House Republican Proposal Would Restore $826k in State Funding to PASD

Phoenixville Area School District administrators have been working to trim down a proposed tax increase due to a drop in state funding of $2.3 million.

The $2.3 million cut came from numbers included in Gov. Tom Corbett’s proposed budget. The Republicans in the state House of Representatives introduced their own proposed budget this week. That budget would restore $826,000 to Phoenixville Area, according to a news release from Rep. Warren Kampf (R-157), who supports the house Republican budget.

“We must pass a budget that is responsible to both the taxpayer and our children,” Kampf said in a news release. “We’ve worked hard to restore Gov. Corbett’s reductions to education without raising taxes in these tough economic times. This proposal achieves that balance.”

According to the Commonwealth Foundation, the money for education would come mostly from a Republican plan to reduce welfare fraud, in addition to savings on welfare co-pays for transportation and childcare programs and increased generic drug use.

As it stands now, the PASD budget includes a 3.14 percent increase, taking into account the governor’s proposed $2.3 million in cuts and revenue increases. Those changes from the preliminary budget include cutting 13.5 personnel positions, instituting a tiered pay to participate program, cutting bus routes and more. A proposal to suspend seventh- and ninth-grade sports was given a red light designation, meaning it is not recommended by the administration.

A 3.14 percent increase would be a little over $100 per year for residents who have homes assessed at the median value in the district.

The cap under Act 1 is a 1.4 percent increase, but the district applied for and received exceptions that would allow a tax hike of 4.43 percent.

The Phoenixville Area School Board will meet Thursday evening at 7 p.m. for a workshop meeting.