The North Penn School District (NPSD) Board of School Directors approved a $291,641,146 final budget for the 2021-2022 school year at its action meeting Thursday, June 17, 2021. The budget includes a tax increase of 2.85 percent, equating to a $113 increase for the average NPSD homeowner. The NPSD tax rate is the fifth lowest rate in Montgomery County.
“Administration and the school board have developed and approved a final budget that positions NPSD to meet current and future needs,” said Dr. Curtis R. Dietrich, NPSD Superintendent. “As we develop our strategic goals for the next three years, some of the issues that we are looking at include much needed renovations at North Penn High School, the possibility of a ninth grade center and the addition of an onsite health clinic for employees, which would be an eventual savings in benefit costs for us. We need to ensure we have the financial resources to support possible endeavors in these areas.”
The tax increase is lower than the state allowed Act 1 index of 3 percent which is permitted by the state. The 2021-2022 budget is a 4.86% percent increase from the current school year’s budget. Factors impacting this increased budget include employee contracts, charter school tuition rates, rising special education costs, Public School Employees’ Retirement System (PSERS) and pandemic response.
Fortunately, close to $7 million in federal stimulus funding will support North Penn schools in the 2021-2022 school year to continue its management and response to COVID-19. Budgeted items include:
- Student Chromebooks and Teacher Laptops
- Learning Coaches and Reading Specialists
- Learning Software
- Special Education Summer Programming
- Personal Protection Equipment and Supplies
- Student Assistance Program
- Other items, resources or services necessary to address COVID-19
“As a school board we continue to be extremely proud of the school district’s response to the challenges presented by COVID-19, and this includes everyone from the Superintendent to teachers to students and parents,” said Tina Stoll, President, NPSD Board of School Directors. “I am also proud that next year’s budget includes resources to provide direct support to our students, because all students, especially now, need opportunities to grow not only academically, but socially and behaviorally, and this budget accounts for that.”
Even with the tax increase, there remains a budget deficit of $5.8 million. Due to prudent budgeting, wise investing and continuing efforts to raise revenues and decrease costs, NPSD is in a position to use budgetary reserves to offset the deficit. In fact, NPSD is rated Aa1 by Moody’s Investors Services and is one of only 19 school districts in the state with this impressive rating.
NPSD is known throughout the state as an example of excellence when it comes to budget preparation. For the sixth year in a row, the Association of School Business Officials (ASBO) International awarded NPSD with its Meritorious Budget Award (MBA) for excellence in budget presentation. The MBA program promotes and recognizes excellence in school budget presentation and enhances school business officials' skills in developing, analyzing and presenting a school system budget.
“I believe the budget developed over several months with community input and passed by our Board of School Directors reflects North Penn’s commitment to provide the very best education, no matter what,” said Steve Skrocki, Chief Financial Officer, NPSD. “It is always our goal to be transparent in our preparation of the budget and believe that this year with the ability to watch online we had more community engagement than ever.”
Skrocki cited a three-pronged approach that the Board of School Directors took to provide relief to taxpayers due to the pandemic.
- Increased installment payments from three to six. Property owners can spread out their tax payments from July - December.
- Maintained a lower real estate tax penalty from 10% to 5%.
- An expanded property tax and rent rebate program equalling 60% of the state amount.
Individuals eligible for the NPSD Tax Rebate Program can receive up to $585 for homeowners and $390 for renters in a district rebate. The program now includes any supplemental payment taxpayers may receive from the State. In the 2020-2021 school year 464 Rebate Program Applicants received a total of $100,555, at an average of $221 per taxpayer. That is up from an average of $82 just two years ago.
Learn more about the NPSD Real Estate Tax Rebate Program