Unanimous approval from the Upper Adams School District (UASD) school board set the final 2022-2023 budget rolling with a zero percent tax increase June 21.
The grand total for projected revenues is at $32,199,823 and expenditures at $33,781,639, according to Board treasurer Susan Crouse.
The deficit will be covered by $520,000 from the assigned debt fund, $60,000 from the assigned Public School Employees Retirement System (PSERS) fund, and slightly over one million dollars from the unassigned fund, she said.
The total variance is $1.5 million, according to Crouse.
The final budget 2022-2023 was approved with a real estate tax rate of 15.63 mills which represents a zero percent increase.
The updated budget assumes the district will receive an additional $200,000 in basic education and at this point the district has not heard anything regarding that funding from the state, she said.
The final budget contains the most recent updates including contract negotiations settlements with all salary’s updates, and the transition of the autism classroom from the Intermediate Unit to UASD.
Noting the extensive process undergone to have a comprehensive budget for the good of the whole district, Board President Tom Wilson praised the work undergone by all.
This budget process that the administration has presented to us this year has been systematic, thorough, and built on itself… This process is orders of magnitude better than what we used to have,” he said.
Hearing budget briefings since November, the board has done its due diligence in asking the right questions and driving closer look at certain aspects, according to Wilson.
“I think we have a product here that we can all be proud of,” Wilson said.
In other business, the board recognized the years of dedicated work of two esteemed retiring district officials and wished them the best moving forward.
Director of Student Services Anne Corwell was applauded for her dedicated service during her last school board meeting before moving on to other opportunities.
Upon coming aboard UASD, one of the first tasks Corwell undertook was setting up the consortium with two other school districts for special education thereby not only reducing the cost but providing essential continuity to students, according to Wilson.
“She has always kept the needs of her students in the forefront,” he said.
Corwell figured out how to provide quality services for the district and at a lower cost than expected, Wilson said.
Board member Ron Ebbert noted Corwell as an asset to the entire district and has been known for always obtaining solutions, which he considered “a very rare quality.”
A certification of recognition was presented to District Solicitor Robert McQuaide for his 40 years of UASD commitment.
“It’s been an honor” McQuaide said.
The UASD school board will next meet July 19 at 7 p.m.
A.L. Grabenstein, reporter, is a graduate of Philadelphia's La Salle University with a B.A in Communication and has been a journalist since 2016. She has reported for the Gettysburg Times and the Times Herald in Norristown, PA. Grabenstein moved to Gettysburg from Montgomery County in 2019. She was born in San Antonio, TX., and previously lived in Virginia, and North Carolina. Grabenstein is actively involved in the borough of Gettysburg and loves giving voices to the local community.