Andy Close
RUSSELL, Pa. – The Warren County School District board approved its final budget for the 2021-22 school year at its special meeting on Friday.
There will be no tax increase in the budget, which was approved unanimously.
The budget has expenditures of $86,435,838, which is an increase of $802,152 form 2021, as well as revenues of $85,633,686.
There are $14.6 million committed to capital improvements, including $3.16 million to the PSERS ($4.5 million), technology ($2.16 million), textbooks ($1.8 million), tax compliance ($1 million), medical ($780,000), STEM ($583,000), scrap recovery ($216,000) and the Warren County Career Center Healthy Program ($10,000).
The District will also utilize the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund (ESSER).
“We have a lot that we need to do with those ESSER dollars,” said Warren County School District Superintendent Amy Stewart, which includes the addition of five teachers, among many things. “Those five teachers we’re setting aside to help with class size reduction. It’s not a typical year to predict how many kids there are going to be. We will strategically place those teachers to reduce class sizes.
“We’ll also be doing a curriculum alignment within our virtual academy, and we’re doing a multitude of summer programming, behavioral support, adding school counselors, special education teachers and additional support from people services.
“We need to focus on getting students back to school and assess their social, emotional and economic needs.”
Per the district, they will serve 3,895 students, down 114 from last year.
