Tredyffrin-Easttown board puts 2024–25 preliminary budget on display, authorizes filing for state exceptions

The Tredyffrin-Easttown School District on Jan. 2 authorized the administration to make the 2024–25 preliminary budget available for public inspection, to publish required notices and to file for referendum exceptions with the Pennsylvania Department of Education. The action allows the district to display a budget option that includes Act 1 exceptions and does not itself commit the board to taking those exceptions.

Business Manager Art McDonnell presented the budget overview and options. McDonnell said the preliminary display budget includes a proposed capital funds transfer of $6,000,000 to support capital projects including a potential new elementary school and athletic fields; he noted financing options would include reserves, bond issues or bank loans. The board was told projected debt service for contemplated capital borrowing could be roughly $2,000,000 and that budget workshops will refine the estimates.

On programmatic costs, McDonnell identified an increase in special-education costs (about $1,600,000) and a projected technology budget increase (about $1,000,000). He said preliminary revenue projections show general-fund revenue of roughly $142,000,000 with year-to-date general-fund expenditures near $137,000,000; the administration also noted a multi-year structural deficit scenario used for planning purposes.

McDonnell explained the filing process for Act 1 referendum exceptions: filing does not guarantee approval — the department reviews applications using districts’ annual financial reports — but filing preserves the board’s option to pursue an exception. The administration noted the online filing portal in Harrisburg had not been opened to districts at the time of the meeting and that formal filing would occur when the portal is available; the deadline to file exceptions was given in the packet as not later than Feb. 8.

The board approved putting the preliminary budget on display and authorized the administration to publish required public notices and to proceed with filing where appropriate. Board members and staff stressed that subsequent workshops and meetings in March–June will be used to refine staffing, health-care, special-education and capital assumptions before final adoption.

Next steps: the board will hold budget workshops in March and April, a proposed final budget presentation in April and a final adoption vote in June, with additional finance-committee meetings to develop detailed financing plans for any capital projects.