Palmyra school imperiled

Morning Sentinel, March 6, 2008

(excerpt) The projected deficit stems from a combination of factors, Braun said. Federal Medicaid reimbursement for special education, which brought in $550,000 to the district this year, will be cut entirely next year. State Department of Education funding toward educational services for students in foster care, which reached $190,000 this year, has been cut. There is an above average number of foster students in the district, Braun said.

"This year we got the kids but we get no money," he said.

The district will have less money to carry over to offset costs next year, leaving the district about $840,000 behind, and that is before factoring salaries and insurance increases and the soaring costs of heating fuel and diesel.

"In order to fill that hole that's probably going to be close to $2 million, you're going to have some significant reductions," Braun said. "We have to have a significant discussion about every school and every program."