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Residents of the Loyalsock Township School District will not see an increase in their real estate taxes after the school board voted to keep the tax rate at its current level for the upcoming fiscal year.
The real estate millage remains at 15.35 mills, which means that homeowners will pay $15.35 for every $1,000 of a property's assessed value.
Also approved by the board was a realty tax of 1%; an earned income tax of 1.6% with 1.15% going to the district and 0.5% going to the township; a local service tax of $5 per individual employed within the township; a business privilege tax of 1 mill/ wholesale gross sales; and a business privilege tax of 1.5 mills/retail, service or rental gross.
The proposed final budget with revenues and expenditures of $26,933,569 shows a deficit of $348,600 at this time.
The budget has seen some adjustments, particularly a $12,000 decrease in salary, according to Dan Egly, business manager. The decrease was due to a new hire that was lower than what was budgeted.
There was also an increase in revenues of $48,000 from the property tax reduction which is increased proceeds from gambling revenues, Egly said. Those two adjustments brought the deficit down to its current rate.
Egly also indicated that the district had received additional information about the special education contract with BLaST IU 17 which will result in further decrease in expenses.
The budget will be on display for 30 days before final approval next month.
In other actions under personnel, the board approved hiring the following persons: Alivia Heivly, elementary teacher; Philip Frear, full-time custodial staff, $13.05 per hour; Kimberly Bigelow, part-time food service employee, $12.25 per hour; and Allyia Kennedy, temporary summer custodial/maintenance employee, $13.05 per hour.
The board accepted the resignations of D. Ryan Bigelow, secondary music teacher and Steve Bowman, full-time custodian.
Summer school and remediation programs were approved by the board. The programs will be funded by Elementary and Secondary School Relief (ESSER) funds.
Approval was given to the 2023 summer school breakfast and lunch program.
Prices for tickets to athletic events were set by the board for the 2023-24 school year and reflect no increase from the current prices. They are for basketball, football, volleyball, soccer and wrestling: Varsity/JV, adult, $5 with JV football $4; Varsity/JV, student, $2; J/H, adult, $3; J/H, student, $2; and a season pass, $150, for individual and $250 for a family.
Breakfast and lunch prices for the next school year for purchasing a second meal were set at: elementary student, breakfast, $2, lunch, $2.75; secondary student, breakfast, $2.50, lunch, $3.50; and adult meal, breakfast $3, lunch, $5. Students are entitled to one free breakfast and one free lunch each school day.
The purchase of cafeteria furniture for the high school/middle school campus from Tanner Furniture, Harrisburg, at a cost of $132,743 was approved by the board.
Several change orders associated with the high school/middle school gymnasium, cafeteria expansion and addition of classrooms were approved. They include relocation of braces at roof dunnage, $1,089; installation of rain leader piping, $1,393; alternate wall panel at a credit of $1,563; removal and installation of curbing, $2,456; provide and install an underground storm water pipe for the cafeteria-classroom expansion, $6,119; and removal of duct cleaning at a credit of $12,802.
The next regularly scheduled board meeting will be at 7 p.m., June 14, at the district service center, 1605 Four Mile Drive.