Tina Stoll, President of the North Penn Board of School Directors.
(The following is part of a series of monthly submissions from the North Penn School District Board of School Directors. This month’s submission was authored by North Penn School Board President Tina Stoll. The views expressed within are her own.)
The school year is winding down and as we head toward the June finish line, the 2023-2024 proposed final budget has also been completed. The school board will vote on the final budget at its action meeting being held Thursday, June 22, at 7 p.m. at the Educational Services Center.
On behalf of the North Penn School Board (NPSB) Directors, I’d like to thank the administration for their diligence. It has been a months-long process, with administration pouring over every line item and making presentations and recommendations to the board for the upcoming school year. Their attention to detail and expertise has allowed us to end our fiscal year with a positive variance for the third year in a row. As always, all the finance meetings are posted on NPTV’s YouTube for viewing at any time.
The proposed budget includes a 4.1% tax increase which is the Act 1 index. For all school districts, employee salaries and benefits make up the majority of our expenditures. We are proud that we continue to attract qualified candidates and retain our excellent staff while the nation faces an educator shortage. We also recognize that we need to remain competitive to sustain the standard of excellence in our outstanding district.
Additionally, we have a long list of capital improvement projects, the most ambitious of which will be the renovation of the North Penn High School. Details of this project can be found here. Please be sure to check it out and tune into future committee meetings as we move forward. We are currently in the design phase of this multi-year project, with the hope of breaking ground in the summer of 2025.
Another major factor in the increased budget are unfunded/underfunded mandates from the federal and state governments, including charter school funding and special education. In my February letter, I addressed the issue of charter school reform.
In 1974, Congress passed the Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA), which rightfully guaranteed students with disabilities the right to an education. At the time, Congress committed to reimbursing public schools up to 40% of their expenses. The most that the federal government has reimbursed public schools is about half that. As school board directors, part of our job is advocacy. We continuously contact our state and federal representatives to advocate for increased funding and we encourage you to reach out to your representatives as well and ask them to increase the funding for special education that was promised over 40 years ago.
Additionally, as allies for our students, educators and families must communicate well and trust that both are working toward the same goal: student safety and success. In recent years, many North Penn families had front row seats in their child’s classrooms as they learned from home, seeing firsthand the expertise and tremendous work they do every day to reach each student. When miscommunications occur or when a student needs something new, it is the relationship between home and school that gives the student the best chance of success. To better equip our teachers and families to respond, the NPSB along with the administration has put into place several projects.
The North Penn Special Education Department has partnered with North Penn High School alumnus Ben Hartranft in supporting autism awareness during the month of April. We have also continued our collaboration with our Special Education Parents Alliance to support partnerships, inclusive events, and advocacy within the community. Finally, we have reimagined the Cultural Proficiency and Equity committee by adding a fifth committee for structures and systems that will support universal design and inclusive practices as some of the forefront initiatives. Special education supervisors have joined each committee to provide an additional lens for students with disabilities. Looking forward, we are also providing a special education orientation in the fall for new families to North Penn and the special education process.
There have been both challenges and accomplishments, but we’re almost finished with the 2022-2023 school year. On behalf of the NPSB Directors, we hope everyone has a great final few weeks of school.
Signed,
Tina Stoll
NPSD Board of School Directors, President
Term Expiration: 2025
See also:
Submission: April Letter from North Penn School District Board of School Directors
Submission: March Letter from North Penn School District Board of School Directors
Submission: February Letter from North Penn School District Board of School Directors
Submission: January Letter from North Penn School District Board of School Directors
