Montrose finance committee recommends changes

BY PAT FARNELLI

The Montrose Area School Board’s finance committee held a special meeting Monday to address how to balance the district’s budget, after learning last week that the district was receiving $80,000 in additional funding.

The district’s final budget was approved June 29. When the final state budget was approved, the district was notified that it had received about $400,000 in funding.

The district’s budget had conservatively projected only $320,000. The finance committee was thus able to allocate the $80,000 to restore some programs which had previously been cut.

The finance committee settled on two recommendations for the use of the additional funding.

About $32,000 will be given back to the maintenance department, for updating the lighting at theLathropStreetElementary School.

The remaining funds, approximately $48,000,  will be put back into after school tutoring programs, said Superintendent Michael F. Ognosky.

These programs, cut during the original budgeting process, will be reinstated, with the school board’s approval at its August meeting, and will include remedial help, homework club, and PSSA tutoring, as well as bus transportation for late bus students.

The committee will make these recommendations to the full board at the next regular meeting, which will be held Monday, Aug. 6, at 7 p.m. at the Choconut Valley Elementary School.