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EITC could be revenue for Daniel Boone School District
Robert New, Phoenixville, a retired professional, introduced the 30-year-old revenue concept of an educational foundation to the Daniel Boone School Board on Feb. 13. The educational foundation would utilize the Earned Income Tax Credit program to generate revenue from corporations.
New said the school district’s current private foundation could be ready by April to conduct a successful local education 501 (c)(3) foundation, which could raise millions of dollars through EITC.
He said businesses and corporations are currently seeking EITC programs, in order to submit their EITC applications on July 1.
“If corporations give $10,000 [through EITC], they’re going to get $19,000 back,” said New, adding, “Pennsylvania says they get 90 percent credit for what they give.”
The district’s cost to start an educational foundation would be $9,000 to $20,000, which includes New’s salary and covers his loan to the district for a foundation executive director salary of $25,000 to $30,000.
EITC would provide fundraising for the school district instead of asking for funds from the same local businesses that have supported the school district in the past, have provided sponsorships for local sports teams and donated in other ways.
The district’s 2012-13 budget deficit is $3.5 million.
Last year’s budget deficit was $6.9 million, which was balanced with a .54 millage rate increase, the furlough of 17 aides, and curtailing full day kindergarten to a half day program.
The millage rate is 28.96 mills.
Options to reduce this year’s deficit include raising the millage rate, and/or eliminating sports and extracurricular activities, curtailing four (maybe seven) elementary teachers and increasing class sizes, eliminating elementary band, curtailing the Middle School (eighth grade) foreign language program, and making library demotions and alternative special education placements. Continued...
“An educational foundation is not a parent organization or a booster club but a business,” said New, who would recruit, hire, and mentor a foundation executive director for up to nine months and also appoint a foundation board with members who are researched, qualified, and who do not serve on the school board.
He said the district’s private foundation could be aligned and qualify for EITC within 10 days through the state Department of Community & Economic Development; the district could announce in the meantime that it will be EITC ready by July and New would hire an executive director within one month.
“How to become an effective organization?” asked New, adding, “It takes work. Remember, it’s all about the kids.”
“This district cannot afford to not have a functioning foundation - and that is the consensus of the Revenue Enhancement Committee,” said board member Frank Cerminaro.
The board did not vote.
One result of last year’s budget cuts was the furlough of assistant coaches from some sports programs.
Parents said Feb. 13 that the Cross-County Team and Girls’ Softball only have one head coach and no assistant coach, although the Boys’ Baseball Team has both.
Representatives of the Cross Country and Girls’ Softball teams are asking the board to fund assistant coaches for safety reasons and also questioning if Title IX has been violated.
Title IX bans sex discrimination in schools - in academics and athletics. Continued...
A girl on the Cross Country Team was recently injured at a meet and needed to travel alone in an ambulance to the hospital where she was met by her parents.
“Health, safety, and welfare need to be addressed and we need the administration to come back to us on this with a plan, and hopefully the athletic administration could talk about this in two weeks,” said board President Andrew Basile, adding, “If we need to hire, go ahead, or is there some other plan?”
“Regarding Title IX, we’re looking into it but there is a question if there truly is a violation with state law,” said Basile. “We’re concerned with the healthy, safety, and welfare, and if there is a Title IX violation, it will be addressed.”
In other business:
Basile said the district is undercharging its elementary school Type A lunches at $1.95.
He said the lunch fee must be increased incrementally the next five years in order to be compliant with the $2.77 that the state is reimbursing for free and reduced lunches.
Assistant Superintendent Anne Marie Traynor said the number of students on that program ranges from 10 percent in one building to 35 percent in another district building.
Traynor said students in the free and reduced lunch program have also participated recently in the SMILES Dental program for free dental cleanings, x-rays, and other dentistry, all covered through the SMILES insurance program.
She said the students were only taken out of encore classes and not core classes. Continued...
New said the school district’s current private foundation could be ready by April to conduct a successful local education 501 (c)(3) foundation, which could raise millions of dollars through EITC.
He said businesses and corporations are currently seeking EITC programs, in order to submit their EITC applications on July 1.
“If corporations give $10,000 [through EITC], they’re going to get $19,000 back,” said New, adding, “Pennsylvania says they get 90 percent credit for what they give.”
The district’s cost to start an educational foundation would be $9,000 to $20,000, which includes New’s salary and covers his loan to the district for a foundation executive director salary of $25,000 to $30,000.
EITC would provide fundraising for the school district instead of asking for funds from the same local businesses that have supported the school district in the past, have provided sponsorships for local sports teams and donated in other ways.
The district’s 2012-13 budget deficit is $3.5 million.
Last year’s budget deficit was $6.9 million, which was balanced with a .54 millage rate increase, the furlough of 17 aides, and curtailing full day kindergarten to a half day program.
The millage rate is 28.96 mills.
Options to reduce this year’s deficit include raising the millage rate, and/or eliminating sports and extracurricular activities, curtailing four (maybe seven) elementary teachers and increasing class sizes, eliminating elementary band, curtailing the Middle School (eighth grade) foreign language program, and making library demotions and alternative special education placements.
“Successful LEFs should be able to raise $20 to $40 per student/per year and the successful LEFs in this area include Camp Hill, Phoenixville, Norristown, Pottstown, and Wyomissing, which has raised $2.6 million.”
“An educational foundation is not a parent organization or a booster club but a business,” said New, who would recruit, hire, and mentor a foundation executive director for up to nine months and also appoint a foundation board with members who are researched, qualified, and who do not serve on the school board.
He said the district’s private foundation could be aligned and qualify for EITC within 10 days through the state Department of Community & Economic Development; the district could announce in the meantime that it will be EITC ready by July and New would hire an executive director within one month.
“How to become an effective organization?” asked New, adding, “It takes work. Remember, it’s all about the kids.”
“This district cannot afford to not have a functioning foundation - and that is the consensus of the Revenue Enhancement Committee,” said board member Frank Cerminaro.
The board did not vote.
One result of last year’s budget cuts was the furlough of assistant coaches from some sports programs.
Parents said Feb. 13 that the Cross-County Team and Girls’ Softball only have one head coach and no assistant coach, although the Boys’ Baseball Team has both.
Representatives of the Cross Country and Girls’ Softball teams are asking the board to fund assistant coaches for safety reasons and also questioning if Title IX has been violated.
Title IX bans sex discrimination in schools - in academics and athletics.
“There is a potential safety issue with athletics,” said board member Walter Sheehan. “There is one coach for 35 kids in Cross County. We may want to go back and re-evaluate coaching for our kids.”
A girl on the Cross Country Team was recently injured at a meet and needed to travel alone in an ambulance to the hospital where she was met by her parents.
“Health, safety, and welfare need to be addressed and we need the administration to come back to us on this with a plan, and hopefully the athletic administration could talk about this in two weeks,” said board President Andrew Basile, adding, “If we need to hire, go ahead, or is there some other plan?”
“Regarding Title IX, we’re looking into it but there is a question if there truly is a violation with state law,” said Basile. “We’re concerned with the healthy, safety, and welfare, and if there is a Title IX violation, it will be addressed.”
In other business:
Basile said the district is undercharging its elementary school Type A lunches at $1.95.
He said the lunch fee must be increased incrementally the next five years in order to be compliant with the $2.77 that the state is reimbursing for free and reduced lunches.
Assistant Superintendent Anne Marie Traynor said the number of students on that program ranges from 10 percent in one building to 35 percent in another district building.
Traynor said students in the free and reduced lunch program have also participated recently in the SMILES Dental program for free dental cleanings, x-rays, and other dentistry, all covered through the SMILES insurance program.
She said the students were only taken out of encore classes and not core classes.
“It was very successful and I want to expand on that next year into the other district buildings, but we need 12 to 15 students [in each building] to sign up,”
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