Tom Yerace’s article “Freeport Area property taxes to increase; amount depends on where you live” (June 10, TribLIVE) was very informative. Apparently they decided not to fill six positions that had been costing $900,000. That’s an average salary of $150,000. In an area where you have taxpayers living in $19,000 houses paying over $3,000 a year in taxes, all $150,000-a-year jobs should be eliminated.
Incidentally, their tax burden is probably multiple times larger than their mortgage. I would suggest, like the maximum increase per year, the state passes a limit on taxes that they cannot exceed 10% of the value of the property.
Contracts for school district employees on compensation should be based on the district cost of living, not what Fox Chapel or some other rich district pays. Let them live here or leave to go to the rich school and pay 10 times more to live there.
School districts are pricing the cost of a quality education out of the taxpayers’ ability to pay for it. They all claim poverty and “think of the children,” but, when almost 70% of the budget goes to salaries and benefits, someone is getting paid too much. And anyone making six figures needs to go.
If you doubt me, look at our education costs compared to our education results. Dump administration, their staffing and their buildings and put it to teachers, janitors and aides.
If they don’t interact with students every day, we don’t need as many as we have.
David J. Horchak
Cherry Tree