School Board Members Ask Superintendent to Review Budget Cuts

Although the will most likely not raise taxes this year, school board members asked superintendent Sandra Fellin to look at possible budget cuts to ease the potential tax burden in coming years.

At their March 13 meeting, board members asked Fellin to provide this information to the board before they vote on .

Board member Ralph Puerta said that with 13 teachers retiring this year, now
would be a good time to investigate the district’s options with regard to staffing and course offerings.

He suggested analyzing courses with the lowest enrollments and possibly getting rid of those classes.

"I agree with Ralph," said board vice president Susan Baxter. “Every year we should analyze the classes with the lowest numbers of students to see if the classes should be supported or not.”

Fellin said removing elective classes would not mean removing teachers, because most teach core and elective subjects.

Puerta suggested that Fellin look at the possibility of not filling all of the retiring teachers’ positions.

Board member Bryan Eichfeld agreed that he would like to see how that would affect the district, and said he would like to see how the budget would be impacted if one, two, three or four retiring teachers were not replaced.

Puerta questioned the possibility of decreasing enrollment due to low kindergarten enrollment numbers for the 2012-2013 school year. He
said this would allow the the advantage of not replacing some retiring teachers.

“These decisions are not easy,” Puerta said. “We are the only organization in the Lehigh Valley that has the same manpower as five years ago. We sustained ourselves through the entire period.”

“Ralph is looking at the sustainability of the district so that in four years we are not stuck,” Baxter said.

Not all of the school board members agreed that Fellin should be burdened with this task right now.

“There are other issues the administration should focus on at this time,” said board member Sandra Miller.

And board member Ed Inghrim said he feels it is too late in the year for Fellin to be looking at budget cuts.

"I went through this exercise a few years ago," he said. "The work it takes for what needs to be done is inconsistent with the deadline."

Fellin herself said it is too late to look at budget cuts and defended her performance in maintaining the budgets in previous years.

“Bringing in a budget for four years at zero is phenomenal in these economic times,” she said.

While Puerta did not challenge the zero percent tax increases, he said spending has not been cut in any budget.

“Spending continued to go up,” he said. “I don’t think (this budget) is a negative spending budget.”

Board member Lanita Lum said she supported the proposed budget.

In addition, Lum said she does not want to see budget cuts negatively impact the Saucon Valley School District.

“I will not compromise the quality of education,” she said. “If in five years that means a tax increase, then so be it.”