |
| Ford City | $ 7,886,459 | $12,029,133 | -$4,142,674 |
| Kittanning | $12,960,139 | $17,834,557 | -$4,874,418 |
| West Shmakoin | $ 5,575,980 | $11,115,967 | -$5,539,987 |
| Surplus/Deficit | $17,442,698 |
On a per student basis, Kittanning has a deficit of $2,242 per student, the lowest of all attendance areas.
YOUR TAX DOLLARS AND STATE/FEDERAL MONEY
The following table includes debt servicing, STATE and FEDERAL money (really this is YOUR money as well) included in YOUR taxes.
| Attendance Area | State/Federal Money | Tax Revenue | School Expenses | Debt Service and other | Surplus / Deficit |
| Elderton | $ 7,447,573 | $ 4,896,427 | $ 7,782,046 | $ 5,010,215 | $ 448,261 |
| Ford City | $12,910,845 | $ 7,866,459 | $12,029,133 | $ 8,688,057 | $ 39,886 |
| Kittanning | $19,837,861 | $12,960,139 | $17,834,557 | $13,348,295 | $1,615,148 |
| West Shamokin | $11,344,020 | $ 5,575,980 | $11,115,967 | $ 7,631,983 | $1,827,950 |
| Deficit | $31,299,005 | $ 700,949 |
The data in the table, are a little confusing. There is a formula for State/ Federal money which is
complicated, such as the number of special needs students, poverty levels etc. It will take a while to get the data and put it in a useful format.
What is important is our District is losing money on day to day operations!
Questions:
- Does the Kittanning area generate that much excess?
- Does West Shamokin area generate such a huge deficit?
- How is Ford City “about” breaking even?
- What about Elderton?
Just for fun, lets take the State/Federal Money and divide it based on the percentage enrollment of each attendance area. Please find the information below:
| Attendance Area | % of Enrollment | Increase / Decrease in State/ Federal Assistance | Surplus / Deficit |
| Elderton | 14.5 | $ 358,071 | $806,332 |
| Ford City | 25.0 | $ 41,708 | $ 81,594 |
| Kittanning | 38.5 | $ 910,022 | $705,126 |
| West Shamokin | 22.0 | $1,309,801 | $518,149 |
| $700,949 |
By removing the State’s formula, and distributing money based on enrollment numbers, we get a picture, of how things would look if all things were equal (we understand they are not). There is something in the state’s formula which favors Kittanning and Elderton, ( greatly) yet West Shamokin seems to lose in this formula.
That is another Story.
Watch Out for Part II
Click here for supporting documents that were handed out at the February 22 ASD board meeting that SUPPORT the facts in this article!
