Hampton Township School Board adopts budget with tax increase

Hampton Township School Board voted June 10 to adopt the district’s final 2024-25 general fund budget and along with it, a real estate tax increase.

The tax rate rises by 1.15 mills, from 21.85 to 23, a 5.3% increase that represents the highest Hampton is allowed under the index assigned by the Pennsylvania Department of Education, as per Act 1 of 2006, without the issue going to referendum.

Larry Vasko, the board’s finance chairperson, cast the lone vote against the nearly $64.2 million spending plan, continuing the opposition he has expressed throughout the process of formulating the budget. At the June 10 meeting, he cited high administrative salaries and instances of small class sizes as contributing to expenditures.

“I think there’s no plan to bring our fund balance up to where I think it should be, around 8%,” Vasko said.

His reference is to the percentage of expenditures the district keeps in reserve for nonspecific purposes. According to the budget document, the projected unassigned fund balance as of June 30 is just over $4.1 million, of 6.36% of 2024-25 expenditures.

To balance the budget, the district will use $300,000 from a stabilization fund established 15 years ago primarily to pay for Hampton’s annual employer contribution to the state Public School Employees Retirement System. The net PSERS expense for next fiscal year is $4.861 million.

An unknown on the revenue side is state funding for basic and special education, which is budgeted at a combined $7.883 million. The actual amount will not be known until legislators adopt the state’s 2024-25 budget, a process that often extends well beyond the ostensible deadline.

“They’ve gone up to October,” school board member Robert Shages said about eventual adoption. “And they, by the constitution, are supposed to have it done by June 30.”

Superintendent Michael Loughead said the district received “a very positive and encouraging note” from state Rep. Arvind Venkat, D-McCandless, who “believes there may be some additional funding coming our way.”

In other business at the school board meeting:

• Loughead noted that the May 31 high school commencement occurred “a week earlier this year than we normally do. It seems to have been well-received. We had a huge turnout.

“And it seemed like this final week of school went very smoothly, calmly. It was one of, I think, more smooth ends to the year that we’ve had in quite some time,” he said. “We’re planning for graduation to be a week earlier, much like it was this year, next year, as well.”

• The board approved changes in positions and job titles for two administrators, as of July 1.

Jacquelyn Removcik, now assistant to the superintendent, will be assistant superintendent. Tammi Kinzel’s status will change from business manager to assistant director of administrative services.

According to the meeting agenda, they will receive contract for employment, subject to the approval by the district solicitor. No salaries were listed.

• Shages received unanimous approval as school board treasurer for the 2024-25 school year, with a stipend of $1,200.