No tax increase in early budget for SE Greene
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MAPLETOWN – It has been more than a decade since tax payers in Southeastern Greene School District were faced with a tax increase. Based on a preliminary general fund budget passed by the school board Monday for the 2014-15 school year, there will be another year without a tax increase.
The $10,650,320 budget includes an increase of approximately $250,000, according to district business manager Pat Richter. Richter attributed the increase “almost exclusively” to funding necessary to cover postretirement benefits in the district.
Addressing advancements in technology, the board approved the purchase of 150 laptop computers to replace 60 laptops for teachers and those purchased with through a grant roughly seven years ago. The cost of the computers, including a four-year warranty from LAM Systems is not to exceed $90,000 as purchased through the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Cooperative Purchase Program contract. The board also agreed to spend $9,920 for the purchase of 500 Stoneware Webnetwork licenses with included installation and support from LAM Systems.
These licenses will give students and staff remote access to the district’s server. By doing this, students who start a project during school hours will no longer have to save it to a flash drive to continue working on it outside of school. Instead, they will be able to save it to the server and then log in from home or any other location with Internet access to resume their work.
Under building and grounds, the board accepted a paving quote of $2.15 per square foot from Hittie Paving for paving in the lower lot of Bobtown Elementary School. It will also lock in the district to the same quote from Hittie Paving, if other paving needs should arise during the school year, according to Richter.
In another matter, the board approved the use of the Bobtown Elementary parking lot for the Greene County Department of Recreation’s day camp program and its use as a pick-up and drop-off location for the camp. Registration will be held from June 16 through June 25.
The next school board meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. May 19 in the junior-senior high school cafeteria.