Although the 2014-15 term has been in session only two months, Parkland School District Business Manager John Vignone and administrative staff are already planning the 2015-16 budget.

In a presentation at the Oct. 21 meeting, Vignone reported Parkland derives about 84 percent of its total revenue from local sources.

Since federal funding remains flat at 2 percent and state funding is often unpredictable, rarely increases and sometimes declines, the school district has to depend on taxes collected here.

These include real estate taxes, which Vignone reports are trending in a positive direction, though growing more slowly than last year.

He said the more favorable revenue increases will be found in commercial real estate and the earned income tax paid to the district by workers employed in local establishments.

Vignone expressed caution regarding the plateau factor, when revenue levels off.

"No matter how good we're doing, there comes a point when new dollars slow down," Vignone said.

He added the state transportation reimbursement has already evened out.

At the federal level, administrators are watching what happens to funding under the ACCESS program.

"Some salaries are paid by ACCESS. If it doesn't come in, taxpayers have to pick it up," Vignone explained.

He said district obligations for the Pa. School Employees Retirement System continue to increase significantly.

"That's $3.5 million in new money just for this one item," Vignone said.

The state Act 1 Index for Parkland in 2015-16 allows for a maximum millage increase of 1.9 percent or .26 mill, which is $26 more for a property assessed at $100,000.

"We recommend we live within the index," Vignone said. "It falls within the realm of where we've been the past two years."

The board is expected to vote on the index issue at a future meeting.