Feb 7, 2017 3 min read

Editor’s note: This article was updated to reflect the new millage rate under Washington County’s reassessment and that no tax increase was included in the preliminary spending plan.

Trinity Area School Board on Thursday approved a $54.9 million preliminary budget for the 2017-18 school year that sets a new tax rate in accordance with new Washington County assessments and does not include a tax increase.

Real estate in the county was recently reassessed and this will be the first budget school districts will pass using the new valuations. Under the new system, 100 percent of fair market value will be used to calculate the real estate tax. The previous assessment used 25 percent of the 1983 value of property. Because the total valuation will be much higher, the tax rate must be reduced.

The baord set the new rate in the preliminary budget at 15 mills. The current rate is 121.8 mills.

The proposed budget reflects an increase in expenditures of approximately $997,000 over the current budget.

Under the Act 1 index, Trinity could increase the current millage by a maximum of 3 percent, so the school board approved a resolution to request permission from the state Department of Education for an exception from the index to meet expected increases in state pension funding and special education costs.

“This is only a preliminary budget. We will continue to look at cutting expenditures, being fiscally responsible and trying to minimize the millage rate increase,” said Assistant Superintendent Donald Snoke.

In another matter, Superintendent of Schools Dr. Michael P. Lucas discussed with board members technology upgrades the school district plans to implement, using $75,000 annually from Qualified Zone Academy Bond funds.

Among other improvements, the district plans to purchase iPads for all classrooms in Trinity’s four elementary schools, and 210 Chromebooks for the middle school. “This is the education piece in the QZAB. As part of the QZAB, we said we’d create STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math) opportunities. If you really want to change things in the classroom for Trinity, this is the move we need to make. This will have instant change in our classrooms,” said Lucas. “Our teachers want to use technology. Unfortunately, our tech right now in some of our buildings is to old to use.”

The district recently borrowed $5 million in QZAB zero-interest funds through Pennsylvania Department of Education to be used for renovations and upgrades. It will be repaid over 15 years.