Intelligencer Journal/Lancaster New Era

PM expects to balance budget

Tax cap will not exhaust district reserves PM expects to balance budget

Penn Manor school board passed a resolution on Tuesday not to exceed the state's Act 1 tax index of 2.1 percent for the 2013-14 school year.

Business manager Chris Johnston delivered a brief budget update, saying the district is still fine-tuning numbers related to salaries and health care and looking at different scenarios.

"We do have money in the fund balance," Johnston stated, "and we're quite capable of staying within the adjusted index."

The board also approved several agreements related to the Millersville Commons commercial development in Lancaster Township, site of a future Sheetz convenience store and other businesses. Solicitor Rhonda Lord presented one document for signatures on Tuesday between the district, Crossway Church and the developer, Blackford Associates. Representatives from the church had already signed the agreement, which deals with stormwater management.

The district agreed to make a donation of $15,000 toward maintenance of a new road for the next 10 to 15 years. The district also granted easements to allow for the construction of two new athletic fields, including a soccer field.

Lord said the developer hopes to settle on the land by the end of February.

In other business, the board

n Approved the Lancaster County CTC general fund budget for 2012-13. The district sends the highest number of students through CTC programs, with 97 full-time and 56 part-time students currently enrolled.

According to Dave Warren, who attended the meeting, future programs will include physical therapy and sports medicine, veterinary tech, automotive technology and furniture making.

n Agreed to vote next month on a new school motto. Leading the votes from a community survey are: "Penn Manor, where every student counts" or "Penn Manor, a better community ... one student at a time."