The school board addressed the need to reduce the 2016-17 preliminary budget deficit March 30 at a workshop meeting.

The initial deficit the board needed to reduce was roughly $15.2 million. This has been cut down to $11,678,753. Due to the lack of motivation in Harrisburg to get things done, the board is unsure of what they will receive from the state. There were significant increases in charter school and Public School Employees’ Retirement System (PSERS) costs, which the board cannot lower because they are state mandated.

“I want to emphasize the increase in pension and charters are substantially more than the increase in everything else,” said Superintendent Dr. Joseph Roy.

The last 45 minutes of the budget workshop consisted of conversations about how to reduce the current deficit. Board members also spoke about how displeased they are with Harrisburg.

“There is complete incompetence in Harrisburg. It is their basic job to support public education, and it will have a direct impact on the Bethlehem Area School District,” said Roy.

The board also noted the cost of charter schools is putting the district in a bad position. Charter schools alone account for 10 percent of the budget. Chief financial officer Stacy Gober described it as financing a whole school district inside of BASD. Pennsylvania has chosen not to make any changes to how this is funded, so it drives the BASD to the state it is in now.

“Really? This is the best we can do, Pennsylvania?” said Roy.

In January, the board approved the preliminary budget of about $266 million. With reductions made in numerous categories; some of them being technology upgrades, construction projects and retiree benefits, the board was able to lower the budget by $3.5 million, which the total to about $263 million. While it may not seem like a significant amount, the board is doing everything they can to bring the deficit down.

The other parts of the budget that can be reduced are all things that directly affect the district’s students, which are painful to eliminate. Many elements have already been moved to the shelf since January, and are no longer a part of the budget. Specifically, after school programs have been reduced.

“This is a tough one to swallow because it affects our students,” said Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum Dr. Jack Silva.

On the technology side of things, Silva said he believes there is old equipment in the classrooms that will cost more to replace than originally planned. A goal is to transform the current BASD libraries from print material to something with more innovation and creation. Roy acknowledged this issue, and made it clear to the board and everyone else that there will be technological advances, but not as all-encompassing as they had hoped for.

Silva said, “We have vintage technology in the schools that doesn’t meet the needs and must be replaced.”

The next budget workshop is scheduled for April 25 at the Education Center, 1516 Sycamore St.. The board will then have a special meeting May 9, which will lead to a tentative final budget adoption. The official final budget adoption will take place June 13.