Ligonier Valley deadlocks on proposed $36M school budget, eyes special session to revisit

The Ligonier Valley School Board plans to meet Wednesday, May 28, in an attempt to break a 4-4 tie over approval of a proposed 2025-26 district budget.

At the special 10 a.m. session in the district administration building, the board also will consider applicants for a seat on its roster that was left vacant by the sudden April 29 death of Joseph Vella at 54. The appointed board member would serve through early December, when a school director to be elected in November would begin serving the remaining two years of Vella’s term.

The board deadlocked last week at its regular monthly meeting over competing budget plans that either would hold the district property tax rate at the current 85.9 mills or impose a 0.34-mill increase.

In successive unsuccessful votes, Gary Steffey, Don Gilbert Jr., Cindy Brown and Josi Bennett favored a $36.3 million spending plan with no tax hike and then Jennifer Kromel, Michael Knupp, Irma Hutchinson and Mary Gamble proposed a version that would support the same level of expenditures in part with a 0.34-mill increase.

Once the board approves a proposed budget, it will have until the end of June to adopt a final version of the spending plan.

Gilbert said he initially suggested a one-third mill increase but settled instead on the current tax rate after learning how much would remain in the district fund balance.

According to a budget presentation by Ligonier Valley Business Manager Eric Kocsis, keeping taxes steady would involve transferring about $1.33 million from the district fund balance — to cover a projected operational shortfall of about $885,000, pay for curriculum updates and set aside contingency funds. That would leave about $9.1 million remaining in the fund balance.

Kocsis pointed out several factors still are unknown that could alter the budget, including the level of state funding. District expenditures are expected to increase by about $1.4 million in the coming year, he said.

According to Kocsis, a 0.34-mill tax hike would generate an additional $61,000 in revenue for the district — allowing for a somewhat smaller dip into the fund balance, for about $1.27 million.

Gilbert said he additionally was persuaded to back away from a proposed millage hike because of an incorrect public perception that a tax increase would help to pay for planned improvements at the high school baseball field.

“I think we’re doing well, and that’s why I decided to go ahead and go with zero” for a tax increase, Gilbert said.

“I think the state is going to pass us a pretty nice budget,” he said. “I don’t think we’re going to have to dip in (to the fund balance) as much as we are looking at based on some of the past projections.

“If the state really, really messes us up and we have to look at something for next year, maybe that’s when we explore either one-half or two-thirds (mill increase), or something like that.”

Kromel said she is worried the district will deplete its fund balance too much, risking its financial security.

“We don’t think it’s a wise decision to use our fund balance to pay our bills,” Kromel said. “You can’t rob Peter to pay Paul.”

Kromel noted Ligonier Valley has the lowest millage rate among the school districts in Westmoreland County. Without a small tax hike now, she suggested district taxpayers could face a larger jump in their tax bills down the road.

“I’d much rather say let’s do a little bit at a time and not hit everyone so hard at one time,” she said.

Ligonier Valley last increased its real estate tax in the 2020-21 school year, with a 2.15-mill hike.

Kocsis said a 1-mill tax increase would add a little less than $18 to the annual tax bill on a property with a median assessed value of $17,740.

Administrative moves

At last week’s meeting, the board hired Maria Baumann as principal of Ligonier Valley Middle School with a starting salary of $100,800, effective July 1. Baumann also was granted a stipend of $6,560 for serving as the school’s sole administrator since being named interim principal on Feb. 11.

Baumann succeeds former Principal Paulina Burns, who left to accept the role of special education supervisor at Marion Center Area School District in Indiana County.

Previously the assistant principal at Ligonier Valley Middle School, Baumann was granted a revised salary of $92,300 when she took on interim principal responsibilities.

Kromel said the board also is looking to hire a director of education and two security guards — one each at the middle school and R.K. Mellon Elementary School.

She indicated the future of the district’s top administrative position is uncertain, with Superintendent Tim Kantor on a leave.

“We don’t know if our superintendent is returning,” she said. “That’s a big unknown we have to look at.”

Since March 18, Emery D’Arcangelo has been serving as interim superintendent at an hourly rate of $150, with a daily cap of $650.