ORWIGSBURG - Taxes are going up in the Blue Mountain School District and a teacher has been furloughed.
The board voted Thursday on its final budget, which increases taxes about $25 for the average assessed house of $52,600. The millage hike of 0.395 mills brings the millage rate to 36.275 mills. Taxpayers also paid more in the 2012-13 tax year because the board voted for a 0.98-mill increase last year.
On Thursday, school board members could vote for one of two options. The first one increased taxes to 36.626 mills, the second to 36.275 mills.
The board was deadlocked 4-4 several times before board member Paula Ney changed her vote to "yes" for the second option, which has a final budget with revenues of $37,370,956 and $37,534,107 in expenses, leaving a deficit of $163,151. That money will be taken from the general fund to balance the budget.
Business administrator Michelle Diekow said previously that the tax increase would bring in $196,710.
Ney said she did not want to increase taxes but board member Carl McAloose was absent Thursday night and the board was getting nowhere with its tied votes. A board member called McAloose but he did not return the phone call. McAloose previously voted to raise taxes by half of the index for the preliminary budget.
Before the vote, Superintendent Robert Urzillo said the board could hold a special meeting if a budget was not finalized.
By law, the board must approve a final budget by June 30.
"We can't give you a better budget for this year," Urzillo told board members.
Voting for the final budget with the tax increase were Ney, Heather Gosch, Gerald Ravitz, Marci Kramer and Scott Reichert. The "no" votes were board President Mary Jo Moss, John Granito and David Lafko.
The board also decided to furlough Lindsay Eisenhower, a physical education teacher, because of the curtailment to the elementary physical education program and changes to the high school physical education/health teaching schedule.
Three educators will take on additional duties in the high school to make up for the furlough.
Board members Kramer, Reichert and Gosch voted against the furlough while the other members voted "yes."
There will also be some changes to the elementary encore schedule. Students will now have 40 minutes of physical education/health, music education, art, library, guidance and chorus during each four-day cycle.
The board also approved the transfer of teachers to other positions in the district.
No members from the public spoke about the budget Thursday night.