ORWIGSBURG - About 25 people attended a meeting Monday in the Blue Mountain High School auditorium on the upcoming budget.
The district is facing a $684,889 shortfall for the 2014-15 budget. Current expenses are $38,811,511 and revenues are $38,126,622.
Superintendent Robert Urzillo and district Business Administrator Michelle Diekow said the district is not in a good situation, because costs are going up and the district only has so much money to allocate for expenses.
Information was provided to the public about the district's current financial shape.
The current millage for the 2013-14 school year is 36.275 mills. The school board voted in January for a preliminary budget with a tax increase of 0.9794 mills, bring the rate to 37.2544. That would equate to an extra $51.49 for the average house assessed at $52,600, if the board voted for the entire tax increase. A final budget must be approved by June 30.
With the retirement contributions and special education expenditures applied for and approved by the state Department of Education, the millage rate could increase another 1.1613, which would cost the taxpayers an additional $61.02.
A mill brings in $454,000 for the district.
Officials have said they have cut the fat from the budget and are looking at alternate ways to close the gap.
Diekow said the board has saved on personnel costs through attrition.
"This budget includes two positions through attrition," she said.
The board also refunded a general obligation debt.
On a sheet titled "Areas to Consider," several options were given on how to fill the deficit. They included elementary class size, instrumental music in fourth and fifth grade; alter elementary art in kindergarten through fifth grade; alter elementary music in kindergarten through fifth grade; alter elementary physical education in kindergarten through fifth grade; instrumental music in sixth, seventh and eighth grades; middle school sports and district wide special education.
Urzillo said instrumental music in fourth and fifth grade and in the middle school could potentially be eliminated, along with middle school sports.
Also, the district is looking to how it can become more efficient in special education.
Urzillo said elementary class sizes could be increased at the elementary level.
An amount was not provided by Urzillo or Diekow about how much the district could save if all or any of these options were approved by the board.
The board could hear about these choices at its next meeting at 7:15 p.m. May 15.
Diekow said there will likely be another meeting at the end of the month or the beginning of June.
Board member David Lafko said he does not think the public will like the choices presented.
"I think the public will be upset by it," he said.
Leah Emerich, Auburn, said teachers should pay more for their health insurance.
"I pay $14,000 a year in health insurance,' she said for both herself and her husband.
Diekow said the amount teachers pay varies on what plan they pick.
Some in attendance mentioned charter schools, property taxes and other topics.
Urzillo said the district is not so much concerned about where the funding for the district comes from but that it actually gets to them.
"We're aware of the concerns people have," Urzillo said about costs, he said.
In related business, contract negotiations are ongoing with teachers. The current contract expires June 30, Diekow said.
"I can't speak about specifics," Urzillo said about the negotiations.