Penn Manor was one of 12 school districts chosen by the Pennsylvania Auditor General’s Office for a performance audit covering the period from July 1, 2017, to June 30, 2021. The results of the audit were released to the public on January 25.
The audit did not find any non-compliance with laws or regulations. However, the Auditor General recommended changes to state laws that enable school districts to raise taxes above levels established under Act 1.
Penn Manor applied for and used Act 1 exceptions three times during the audit period. This was part of a multi-year plan to provide funding for the $100 million high school construction project, which was not mentioned in the audit report. Penn Manor used roughly $18.5 million from its capital reserve fund to fund this project.
These tax increases were discussed and approved by members of the Penn Manor Board of School Directors at multiple public meetings. Since Act 1 took effect in 2007, Penn Manor has utilized Act 1 exceptions only four times.
We are proud of the fiscal management of Penn Manor, which ranks 404th of 500 school districts in Pennsylvania in the amount it spends to educate each student.
To see the report’s findings, and Penn Manor’s formal responses, click here.