The School Pension Problems Cometh! (Pittsburgh, Upper St. Clair: how much, neighborhoods, school districts)

[gg]

The next 5 years will be some wild times for most districts as we start realizing promising teachers and staff the world are going to have massive consequences. Wonder when we will see 50 students per classroom? No more little schools? School districts sharing certain classes to cut costs and busing students around during the day? Tuition having to be paid to take an art class? The pensions will kill school districts in our county. We didn't learn from PAT and it is coming in school districts everywhere. Hope schools around here can hang on a few more years. If not, I am moving and private school out of state will be my fate. I think FC has raised their millage every single year to offset the obvious problems that will continue to make our area totally unlivable, due to horrible schools and massive taxes to pay pensions. The FC district may be privy to some information that most wouldn't, I suspect due to political clout. This is coming. I suggest people get prepared for school systems that are nothing like we once knew. Probably best to live in a cheap area and go private, unless your children are in the last couple of years in high school. It will still be more expensive to go private, but at least kids can take a music class.

North Allegheny to consider pension resolution - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Western Pa. school districts forced to return to basics | TribLIVE

North Hills School Board Approves Budget & Tax Increase - North Hills, PA Patch

“We are on course financially that can not be sustained. We can’t tax our way out of this,” he said. “We are staring down at some very serious cuts, if things don’t begin to change and problems of pensions and things of that nature are not addressed, we will be facing a budget deficit of 9.7 million dollars five years from now.”

Wielgus said costs; particularly employee pensions that are out of the district’s control will skyrocket in the next few years.

Schools take new paths to balance their budgets | TribLIVE

Pension costs alone for Upper St. Clair will soon consume about 20 percent of its budget, up from 5 percent in recent years. Health care costs are spiraling, and so are other costs.

Folks, it is over. The state is about broke. People don't want to pass all that debt onto their children and look at the federal level. That is another animal. People need to look at their situations very closely. I am just posting this because I believe in education. That being said, private schools are your best bet, unless you are in the FC district. I think they have the money to sustain things for about 8 or so years. Not sure if even the wealthy residents will keep thawing money at the mess that has been created by greedy teacher's unions.

[okaydorothy]

oh no. Please say it is not so. This is what we are getting away from here on Long island.

[Hopes]

Originally Posted by h_curtis

That being said, private schools are your best bet, unless you are in the FC district.

[gg]

Originally Posted by okaydorothy

oh no. Please say it is not so. This is what we are getting away from here on Long island.

What scares me the most is this, "Pension costs alone for Upper St. Clair will soon consume about 20 percent of its budget, up from 5 percent in recent years. Health care costs are spiraling, and so are other costs." Wish they would say how many years. It is probably going to hit pretty fast and hard. Pensions are going to eat the school districts up. We give teachers more and more and cave into their unions, but what people don't seem to think about is the long term costs. The state had to cut spending across the board. Everyone is complaining about PAT and whatever else the state funds. What people don't seem to want to address is debt and debt service. This whole system is broken and the only way to fix it is tighten our belts. Problem is we are talking about education and schools. How does one fix that? Keep complaining to the state, so they have to raise taxes? Complain to your school district, so they have to raise taxes? The problem is just starting and it is going to get worse. We all know it, but we want to pretend the debt can keep growing to get us through. Get us through what?

Look into your own school district and see how much they rely on state funds. My district doesn't rely much on state funds, so our taxes will increase a few hundred per $100K value a year. That will probably be a slower tax increase than some districts that rely a lot on the state. With rising costs, it will be interesting to see if districts start merging and there are massive cuts.

[gg]

Originally Posted by Hopes

Don't take my comment so lightly. Have a look at all districts in Allegheny County and note the amount of funding the districts need. FC won't be effected as much as most. We will still be greatly effected at a slower rate due to the wild pensions that are going to eat all our school districts up.

[UKyank]

And yet we still are working under the pension model.

[gg]

Originally Posted by UKyank

And yet we still are working under the pension model.

The Utah Pension Model - WSJ.com

[Hopes]

Originally Posted by okaydorothy

oh no. Please say it is not so. This is what we are getting away from here on Long island.

Fear not. Pensions are a problem everywhere with the impending retirement of baby boomers. If necessary, the teacher unions will have to agree to a compromise or they will be court ordered.

If you read the second article link he provided, this mostly concerns the wealthier school districts, one of which is Pine Richland. The reason Pine Richland had to cut the arts is because it built a ridiculous professional football stadium. Overspending. That's why they are cutting. I think it's ironic. The arts and other programs can still be found at the average school districts that managed their money better. And our region's average districts are better than most school districts throughout the country. In the end, these districts will balance their budgets and add these programs again because they can't afford to not provide these programs long term and keep their elite status or property values will start to drop. Pine Richland is proof too because the arts were restored after residents raised hell and insisted on a tax increase to restore programs.

Pennsylvania has a long history of having a quality education system compared to a majority of the states. I don't believe for a minute that it is going to crash in the near future.

[gg]

Originally Posted by Hopes

Fear not. Pensions are a problem everywhere with the impending retirement of baby boomers.

So because these problems are "everywhere", we shouldn't worry? The mounting debt across the board isn't a concern? Do you really think teacher's unions will make cuts? I don't think you realize the scope of all this. The massive debt we carry from top to bottom PLUS the baby boomers retiring is going to hit all at once. Do you think the boomers care how much debt they leave us to pay? Seems they certainly don't care.

If you think your school district isn't going to feel the pensions, I think you are burying your head in the sand. I am not sure how high the taxes are gong to have to go to offset this, but I DO hope the state doesn't help. I want the state to be fiscally responsible and stop the debt crisis. We can't keep trying to just get by paying interest and pilling up debt to keep this fake mess going. It needs to stop. Remember Pine Richland and that stadium isn't the only example. Read this article. There are lots of districts faced with problems and will cut classes, not just Pine Richland. This is only the beginning. You do know that don't you?

http://triblive.com/news/1997014-74/...ociation-board

[Hopes]

Originally Posted by h_curtis

So because these problems are "everywhere", we shouldn't worry? The mounting debt across the board isn't a concern? Do you really think teacher's unions will make cuts? I don't think you realize the scope of all this. The massive debt we carry from top to bottom PLUS the baby boomers retiring is going to hit all at once. Do you think the boomers care how much debt they leave us to pay? Seems they certainly don't care.

This debt isn't new, curtis. It's the recession. Goverments feel the crunch as much as businesses. The economy will improve. Highs and lows are natural cycle. And the baby boomers don't have to care. They aren't the ones who will have to give up something. The contracts will be changed for new hires. It will be all court ordered because our state has the benefit of seeing what happened in other states first.

Originally Posted by h_curtis

If you think your school district isn't going to feel the pensions, I think you are burying your head in the sand. I am not sure how high the taxes are gong to have to go to offset this...

Don't you read your own articles? "tax bases limited by state law."