Sunday, May 3, 2015

School districts wait for reimbursements for renovation projects

School districts wait for reimbursements for renovation projects
Gov. Tom Wolf's proposed 2016 budget would reinstate a moratorium his predecessor imposed on applications for reimbursement and leave the funding level at about $306.2 million for projects in the system. Lawmakers had allowed the moratorium to expire in September and increased the budget for payouts under the 11-step approval process for the “PlanCon” program.
We have reached PlanCon Part H in the high school renovation project. What does that mean for Mt. Lebanon? Presently, the State owes the District $2.4 million. That number will increase to $3.1 million if the State doesn't reimburse the District by the end of the fiscal year. Lebo Citizen readers, when is the end of the fiscal year? June?

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Fiscal year ends June 30th.

I like how, according to the article, Jan Klein has already spent the hypothetical $3.1M.

- Jason M.

Anonymous said...

To save money with the teachers, they will avoid providing health benefits to whomever they can keep below 80%. The teachers will likely have higher out of pocket expenses for healthcare, too.

http://m.bizjournals.com/pittsburgh/blog/the-pulse/2015/03/teachers-consortium-switches-to-community-blue.html?r=full

Anonymous said...

It's never wise to spend money one doesn't have. To do so, is a foolish decision. When is the district ever going to learn fiscal responsibility???

Anonymous said...

10:55, the government, whether it be local, school district, county, state or federal always has money... ours.
Or so they think, until they run into problems like Detroit, Chester School District and Harrisburg.

Anonymous said...

Looks like Lebo counted their chickens way before they hatched more than other districts. Our district's spend and spend mentality sticks out like a sore thumb. Wolf understands the importance of keeping money "in the classroom" and places construction behind that. Oh, wait, wasn't Corbett the problem so the teacher's union rallied around Wolf?

It's a very interesting lesson for everyone.

Anonymous said...

Please note : Jan Klein has increased millage to make up for the State not paying over the reimbursement on the high school bond issues as required by law. The millage increases are now "baked in" - does anyone think the millage increases will be reduced or removed once the accrued reimbursements are allowed and finally paid to us ?

Anonymous said...

10:41 AM No friggin' way ! Remember the $2.3 million in lien'd real estate taxes owed by the Covenant before it was bought out by Concordia ? Jan had "covered" those lien'd taxes with millage increases each year. When the Covenant was sold, the lien'd taxes were paid over and they went straight to the Districts general fund balance and then into the Capital Projects Fund as a windfall. The millage stayed.

Anonymous said...

And to think that even the children think the school is overdone... Tvs in the hallways? Sigh.