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Parkland School Board

Tuesday, April 30, 2013

Development Projects Could Affect Parkland Taxes

Development assessments and tax collection are expected to increase in Parkland School District, school officials say.

The Parkland School Board reported during an all-day 2013-14 school budget seminar Friday that development in Upper Macungie, South Whitehall and North Whitehall townships will help keep school-related property taxes down. North Whitehall, however, will see a reduction in growth because new filtration system regulations require storm water runoff to be retained on a lot and will require large lot sizes, the board said. South Whitehall: North Whitehall

Sunday, April 28, 2013

Development to Help Keep Parkland Taxes Down

Parkland School District administrators, during an all-day budget seminar Friday, pointed out some of the major Upper Macungie development projects that will increase tax revenues in the district in coming years.

Assessments and collection of taxes are critical to every school district and the Parkland School District is no exception. During an all-day budget seminar Friday, district administrators pointed out some of the major Upper Macungie Township development projects that will increase tax revenues in the district in coming years. According to the school district:

Sgt Dean Lauchenbach

10:03 am on Monday, April 29, 2013

development will increase taxes when all these houses start sending multiple children to the school district enabling a building expansion or replacement.   more ›

Friday, April 26, 2013

Will Your Taxes Go Up With New Parkland Budget?

Parkland School District administrators and school directors met Friday to examine and discuss 2013-14 budget issues.

Parkland School District administrators and school directors met Friday to examine and discuss 2013-14 budget issues.  At the meeting's opening at the district administration building in South Whitehall, Parkland Superintendent Richard Sniscak said, "Challenges continue to impact school funding and that continues to impact Parkland. We've done more with less for three consecutive years." District officals and school board members were examining every facet of the proposed 2013-14 school budget. The proposed $144 million budget, which is a 4.36 percent increase over 2012-13, carries a 2.73 percent tax increase totaling 13.94 mills, but work continues on it. Sniscak has predicted that the final budget presented in June will carry a lower tax…

John

9:19 am on Sunday, April 28, 2013

EXCUSE ME.....Wasn't it just last week that the Board members were "appalled" at LCCC for increasing PSD charges when they had $17 million in surplus. This group of Bozo's is now raising the taxes of the districts helpless (taxpayers), with NO voice and NO representation of any kind from the Board!! Calling the kettle black, Board?? If you recognize the salaries of teachers, benefits of teachers …   more ›

Thursday, April 25, 2013

Parkland School Director Resigns From LCCC Board

Citing 'philosophical differences,' Parkland School Board director Robert Cohen resigns from Lehigh Carbon Community College's Board of Trustees.

Parkland School Board Director Robert Cohen said he resigned from Lehigh Carbon Community College's Board of Trustees earlier this month, citing "philosophical differences." Cohen would not elaborate, citing confidentiality reasons. "I decided I needed to remove myself from that environment," Cohen said. Cohen, who has served as the school board's representative for the last four years, said he submitted his letter of resignation April 3. The board accepted his resignation at its April 16 meeting. It is unclear whether his resignation is tied to several Parkland school directors' public rebuke Tuesday of LCCC's request to raise the district's annual contribution to the college's budget while the college has a $17 million surplus. LCCC …

Joe Pouchy

5:51 am on Friday, April 26, 2013

This story is the tip of the iceberg regarding the internal strife at LCCC. President Snyder is on "medical leave". The rumor mill says that the President made threats to an employee and the Administration (Bieber and the Board) are trying to keep it quiet. The Director of Public Safety abruptly resigned. The VP of Finance was pushed-out by Snyder and Bieber (if there is a surplus, he would have …   more ›

Wednesday, April 24, 2013

Parkland Board Outraged at LCCC Budget Request

Lehigh Carbon Community College is sitting on a $17 million budget surplus but asked Parkland and other school districts for more money.

An angry Parkland School Board rejected Lehigh Carbon Community College's request for more money from the district after it learned the college was sitting on a $17 million budget surplus. Several board members said they were outraged LCCC asked Parkland for $1.23 million, a 2.1 percent increase, for the 2013-2014 school year when the college's surplus was nearly 40 percent of its $41.8 million budget. Although the board voted 5 to 3 against LCCC's budget, Parkand will still have to pay the amount unless the majority of the 13 Lehigh County member school districts rejects the college's budget. LCCC asked Parkland for $25,751 more than last year to help fund the $439,830 more it needs to fund next year's budget. Board member David Kennedy …

Comment_arrow

ted.dobracki

6:56 pm on Saturday, May 4, 2013

LCCC was founded by the school districts that partially fund it. The current long existing funding mechanism (about 1/3 state, 1/3 school districts, 1/3 tuition) is fair, on my opinion. However, the 50% fund balance is excessive. One problem is that once you have it, it's difficult to use without disrupting the normal budget balance. It should be used for one time capital expense, or to retire …   more ›

Tuesday, April 16, 2013

$1.4M in Cuts to Drop Proposed Parkland Tax Hike to 2.73 Percent

$1.4 million in proposed reductions would bring the Parkland Schools tax increase below the promised 3 percent threshold for the 2013-14 school year. More cuts are possible.

The Parkland School Board was presented with a round of $1.474 million in additional budget cuts at Tuesday night's workshop meeting, which would reduce the proposed tax increase in the 2013-14 school year to below 3 percent if enacted immediately. The recommended adjustments, presented to board members by Director of Business Administration John Vignone, would reduce the proposed tax increase from 14.16 mills down to 13.94 mills. That would place the proposed tax increase for the 2013-14 budget at 2.73 percent, down from a 5.82 percent increase presented in February's preliminary budget. The reductions would bring the total Parkland 2013-14 school budget down to $143.8 million. The preliminary budget was at $145.7 million. Budget numbers …

John

1:02 am on Wednesday, April 24, 2013

So Mr. Anderson would have us believe that the Board has done all they can to make cuts....REALLY? How about stop acting like an elitist ass, and start making those who elect to be in the band, on sports teams and in the play go out and raise money, and when that isn't enough, reach into your own pocket and pay to support yourersonal interests?? Easy fix. Have separate budgets for education and …   more ›

Wednesday, April 10, 2013

Parkland Will Come Through 'Tough' Budget Time, Superintendent Says

Parkland Superintendent Richard Sniscak told a board committee that work continues on the 2013-14 budget. A budget presentation is scheduled for April 16.

Parkland School District Superintendent Richard Sniscak told a school board committee Tuesday that the current 2013-14 budget scenario is not desirable, but is better than a year ago. "We're not kicking the can down the road," Sniscak told a board committee during a Tuesday meeting. "We're going to come through this tough time." Sniscak noted that a borrowing of $10 million will give the school district some flexibility. School administrators have promised directors a 2013-14 budget that will come in with a tax increase of less than 3 percent. Last month, following the passage of a preliminary budget, administrators introduced $1.5 million in savings, some of which includes not filling open teaching positions. Sniscak told school board …

SWT Resident

9:58 am on Thursday, April 11, 2013

How about we "adjust" the teacher and admin pension system to a defined contribution...aka 401K...rather than a defined benefit type plan? That seems to be the better part of Parkland's reason for its budgeting issues and escalating shortages.   more ›

Wednesday, March 27, 2013

Parkland OKs 3 Hires, 2 Retirements

The Parkland School Board also changed the status of seven employees at Tuesday night's meeting.

The Parkland School Board approved the following personnel moves at its Tuesday night meeting: Retirements: Hires: Change of Status:

Tuesday, March 26, 2013

Parkland Appoints New Special Education Supervisor

Andrew L. Weber was appointed a supervisor of special education in the Parkland School District.

The Parkland School Board appointed Andrew L. Weber as supervisor of special education at its Tuesday meeting. Weber previously served as the Easton Area School District's special education supervisor and as a middle school learning support teacher in the Kutztown and Allentown school districts. Weber will earn $95,000. He replaces Jennifer Wood, who resigned two years ago as supervisor of special education, administration, to take a position in higher education, according to Robert Thornburg, director of student services. The position had been eliminated, but the administration was able to move a position that opened in the technology department to the special education department after a resignation last month, said Nicole McGalla, …

Bernardo

10:04 am on Wednesday, March 27, 2013

Where did the previous comments go?   more ›

Gov. Corbett To Meet With Parkland Officials Thursday

Gov. Tom Corbett will announce a grant for Lehigh Career & Technical Institute's Manufacturers Resource Center and then meet with Parkland School District officials.

Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett will visit Lehigh Career & Technical Institute Thursday to award a grant to the school's Manufacturers Resource Center. The "Skill-Up the Student Pipeline" grant is being awarded at 2p.m. to support advanced manufacturing in Pennsylvania, according to a news release. Later Thursday afternoon, Corbett will meet with administrators and directors of the Parkland School District. That meeting is closed to the public. Also making remarks at the LCTI news conference will be Sandra Himes, executive director of Lehigh Career & Technical Institute and president of the Manufacturers Resource Center board of directors; Peter Rittenhouse, executive director, Nestle Waters-North America, and Jack Pfunder of the …

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