POTTSTOWN PA – The more, the merrier … or at least, maybe the greater the understanding … as far as the Pottsgrove School District’s 2011-2012 budget is concerned, the district Board of School Directors hopes.

The board, which meets tonight for its second session of October in the administration building, Kauffman Road, Pottstown PA, has asked Superintendent Bradley Landis to propose how it might involve an increased number of district residents on committees and in other ways to offer comments and input on structuring next year’s budget.

Budget planning is just getting under way, district Business Administrator David Nester told board members during their Oct. 12 meeting. A final budget likely won’t be approved until June 2011.

Between now and then, board President Michael Neiffer suggested, “it might be worthwhile to do what West Chester did, and get people to understand what we’re up against.”

Neiffer alluded to a budget exercise conducted by the West Chester (PA) School District last year that brought dozens of individuals into round-table discussions on the district’s spending priorities. It was well received and got positive press attention, he said, not unlike Pottsgrove’s efforts to involve many people in discussions about renovations at Ringing Rocks Elementary School, Neiffer added.

The big difference between Ringing Rocks and the budget, however, is that far more choices were available to consider for the elementary school building, directors conceded.

Much of what the school district spends is either fixed by contractual obligations – teacher and staff salaries, for example – or by state or federal mandates such as those for children with learning disabilities. Only a small portion is discretionary spending over which the board has control, members said. Of that, the district may be forced to cut up to $1.2 million, and possibly more, if promised state educational subsidies fall though.

“It’s going to be painful,” offered board Treasurer Fred Remelius. “It would be nice to have the public understand what we’re about to get into,” he said.

“If we’re bringing the public in, we’ve got to make them aware that final decisions must be made by the school board,” director Nancy Landes observed. “It’s a good thing to get their suggestions, but it’s got to be advisory,” director April Kontostathis agreed.

The specifics of gaining more public input were left to Landis, who said he would report on the matter tonight.

Related (to the Pottsgrove Board of School Directors’ Oct. 26 meeting):

• Download a copy of the Oct. 26 meeting agenda, here