Schools

A property tax increase could be coming to residents in the Pennridge School District. Superintendent Robert Kish made the announcement at the school board’s recent meeting. Kish sees an increase of 1.7 percent. If the value of a home is 30-thousand dollars, the resulting tax increase would translate to around 64-dollars per homeowner. It’s been two years since residents in the Pennridge School District were asked to pay an increase.

The chief administrator of the Souderton Area School District is stepping down. Doctor Frederick Johnson is leaving to become Executive Director of the Northwest Tri-County Intermediate Unit in Erie County, Pennsylvania. Published reports indicate he will start his new position on July 1st and earn $160,000 annually. His salary with the Souderton Area School District is $174,500.

The Souderton Area School Board Tuesday night approved an elementary school redistricting plan in the wake of its decision last month to close Lower Salford Elementary School. The plan calls for about 340 children from Lower Salford to attend Vernfield Elementary School next fall. 165 students from Vernfield will be moved to Salford Hills Elementary School to make room for the kids from Lower Salford. District officials can now start work on the transition process for the hundreds of affected students and staff members.

The cost of breakfast for students in the North Penn School District is going up.   Effective with the start of the next school year, it will be $1.75.   That's a 50 cent increase.   The cost for lunch at the middle schools is also going up.   It will be $3.00, a price hike of 20 cents.   The cost for lunch at the elementary and high school level will remain the same.   Students that currently get free or reduced price meals won't be impacted by the increase.   The student meal program is an Enterprise Fund and must balance its budget without taxpayer dollars.