Cumberland Valley board to vote on $205M budget with $6.3M deficit

Letter to the Editor

Cumberland Valley School District Board will vote at the Mon., June 16, 2025 board meeting on the 2025-2026 Budget. Per the agenda item:

“Administration recommends adoption of a resolution by the Board of School Directors of the Cumberland Valley School District for the 2025-26 General Fund Budget, which calls for expenditures of $205,270,225 and total revenues of $198,902,947 with the remaining $6,367,278 being funded with the School District’s Fund Balance Reserves with the real estate taxes to be set at 12.414 mills”

The $6.3M ’25-’26 deficit would be the 5th straight year of operating in the red with no end in sight. The district continues to throw their hands up and blame the state for not providing funding, however, in the meantime, Board President Rausch and Superintendent Blanchard refuse to develop a plan to balance the budget to avoid potential insolvency and state receivership. As a reminder, CVSD received a “double downgrade with a negative outlook” from S&P Global in January 2025, when they initiated a $57M bond sale to finance their initial multiple construction projects. The reason given was due to their continued use of their depleting general funds balance account due to habitual deficit spending. CVSD still needs another $40-$50M bond sale over the next twelve months that will require another S&P Global bond rating analysis.

The vote for the tentative budget last month barely passed by a 5-4 vote. Several members of the public continue to press the board and administration to produce a balanced budget. However, Board President Rausch and Superintendent Blanchard refuse to take the appropriate and necessary actions. 

As a data point, residents have continuously been targeted with unprofessional and unhinged comments during board meetings as exemplified by the attached audio clip (from public board meetings) of current board President Greg Rausch and his predecessor Fmr. Board President Heather Dunn.

The public deserves better from their elected representatives.

Respectfully,

Brian T. Drapp

Silver Spring Resident

Fmr. School Director and Board President

Cumberland Valley School District