Politics & Government

GVSD Budget: Donations Helped, Big Changes Loom

The Write the Future campaign donation spared some programs on the chopping block, but reorganization of the middle and high schools remains a possibility.

At Monday night's Great Valley school board meeting, superintendent Alan Lonoconus delivered the latest incarnation of the 2012-13 budget proposal.

The $78 million dollar budget projects a shortfall of $3.7 million, excluding a tax increase and use of reserve funds. Including $2.8 million from reserve funds, the budget showed a $121,764 surplus within Act 1 constraints, and nearly $1 million with Act 1 exceptions.

View the slide show above to see the full budget presentation.

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Some items slated to be cut were saved, thanks to an oversize $272,825 check donated to the district by the earlier in the night. Much of the night's discussion centered on the penultimate slide in the presentation, which listed two "additional ideas for consideration":

Middle School Program:     $318,000

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High School Program:     $546,600

Those two savings items, totaling $864,600 in savings, would involve major scheduling changes at the two schools. teachers would take on an extra class each day, and the daily schedule would be split into one fewer period. The principals from both schools indicated it would take significant effort to accommodate such significant changes in a matter of months.

Items slated for cuts that were reinstated because of Write the Future:

  • elimination of 7th grade sports
  • elimination of 9th grade sports
  • general reduction of clubs and activities
  • reduction of aide hours
  • reduction of volunteers

District business director Chuck Linderman also outlined changes that could be made to the district's busing program. A renegotiation of the contract with Krapf is likely to yield an additional $50,000, he said. An additional $55,000 could be saved by making changes to bus routes and scheduling, but those changes raise safety and logistical concerns—for example, having large groups of students waiting for buses at the entrance of large developments.


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