FOUNTAIN SPRINGS - North Schuylkill School District taxpayers in Schuylkill County will see a .88-mill increase in real estate taxes in the 2013-14 fiscal year following the school board's formal adoption of the operations budget Wednesday.
However, Conyngham Township taxpayers in Columbia County will see a decrease of .43-mill in their real estate tax in order to have equal tax levies in both counties.
The school board adopted the tentative budget on April 24 in an 8-1 vote. The vote on establishing the tax rates was 7-2.
On Wednesday, the school board adopted the budget and the tax rates in separate 7-1 votes. Director Raymond Reichwein provided the negative votes for both. Director Mark Kessler was absent.
The $24,702,013 final budget is about $1 million larger than the 2012-13 budget of $23,737,981.
The .88-mill real estate tax increase will take the rate from 36.79 to 37.67 mills in Schuylkill County, and the decrease of .43 mill takes the rate in Conynham Township from 38.10 to 37.67 mills. The tax increase holds the line with the state Act 1 Index of 2.5 percent. One mill brings in about $170,000 in taxes.
"The 2013-14 final budget reinforces the school board's and administration's strong commitment to the education and athletic programs, as well as the physical plant," said district Superintendent Andrew D. Smarkanic in a prepared statement.
"We are dedicated in making positive strides in our core curricular programming and in maintaining our athletic programs for our students and student athletes. As a result, parents and students of the North Schuylkill School District will see no educational program changes. In fact, there are plans for program enhancements in North Schuylkill Elementary in both kindergarten and first grade in the form of both transitional kindergarten and transitional first grade for those students not meeting the core educational objectives in those particular grades."
Specifically addressing the tax increase, Smarkanic said, "The primary purpose for the millage increase is due to the proposed renovation project to both the junior-senior high school and elementary school. The district must positively posture itself to be able to pay for a future bond issue that is necessary to finance the proposed renovation project.
"We understand that it is never popular to impose a tax increase on the community. However, the community has a vested interest in the schools they support and the time is overdue to address the physical deficiencies in the junior-senior high school and the overcapacity situation at the elementary school. Failure to address these concerns now will cause unnecessary financial hardship in the future."
For the upcoming school year, student athletes will continue to see a participation fee associated with their sport, along with a $10 fee for physicals from the school physician. A student athlete who gets the required physical from their family physician will not pay this fee. When the team uniforms are assigned, athletes will pay a one-time fee of either $40, $30 or $25, which will be based on their free and/or reduced lunch status. This will also affect the students who participate in band and cheerleading.
"This budget was built with anticipation of the final funding allocations from both state and federal sources," said Smarkanic. "While we are anticipating some dollars to be restored from the state's initial budget proposal, we are optimistic that the anticipated state and federal dollars projected in the budget will be realized when the state approves its final budget."
In addition to the real estate tax, the following taxes were approved without change from the 2012-2013 budget year:
- Occupational assessment tax - $213.50
- Real estate transfer tax - One percent (shared with school district and municipalities)
- Earned income tax - One percent (shared with school district and municipalities)
- Local services tax - $5.
Smarkanic said the budget reflects the "diligent work of the board and administration, along with the cooperation of the employees" of the district.
After the meeting, Reichwein said the reason for his negative votes was because of the tax increase.
"They did not have to do it (raise taxes)," said Reichwein. "That's why I said no to the budget and no to the taxes."