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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
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CONTACT: Gabrielle A. Prutisto |
State Rep. Thomas Caltagirone |
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Caltagirone introduces bills to save schools money,
eliminate school property taxes
HARRISBURG, May 21 – State Rep. Tom Caltagirone, D-Berks, has put together a package of four bills designed to increase efficiency in public school spending and provide alternative sources to the school property tax for public school funding.
Caltagirone said that by combining the two approaches, the package could lead to the complete elimination of school property taxes.
Caltagirone’s first bill would require the Department of General Services to purchase school supplies for all public schools in the Commonwealth. Caltagirone said centralized purchasing would result in significant savings on education expenses.
A second bill would require the Department of Education to develop general design plans that all school districts would follow for the construction of schools and other education-related facilities. The department would work with local school boards and the state’s Public School Building Authority to develop the plans.
“Having uniform construction plans would result in substantial savings in construction costs, as well as the cost of purchasing equipment for buildings,” Caltagirone said.
Caltagirone’s third bill would require the Department of Education to negotiate a statewide contract for all public school employees. However, individual school districts would retain authority over the hiring, termination, promotion and discipline of their employees.
Caltagirone said a statewide public school employees contract would reduce costs in areas such as health care and other benefits, and eliminate disparities among districts in compensation for teachers and other school employees. The bill would also require the Education Department to prepare a plan for consolidating school districts.
The final bill in the package would increase the state sales tax and the state Personal Income Tax, with the additional revenue going toward elimination of the local school property tax. The sales tax would be increased incrementally from the current 6 percent in most of the state to 9.66 percent in 2012. The income tax would be increased from the current 3.07 percent to 4.94 percent by 2012.
“These are bold steps that I believe must be taken in order for school property taxes to be eliminated once and for all,” Caltagirone said. ”If this package of bills enacted into law, it will work, and it will work well.”
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