HUGHESVILLE — Homeowners in the East Lycoming School District can expect to see an increase in their real estate tax bills next year, but not as much as had been anticipated.

The district had been looking at a .75 mill increase, but administration was able to whittle that down to .24 mills for the final budget, Superintendent Mark Stamm told the school board this week.

This means property owners will pay an additional $24 per $100,000 of a property’s assessed value next year.

Although the vote was not unanimous, the balanced $29.8 million budget was approved with new tax rates set as: real estate, 16.65 mills; real estate transfer tax, half of 1%; and the earned income tax-Act 24, 1.2%.

Voting against the budget were Craig Dudek, Scott Ritter and Floyd Swales. Voting in favor were Tara Buebendorf, Lisa McClintock, Shannon McConnell-Barlett, Michael Mamrak, Rikki Riegner and Rebecca Yerg.

With the retirement of Jill Warg as principal at Ashkar Elementary, the board approved hiring Brittany Hipple to fill that vacancy, by an 8-1 vote with board member Dudek voting no. Her starting salary will be $87,500 per year.

Other personnel items approved, included: Kari Ulrich, secondary school counselor, $56,900 per year; Jessica McCoy as an elementary teacher at Ashkar, $72,100 per year; Sarah Snedeker, elementary teacher at Ashkar at $74,600 per year; Maggie Weader, elementary music teacher, $56,900 per year; transfer of Sarah Pulizzi to a part-time instructional aide at Renn Elementary, $13.79 per hour; Christina Sellers, summer technology support, $17.13 per hour through June 30 and $17.53 per hour from July 1 to Aug. 16, Edkin voted no on this agenda item; Misty Jacobs, Melissa Schick, Aubry Steele, Julie Connerton and Cindy Gomez, summer employment from June 7 through Aug. 15, $14.36 per hour; and Lakeisha Burgett as a guest teacher and Amy Kase as art Art K-12 teacher.

The board awarded the bid for water mitigation at Renn to Pine Mountain Excavating Inc. at a cost of $42,250. The installation of a district-wide phone system, funded by a $203,000 school safety grant, was approved by the board.

The board also approved purchasing playground equipment for Ashkar and Renn elementary schools at a cost of $528,927. The price reflects two playgrounds at each school that will be Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) accessible.

The next meeting will be at 7 p.m. on June 18 at the high school library, 349 Cemetery St. The public should enter through the library vestibule doors.