School District Budget Closer to Being Finalized

After numerous discussions and presentations, the Saucon Valley School Board voted 5-3 to accept a draft budget requiring no tax increase at its May 7 meeting.

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There is money designated in the budget to hire a kindergarten teacher if enrollment numbers increase.

The school board voted to use the $195,545 saved from not replacing two retiring teachers and one custodian to purchase two new buses, replace the stage's floor, replace three or four large school district-owned musical instruments and pay for work that will redirect water in the high school's basement to a storm drain.

"We really have to get serious about replacing buses," said Saucon Valley Supervisor of Operations Wally Zimpfer.

He told the board the district is getting behind on its bus replacement schedule and that it would not financially benefit the district to keep one of the buses for an extra year.

The cost to replace the two buses is $132,000.

As for the stage floor, Zimpfer said it is a safety hazard.

Board member Bryan Eichfeld questioned the proposed $25,000 for the floor replacement, but was told the cost could come in lower than that estimate.

Although students typically pay for their instruments, there are large district-owned instruments that are no longer usable (such as tubas and drums). The district has designated $15,000 to purchase these items.

The cost to fix the drainage problem in the basement--and cement half of it so it can be used for storage--was estimated at $15,000 as well.

Another $5,000 was designated to paint the stadium fence.

With the purchase of all of these items and services, the district will have $3,545 left over from the $195,545 saved.