Parkland Gets Ready For Next Year's Budget

laid out a timeline for its 2013-14 budget cycle Monday at the school board's monthly Personnel and Finance committee meeting.

The deadline to project the Act 1 index is Sept. 20 and the deadline to determine if the district stays or goes above the index is Oct. 5.

The Act 1 index is used to determine the maximum tax increases for each tax the school district levies on property taxpayers.

The tentative budget will be available for taxpayer inspection, and an adoption of a resolution not to raise taxes above the Act 1 limit is set for Jan. 31, 2013.

, the Parkland school board approved a $137.8 million spending plan that hiked taxes 3.67 percent, froze teachers' salaries and cut 60 teacher and staff positions.

Elsewhere, Business Administration Director John Vignone said the part of the $8.5 million in reserve fund revenue used to balance the 2011-12 budget is being recouped.

Vignone said real estate tax revenue is up because of fewer appeals, sales of existing homes in the district are generating dollars and expenditures within the district are coming in less than planned.

The 2011-12 budget is currently being audited, he said.