An article on the front page of Wednesday's Butler Eagle corrected the shortfall that is facing the Seneca Valley School District in connection with the school system's 2006-07 budget. The correct figure is $3 million, even with an administration recommendation for a five-mill tax increase that would bring in an additional $1.77 million. Without a tax hike, the shortfall would be about $4.8 million.

An Eagle news article initially had reported the shortfall as $8 million with the higher tax rate in place. That article was followed by an editorial that suggested that a financial crisis at Seneca Valley is looming.

Despite the corrected figure, all is not well with Seneca Valley finances. Although the district will be able to balance receipts and expenditures for the upcoming fiscal year that begins July 1 by using savings and budgetary-reserve funds, it is not premature for concern over what might befall the district in 2007-08 or beyond.

Seneca Valley's money situation can be likened to what happened on the state front when the commonwealth's Rainy Day Fund had to be tapped to keep Pennsylvania's financial ship afloat. The money in the Rainy Day Fund was good while it lasted, but when the fund was depleted, that presented state officials with a serious challenge in addressing money needs.

A similar challenge, albeit a much smaller one than the state faced, will be confronting the Seneca Valley School System in the not-too-distant future if its reserve funds become depleted.

How long district residents will continue accepting tax increases without major, prolonged protests is a question that must be considered.

As mentioned in an editorial on May 1, and unchanged by the corrected shortfall figure reported Wednesday, tough budget scrutiny is in order, including serious discussions about reducing district spending over the longer term.

And also unchanged is that the Seneca Valley School Board, like its counterparts across the commonwealth, must approve a preliminary spending plan by the end of May and a final budget by June 30.

For Seneca Valley property owners, the coming weeks will be a source of understandable uneasiness. Judging from the $3 million shortfall and what it could mean for the future, district residents should pay close attention to what is happening in their district and make their opinions known to the decision makers while there still is time to influence budget actions.