The Central Bucks Board Note
January 2019..................................Vol. 1, No. 4
Please share any feedback with Angela Linch, communications and public relations administrator, at alinch@cbsd.org or by calling 267-893-2073.
Thank You School Board!
"These nine volunteers stepped forward to serve the students of this school district, setting aside hundreds of hours per year to read countless documents, attend dozens of meetings and school events, and so much more. Their guidance, dedication, and selfless service benefits each student in this community. They were elected to represent their friends and neighbors, and as a result – they have been called upon to take on deep challenges and work toward solutions for the benefit of our students and staff. Through it all, they have worked as a team, taking seriously their responsibility to act as a School Board of nine – and not as individuals.
The personal experience, expertise, and perspective they bring to this work is symbolic of what makes the Central Bucks School District such an amazing place. I am personally grateful to each of them for their compassionate leadership, their unfailing support, and their consistent willingness to go above and beyond for this community of students and educators - and the families and residents of the Central Bucks School District.
For your personal time spent away from your own families and so much more, we thank each of you – Glenn, Karen, Dennis, Nicole, Tracy, Sharon, Jodi, Beth and John. From the bottom of our hearts – thank you."
Secondary Student Achievement Report
Assistant Superintendent for Secondary Education, Dr. Abram Lucabaugh, presented the High School Student Achievement Report for 2018 during the Board's January 8 meeting.
Dr. Lucabaugh's presentation focused on three secondary student performance assessments, the SAT, the ACT, and advanced placement (AP) exams administered at each of the three Central Bucks high schools.
Before he reviewed the data, he noted, "There's a lot of really good news in this achievement data, and I think that's a testament to many factors, first of all to a community that values education, to the support that you provide as a board to our curriculum and our teaching and learning, and also to our teachers -- who work so hard to prepare our students day in and day out, and of course, to our students."
Overall, CBSD students' scores continue to rise, and when compared to peers across the Commonwealth and nation, CBSD students perform well, placing them in the best possible position to compete for spots at the nation's most competitive colleges and universities.
"More than 90% of our seniors participated in the SAT, a very high percentage of students taking the test compared to other districts," Dr. Lucabaugh explained, "And yet, even with this many students taking the test, it's an excellent performance."
The advanced placement (AP) test results tell a similar story. CBSD students' performance on the tests, an optional culminating exam to advanced placement classes administered in May, made many of the students eligible for competitive awards of distinction from the College Board. In fact, 239 students were eligible for the AP Scholar award, 142 for AP Scholar with Honors, 254 for AP Scholar with Distinction, and 39 for the National AP Scholar recognition!
"More than 67% of CBSD AP students opt to sit for AP exams, and 87% of those perform at a college ready level," Dr. Lucabaugh noted. On two of the most challenging AP exams, AB and BC Calculus, 99% of students earned a 3, 4, or 5.
Download Dr. Lucabaugh's complete High School Achievement Report to the Board here.
Board Adopts Preliminary Budget for 2019-2020 School Year
The Central Bucks Board of School Directors adopted a preliminary budget for fiscal year 2019-20 in the amount of $343,938,398. Act 1 of 2006 requires school districts to publicly post the budget for 20 days prior to the school board taking action to adopt the preliminary budget. The district has met that requirement.
The December 4 proposed preliminary budget presentation may be reviewed on the district's website. Download the PDE 2028 budget document, reflecting the preliminary general fund budget for 2019-20 from the district's website here. Mr. Dave Matyas, CBSD Business Manager, provided the Board with a preliminary budget presentation during the January 22 meeting.
Several expenditure reductions have had a positive effect on the budget. The Pennsylvania Public Employees' Retirement System (PSERS) retirement rate, or the rate that determines what percentage of total salaries the district is obligated to contribute to the fund, is being reduced, resulting in a reduction of $800,000 below previous estimates. Still, the PSERS expense represents the largest expenditure increase over the prior year's budget, standing at $3 million.
The 2019-20 budget includes an increase of $6,797,748 over the 2018-19 budgeted expenses. Of the increased amount, $5.9 million can be attributed to contractual salaries and health care benefits, and an additional $3.9 million can be attributed to increased retirement system contributions. Declining debt service payments offset increases by $3 million.
The governor’s state budget address for the next fiscal year occurs in early to mid-February. Once school districts have a better idea of what the governor is proposing for state subsidies to school districts, state revenue projections can then be refined. No changes have been made to the 2019-20 proposed preliminary budget since the December 4 Board approval.
As the administration plans to seek a 0% tax increase when the budget is proposed for final adoption on June 11; the district is anticipated to remain at a millage rate of 124.1 mills. CBSD is not seeking any exceptions to the Act 1 index limitations.
Board of School Directors in its entirety.
Central Bucks School District
Meetings are held on the second and fourth Tuesday of the month except for February, July, August, October, November and December. In February, the board will meet on the first and fourth Tuesdays. In July and August, the board meets on the fourth Tuesday only. In October, the board will meet on the third and fifth Tuesdays. In November, the board meets on the second Tuesday only. In December, the board meets on the first Tuesday only. Meetings are held at the Central Bucks Educational Services Center at 16 Welden Drive in Doylestown. All meetings start at 7:30 p.m. and the public is welcome to attend. Members of the public who wish to address the board prior to action items may sign up at the lectern before 7:30 p.m. Comments are limited to three minutes or less, depending on the number of speakers.
Correspondence for the Board of School Directors should be sent to Stephanie Radcliffe, Secretary to the Board, at sradcliffe@cbsd.org.
Email: alinch@cbsd.org
Website: www.cbsd.org
Location: 20 Welden Drive, Doylestown, PA, USA
Phone: 267-893-5800
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cbschools/
Twitter: @cbsdinfo