7.8% Spending is too Much

By Patricia A. Booker

Don't just look at the tax rate. To understand our financial situation you need to look at the spending rate, currently proposed at 7.8%. This far exceeds past years and will be difficult to maintain going forward.

Based on the recent contract negotiations with the various unions and administration, roughly 73% of our proposed $70,471,450 budget is to cover salaries and benefits. The building debt service accounts for another 10%, leaving roughly only 17% or $11,980,000 where possible savings can be identified without impacting the quality of education delivered to our students. I challenge this board to direct the administration to reduce spending by 15% from this category. That would reduce the overall spending by 2.5% making the increase on spending 5.3% year over year; still not great but it is a start.

As a previous member of a corporate cost savings team, I tell you this can be achieved and in most cases without hardship. First, you start by asking the employees themselves to identify cost savings. This not only produces a reduction in spending but goes a long way towards promoting an environment of teamwork rather than punishment. Travel, lunches and refreshments, supplies, mailings, consultants, purchased services, and utilities are all areas that could be reduced without impacting the quality of education delivered to our students. Another area to consider is the $1,103,000 we give to the Delaware County Community College. While I value their service to the county and our residents, Radnor is the highest contributor, other school districts give hundred's of thousands less and have twice as many students. It is an area to consider. Cost cutting measures don't just happen, before we hear threats of increased class size, we need to put into place a cost cutting program.

Beyond tightening our belts, we need to take bold action to find ways to fund some of our programs through private funding. Cost of education is not going down and we can't wait for meaningful relief from Harrisburg, we need to find ways, besides increasing property taxes, to pay for the educational excellence Radnor has come to expect. Private funding for advanced programs using state tax credits is one such option. We have people in Radnor who can partner with the School Board to find private funding for these cutting edge programs. That kind of effort coupled with informed disciplined spending will help control the taxes.

Pat Booker Candidate for School Board Radnor