PCSD Residents will vote on Tuesday, May 19, 2009 at Barker Road Middle School between the hours of 7:00 am - 9:00 pm on the 2009-2010 school budget, two propositions, and three Board of Education candidates. Some quick facts about the budget, propositions, and Board candidates follow:
• The proposed budget represents a 3.25% increase in expenditures.
• The tax levy increase (the total amount collected from all taxpayers) is estimated to be a year-to-year increase of 1.9%.
• The estimated tax rate increase is 0.90% or $0.21 per thousand of assessed home value. The impact on the average PCSD homeowner with a $250,000 full-value assessed home with Basic STAR will be an estimated increase of $46.
This proposed budget was developed after enacting a 10% decrease in discretionary items such as equipment, supplies, field trips, and conference attendance. Current programs will continue, but new programs were not added. Savings resulting from various efficiencies in areas such as health insurance and energy consumption were taken into account. State stabilization funds are being used to avert the full impact of the 3.25% budget increase on PCSD taxpayers. In other words, the estimated 1.9% levy increase takes into account the stabilization funds.
• Neither proposition will affect the tax levy.
• The first proposition requests the use of $1,765,000 from an existing Capital Reserve Fund to complete phase three of the Barker Road Middle School renovations and, at various buildings around the district, repair and/or replace ceilings, floors, playground equipment, ventilation equipment, fences, athletic fields, and transportation bus lifts.
• The second proposition requests the use of $944,070 for the purchase of ten buses. Again, this proposition will not result in any new taxes. In addition to the bus purchase, voters will be asked to authorize the re-establishment of the Bus Purchase Fund.
Finally, voters will be asked to elect three Board of Education members. The candidates for Board of Education include:
• Brent Kecskemety - First elected to the Board of Education in 2000, and re-elected in 2003 and 2006.
• Irene Narotsky - Seeking her first term on the Board of Education.
• Ray Brown - Elected to the Board of Education in 2003, and re-elected in 2006. Elected president of the Board of Education in 2007.
- About the Candidates
