Budget Public Forums - 2026-2027

Yes

Transitioning from outsourced special education behavior support services to internal PCA positions generates measurable cost savings while improving service quality, consistency, and student outcomes. Directly employing behavior support staff strengthens alignment with district expectations, instructional practices, and special education programming, while fully integrating these staff into school teams to enhance collaboration with teachers, administrators, and families. This continuity is essential for students with behavioral needs, who benefit most from stable relationships and predictable support. Bringing these roles in-house also increases district control over training, supervision, scheduling, and performance, ensuring consistent implementation of IEP-aligned interventions. Finally, internal PCAs are more invested in school culture and long-term district success, supporting stronger relationships, improved retention, higher morale, and a sustained commitment to inclusive, student-centered practices.

Our district participates in a regional health care consortium with 11 other school entities across Bucks and Montgomery Counties, allowing us to leverage collective purchasing power rather than negotiating as a single district. Covering approximately 5,500 employees and more than 14,600 individuals, the consortium provides significant bargaining strength to control costs and secure competitive pricing. As a self-funded model, it eliminates carrier profit margins and enables a strategic focus on cost containment, employee wellness, and long-term cost reduction, making consortium participation a core component of our approach to managing rising health care costs while maintaining high-quality coverage.

Administrative, Professional and Support positions are reviewed annually and when resignations or retirements are determined.

2025-2026 - 8 Total Psychologists

• 4 psychologists employed by Methacon School District as part of our MEA contract
• 2 psychologists outsourced through PTS (Pediatric Therapeutic Services)
• 2 contracted through MCIU (grant funded)

2026-2027

• We have budgeted 6 total psychologists - all employed by Methacton School District

Yes, the district considers free and open-source software when appropriate, but cost is only one factor in decision-making; security, support, compliance, sustainability, and staff capacity are equally critical. In some cases, open-source solutions can increase long-term costs if they require significant internal support or introduce operational or security risks that outweigh licensing savings. Where open-source tools meet district requirements and can be supported responsibly, they are used; where they do not, the district prioritizes stability, accountability, and reliability. Many district technology systems are integrated platforms in which hardware and software are designed to work together and require ongoing licensing and support, particularly for phone, security, and wireless infrastructure. Additionally, core technology functions across school districts are governed by safety, operational, and compliance requirements, leading districts to rely on established platforms for systems such as student information, communications, visitor management, and device safety to ensure reliability, interoperability, and continuity of service.

The discussion of a tax increase of up to 5.29% is driven by sustained cost pressures, not a single budget decision or new initiative. The most significant driver is special education, where both the number of identified students and the complexity of their needs have increased, resulting in rising mandated costs for staffing, programming, and specialized placements. At the same time, the district faces ongoing contractual and mandated increases in transportation, health care, PSERS pension contributions, and salaries under existing labor agreements—none of which are discretionary. Historically, some of these increases were offset by growth in state subsidies and local revenues, but under the current funding formula, state support has largely flattened while local revenue sources such as earned income tax, realty transfer tax, and interim taxes have become unreliable, compounded by a rise in real estate assessment appeals that further erode the tax base. Prior tax increases predominantly were under the allowable Act 1 Index and have not kept pace with rising costs, widening the gap despite reductions, efficiencies, shared services, and cost-containment efforts. At this point, additional cuts would directly impact programs and services, and the proposed tax increase reflects the need to balance mandated obligations with constrained revenue while maintaining the educational programs the community expects.

Special education expenditures are largely mandated by federal and state law and driven by student need rather than district discretion; under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and state regulations, the district is legally required to provide a Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) and implement each student’s Individualized Education Program (IEP) as written, regardless of cost. These mandates can require specialized instructional and support staff, out-of-district placements, IEP-required transportation, specialized materials and assistive technology, and contracted services, resulting in costs that fluctuate year to year and cannot be reduced without significant compliance risk. While these obligations cannot be eliminated, the district has taken deliberate, strategic steps to manage expenditures responsibly by expanding in-district capacity, reducing reliance on higher-cost outsourced services, strengthening internal programs to limit out-of-district placements when appropriate, aligning staffing to actual student needs, enhancing supervision and training to ensure consistent IEP implementation, and regularly reviewing placements and services as needs evolve, balancing legal compliance with fiscal responsibility and long-term sustainability.

●     Nursing supplies

●     Special Education classroom supplies

●     Professional development for Special Education Staff

●     Professional development for nursing staff

●     Special Education curriculum purchases

●     SMARTS

●     Speech Supplies

●     Hospital Tutoring

●     Afterschool programming

●     Mandated dental and doctor exams

●     Gifted supplies and curriculum materials

●     Special Education software

●     Psychological testing supplies

●     Prison Program

●     Shelter Services