Blog

Upper Merion Area School District recently contracted for completion of a district-wide enrollment study. The results of the study and the report will be presented at the May 20th Finance Committee Meeting starting at 7 PM in the high school LGI. The public is invited to attend. Below is a copy of the enrollment study report.

Attached below is the agenda for the May 20th Finance Committee meeting. The meeting is open to the public and starts at 7:00 PM in the high school LGI room.

Attached below is the PDE-2028 form for the 2013-14 proposed final budget. The proposed final budget was approved by the School Board on April 15, 2013. This is the document that must be made available for public inspection. The final budget is scheduled for approval on June 3, 2013. The proposed final budget may still be changed prior to final budget adoption.

The agenda for the March 11th budget workshop appears below. The workshop starts at 7 PM in the high school LGI and is open to the public with no admission charge.

Also included below is the presentation document from the meeting.

A check of the PDE website indicates the Act 1 exception for retirement has been approved in the amount of $819,719. See screen shot of PDE website below. However, the official notification from PDE in the form of a letter has not yet been received.

3/21/2013 update: We have received the official notification letter from PDE that the retirement exception was approved. See second file below.

Courtesy of the Pennsylvania Association of School Business Officials:

Governor Corbett’s pension reform plan is a responsible approach to ensure the long term strength of the system, and guarantees no changes to benefits for retirees and no changes to benefits accrued by current employees through the effective date of the plan.

Moving new employees to a defined contribution plan

• State Employees’ Retirement System, or SERS, employees hired after Jan. 1, 2015 and Public School Employees’ Retirement System, or PSERS, employees hired after July 1, 2015 will be enrolled in a 401(a) defined contribution plan, similar to a 401(k) plan.


• To ensure that the commonwealth’s new employees have an adequate retirement, enrollment in the 401(a) plan will be automatic, and most state employees will be required to contribute at least 6.25 percent of their salary to their plan, while public school employees will need to contribute at least 7.5 percent.

Here are the major items:

Basic Education Funding--Up 1.7% ($90 million)

Accountability Block Grant--Flat Funded

Pre-K Counts and Head Start Supplemental Assistance--up $6.4 million 5%+ increase in each line item

Transportation--Up 2.5% ($13.6 million)

Special Education--Flat Funded (again)

Food Service--Up 2.4% ($762 million)

Social Security--Flat Funded

Retirement--Up 26.2% ($224 million; more to come on pensions)

Total PDE--Up 3.4% ($338 million/$224 for pension increase)

Attached below you will find the treasurer's report for the January 7, 2013, School Board meeting. This report is provided to the School Board on a monthly basis and provides a financial snapshot of the district's financial position. The district's various accounts and balances are listed in detail. This report also includes the list of payments made during the month of November.

Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions about the finances of the Upper Merion Area School District. I am also willing to present to any community group or organization.

Steve Skrocki
Business Administrator
Office: 610-205-6417
Cell: 610-213-9820
Email: sskrocki@umasd.org

A budget workshop was held on Monday, January 14, 2013, to discuss the draft 2013-2014 preliminary budget. A copy of the presentation appears below. The School Board will consider the Preliminary Budget for approval at the February 4th Board meeting.

Attached below you will find the treasurer's report for the December 3, 2012, School Board meeting. This report is provided to the School Board on a monthly basis and provides a financial snapshot of the district's financial position. The district's various accounts and balances are listed in detail. This report also includes the list of payments made during the month of October.

The 2011-2012 Upper Merion Area School District audit report is attached. The district's auditors, Maillie, Falconiero & Company, LLP, made a presentation at the November finance committee meeting. Mr. Ed Furman, audit partner, complimented the district for improving its fund balance (reserves) position. The district received an unqualified audit report with no findings which is very positive.

The annual financial report (AFR) is submitted to the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) each year after the audit is completed. Every school district in Pennsylvania is required to follow the same format for reporting. The document is also referred to as the PDE-2057. The Upper Merion Area School District AFR for the fiscal year ending 6/30/2012 is attached. Please feel free to e-mail me at sskrocki@umasd.org if you have any questions.

The Upper Merion Area School District and offices will be CLOSED on Monday and Tuesday (10/29 and 10/30) due to the anticipated weather from Hurricane Sandy.