Published Thursday, September 19, 2002
to the bottom
of school shortfall
Herald Staff Writer
Two Reynolds Area School District residents are looking to form a taxpayer task force to research and explain to residents what led to the district's $2 million budget deficit this year.
Frank W. O'Malia and Condit T. North presented their plan to the school board during a work session this week and said they are willing to start work immediately.
O'Malia, an engineer who said he does a lot of analyses in his work, was on the school board in the late 1980s. North was Fredonia's tax collector for 25 years, retiring in 1989.
"There is a clear lack of understanding among the taxpayers of the underlying reasons for the large deficit. They aren't getting the complete story," O'Malia said Monday. "It is important for the unity of this district to have a more comprehensive explanation of the financial history."
They hope to draw one or two members from Pymatuning, West Salem and Delaware townships and Fredonia to represent each portion of the district. The plan is to keep the budget group small to stay focused on the task, O'Malia said.
Over three to six months, the task force would review the district's budgets, annual financial reports, audit reports, loans, budgetary reserve and pupil enrollment from the last seven to 10 years, they said.
They mainly want to find out when the district's income exceeded its expenses and also track increases or decreases in expenses that led to the deficit.
O'Malia said the board will have the opportunity to view their findings before they present it to the public, but will not be able to veto its release.
Board member Elizabeth Schuffert said she thought the idea was an "excellent" one.