At the Feb. 10 operations meeting, board members learned how Governor Tom Corbett's proposed 2014-2015 budget will affect Salisbury Township School District.

Business Administrator Robert Bruchak said Corbett's budget shows a $387 million increase in funding; however, "the largest increase is a $241 million Ready to Learn Block Grant. This grant has strings attached and will not help districts close their 2014-2015 budget gap," Bruchak said. He said the Ready to Learn Block Grant must be used for a new initiative, not an existing expenditure in the district.

Bruchak said the basic education funding remains level funded at $5.5 billion.

The special education funding subsidy was increased by $20 million, the first increase in six years. To Salisbury, this equates to an increase of $3,200 in special education funding.

PlanCon, the reimbursement for major construction projects from the Pennsylvania Department of Education, also remains level funded at $296 million for the fourth consecutive year according to Bruchak. He said the state still owes school districts $1 billion in reimbursement and Salisbury is owed $366,287 in reimbursement.

Bruchak said the challenges for the budget continue to be the retirement system, charter and cyber charter costs, healthcare costs, transporation costs for non-public and charter school students, special education and the capital improvement plan needs.

Unresolved factors influencing the final budget include local, state and federal revenues, retirements, tax assessment appeals, diesel prices, CLIU special education services, KidsPeace contract, charter school enrollments, budget reduction actions and a 5-year project model.

The school board approved the 2014-2015 proposed preliminary general fund budget reflecting total expenditures in the amount of $33,263,837 at their meeting Feb. 12. The board also authorized the administration to apply for all referendum exceptions for which the district may qualify. The deadline to submit the preliminary budget to the Pennsylvania Department of Education was Feb. 24.

PDE has until March 26 to issue a ruling on the school district's petition for exceptions.

On May 5, the district will hold a public presentation of the proposed final budget.

The adoption of the proposed final budget is scheduled for May 14 with a final budget adopted by June 18.