Click the icon at the left to view video of Harrisburg School District's Chief Recovery Officer Gene Veno's presentation to Superintendent Sybil Knight-Burney and the School Board of Directors at a special session to review the 2013-2014 budget process.

Photo/Natalie Cake

"It is about academics. It is about understand where you're going in the future," said Veno as he publicly delivered a series of statistics about the State-designated "Moderately Financial" challenged Harrisburg School District (HSD).

Despite School Board President Jennifer Smallwood's implication that the State does not allocate enough funds to HSD, Veno pointed out 46% of HSD's budget is subsidized by State funds. Per the Chief Recovery Officer, the average district's budget is funded 34% by the State.

Veno also stated fringe benefits make up 65% of the salary in HSD.

To put it all in perspective, Veno explained that HSD is in the top 10% of State school districts for highest percentage of expenditures per pupil.

Veno said he presented these numbers to the District and the public "to put in an understanding of where we've been, what you've done, where you are at this moment, and where we're going."

The Chief Recovery Officer and his team will hold a public meeting on the Harrisburg School District's State recovery process on at 6:00pm on Tuesday, January 29th at John Harris High School.

by Tara Leo Auchey