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South Side schools budget may include property tax increase

The South Williamsport Area School Board discussed the district’s new strategic plan for active classrooms and had a 2017-18 budget update reflecting a tax increase during its meeting on Monday.

During the budget update, Dennis Artley, business manager, said that the current proposed 2017-18 budget will include $19,552,037 in expenses, but is subject to change before the final budget is voted on at the June 19 meeting.

Expenses in the 2016-17 budget were $18,799,282.

In this current budget proposal, Artley said the district will have a 0.65-mill real estate tax increase. That increase would mean $65 for an average home valued at $100,000.

In other business, Dr. Mark Stamm, superintendent, said that the current district plan will end June 2017. He said the new strategic plan is emerging as a bold educational vision for the community and its schools.

The district listened to teachers input on how to improve the system and put together a new system that could change the way the district approaches education, including the district’s core beliefs, the idea of “active classrooms” that have desks formed in groups around the room rather than front-facing instructions among many other new ideas.

Stamm said that what they had right now was just a draft document that needs many levels of approval before things would be implemented in the future. He said he anticipates some bumps along the way as things improve and change, but that the district isn’t afraid to try and implement new things to improve the lives of students.

“There’s a drive that makes you want to get in front of kids every day and dig into a lesson that’s engaging,” Stamm said. “You want kids to be excited about what they’re doing, what they’re learning.”

He said when teachers are forced to cover material in ways they don’t want to, that drive can be faltered and the students suffer.

“I don’t want to do that anymore,” he said. “I want to give teachers the power to do what they think is right, to get excited about what they’re doing with kids and to support them with the great ideas they’re coming up with.”

As part of the new approach, three positions were voted on and unanimously approved by the board:

• Dwight Woodley, currently Rommelt Elementary principal and director of information systems, was approved as director of innovative learning and information systems with an annual salary of $95,000.

• Matt Fisher, current high school assistant principal, was approved as Rommelt Elementary principal and director of student services with an annual salary of $90,000.

• Jamie L. Mowrey was appointed as assistant business manager with an annual salary of $55,000.

Voting yes at the meeting were members John Engel, Chris Branton, Gregg Anthony, Joseph Pulizzi III, Steve Persun, Jerry Broskey, Nicholas Fiorini, Cathy Bachman and Sue Davenport.

The next meeting will be at 7 p.m. May 1.

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