Schools

Taxpayers will have an opportunity to weigh-in with lawmakers and officials with the North Penn school District concerning the 2013 budget. Superintendent, Curt Dietrich will be on hand to discuss various topics about the budget, among them, transportation, charter and cyber schools, public school employees’ retirement system reform, special education, sequestration and a host of other issues. A community forum will held at the Penndale elementary school on April 11 at 7pm.

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.