Southmoreland board approves Option 1 budget to post after split vote; trustees and residents dispute cuts vs. reserves

The Southmoreland School Board voted 5–4 on May 21 to adopt Option 1 as the proposed final budget to be posted for 30 days, setting a course that holds local millage effectively flat while using a combination of assigned capital funds and unassigned fund balance to cover a projected deficit.

The business manager, who presented four budget options to trustees, summarized the ledger figures during the meeting: "Our total expenses were $35,616,218," the business manager said, and explained that Option 1 would leave a projected deficit of roughly $266,149 before one planned staffing change was taken into account. The presentation laid out alternative plans ranging from a 0.1-mill rebalancing up to a 2.369-mill increase that would produce a surplus without using fund balance.

Why it matters: Board discussion focused on whether to preserve taxpayer relief by using reserves for a single year or to adopt higher millage now to avoid drawing down capital and unassigned balances. Several residents and a trustee emphasized the cumulative burden of annual tax changes; one speaker who identified herself as a long-serving board member told the board: "Every year for 7 years, your taxes have gone up," urging trustees not to approve another increase.

How the budget would affect taxpayers: The business manager provided median-assessed-value examples showing small monthly estimates for Option 1 (near a penny per month in one county) and larger year-over-year amounts for the other options (Option 3 roughly $36.72/year and Option 4 about $43.56/year at the Westmoreland median). Trustees and residents cautioned that median figures can obscure much larger increases for higher-assessed homes in parts of the district.

Board debate and votes: Trustees debated whether administration or the board should identify specific cuts. One trustee asked how the $266,149 gap would be covered; the business manager replied the district could reassign approximately $171,000 from the assigned capital fund and use the remainder from unassigned fund balance, leaving about $90,000 that the board would need to address. After an amendment vote to place Option 1 on public display (amendment passed in a roll call), the final adoption to post Option 1 for the required 30-day display passed on a 5–4 roll-call vote.

What’s next: The proposed final budget will be posted for the statutorily required 30 days. Trustees may amend the plan before final adoption at a future meeting; the board explicitly preserved the option to revisit the posted version if members choose a different option following the display period. Administration and trustees indicated they will continue reviewing potential cuts and priorities during the display window.

The meeting closed after public remarks that included both praise for district financial improvements and requests to restore or preserve educational programs; the board adjourned following routine motions.