NEW CASTLE School board balances budget

The business manager will get more than $107,000 as part of the district's early-retirement plan.
By LAURE CIOFFI
VINDICATOR NEW CASTLE BUREAU
NEW CASTLE, Pa. -- The city board of education was finally able to balance its 2002-03 budget.
School board members passed an unbalanced budget last summer with a nearly $1 million deficit, but on Wednesday they were able to wipe out that deficit and come up with an extra $388,000 to fund next year's spending plan.
Marie Pisano, school business administrator, said the money is coming from a $1.2 million fund balance from the 2001-02 fiscal year. That balance came through staff cuts and program cutbacks, she said.
Those included eliminating one central office administrator, seven teaching positions and three custodial positions and making cutbacks in programs including special education, homebound instruction services and tuition to special schools, she said.
School board members did have to pass a special resolution at Wednesday's meeting designating the entire fund balance for the 2002-03 budget. Several years ago, the board had passed a resolution stating that half of any fund balance must go in the district's capital reserve fund.
Pisano said nothing will go in the capital reserve fund this year. That fund is used for any emergency costs in the district.
Retirement
In other business, the board officially accepted Pisano's retirement, which was effective Wednesday. Pisano, 63, is leaving under the district's early-retirement incentive plan. She will receive a $30,000 bonus and be paid for 443 unused sick days at $175 per day, which comes to $77,525. Her salary was $82,702 a year.
Board President Lynn Padice said the board will advertise for a new school business administrator in area newspapers and professional education publications. No timetable has been set for Pisano's replacement to begin.
Pisano has agreed to remain on as a consultant until a replacement is found. She will be paid $344 per day on an as-needed basis.
Junior-senior high school
The district is also adding onto the high school building project to accommodate junior high pupils.
The plan calls for the district to add several rooms and enlarge some areas at the senior high school, which is now under construction on Lincoln Avenue.
Plans call for closing Ben Franklin Junior High School and integrating all pupils in grades seven through 12 into the new building.
Board members approved a $600,000 contract with Eckles Architecture of New Castle to design the junior high school section and a $274,975 contract with Deklewa Construction Services of Bridgeville, Pa., to serve as the construction manager. Both companies already were working on the senior high school project.
Those contracts depend on whether the Pennsylvania Department of Education approves adding that new space. Schools Superintendent Joseph Martin said local officials have already received verbal approval but are waiting for final papers to be signed by state officials.
He said the district will then hold a public hearing to explain the cost and scope of the project to residents and take out another loan to pay for it. He said they expect to pay for that bond issue with the money saved from closing the Ben Franklin building. Those savings will come from a reduction in staff and utility and other costs.