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Board discusses cost increases, construction

MUNCY — Muncy School District is dealing with cost increases for cyber charter schools and special education that may contribute to the proposed tax increase in June.

School board president Scott McLean Monday night blasted the amount of state subsidies available for special education spending.

While there has been a $741 million increase in special education subsidies for district between 2012 to 2017 the cost has risen to $1.3 billion, McLean said.

“The state has to take more of a role,” he said.

Currently, Pennsylvania ranks 46th in the nation in the state in terms of the subsidies for district spending on special education, McLean said.

The proposed $18.9 million district budget is getting tweaked, said David Edkin, business manager. It will be adopted in June, he said. It looks at this time a property owner with a house assessed at $100,000 will pay $74 more a year in real estate taxes, but that is subject to change, he said.

The proposed budget calls millage to rise from 15.98 to 16.72 mills.

Additional financial challenges for the district include the retirement and health care costs.

Some larger and long-range capital projects are in the offing, including repaving the parking lot at the Ward Myers Elementary School, and providing residents with an outdoor basketball court with the existing tennis courts.

Another project includes the repair of the basement locker rooms.

“We are looking at how much we borrow, how much we need to borrow and that will reflect in the debt service,” Edkin said.

As for cyber school reductions, efforts in the state Legislature are moving ahead to help costs for districts paying for charter school students, according to Dr. Craig Skaluba, district superintendent.

Skaluba mentioned the Sen. Bill 34, legislation that would require parents of cyber school students to pay their own tuition, a measure that might save $300,000 a year in Muncy School District.

“It might not pass but it has been introduced,” McLean said.

Meanwhile, the district website will be posting photographs and updating individuals on the construction at the high school, which includes the athletic field.

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