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Schools

Marple Newtown School Board Passes 2012-13 Final Budget With 0% Tax Increase

The Marple Newtown School Board voted 7-1 at Tuesday night's meeting in favor of the final budget with a 0 percent tax increase.

NEWTOWN SQUARE–As expected, officials approved the 2012-13 general fund budget for the district in the amount of $68.1 million, which is an approximately $1 million decrease from the preliminary budget.

The budget included a tax increase of *0 percent. Last month, from 2.67 percent down to 0.62.

The board voted 7-1 Tuesday night to pass the budget with School Board Vice President Nancy Galbraith holding the lone nay. School Board member Jamie Mariano was not present.

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Galbraith expressed her concerns with the tax decrease, citing potential problems in the future.

“I have respect for the board, but obviously I don’t agree. If healthcare increases, what are we going to do?” asked Galbraith. “We don’t have long-term goals and we don’t plan for the future. We’re going to be slicing and dicing next year, cutting programs and staff, and it breaks my heart.”

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According to Business Administrator Joe Driscoll, no programs or staff will be cut in the 2012-13 budget. He attributed the ability to lower the tax to several factors, including retirements, resignations, and attritional saving. Driscoll has said the district was able to reduce $175,000 from the preliminary budget in staffing alone.

Approximately $100,000 was saved from the budgetary reserve of $700,000, and $215,000 in operational costs, like equipment, maintenance, and electricity.

Savings were also possible with the elimination of an additional custodian for , a position included in the preliminary budget in connection with the building renovation project.

School board member John McDevitt told Patch on Wednesday afternoon that the board was able to use $135,000 from the district's reserve fund to balance the budget.

The budget is available for review at the district’s Administration Building in Suite 210, and copies are also available at local libraries, township buildings, and on the district’s website.

Members of the Marple Newtown Community Budget Committee, appointed by the school board, presented their findings on ways to save and potential revenue makers for the school district in the future at a Budget & Finance Committee meeting on May 8.

Some recommendations the committee encouraged the board to look into for future budgets included:

*Editor's Note: The original version of this article incorrectly stated the school board passed the final 2012-13 budget with a 0.62 percent increase.

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