Jun 23, 2014 3 min read

JEFFERSON – Jefferson-Morgan School Board adopt the district’s 2014-15 budget Monday, increasing property taxes by 1.39 mills.

The $12,881,000 budget is $648,000 greater than this year’s budget and increases the property tax rate in the district from 24.24 mills to 25.63 mills. Under the new tax rate, the owner of a property assessed at $50,000 will pay $1,281.50 this year, which is $69.50 more than last year.

The budget, which is identical to the proposed spending plan approved last month, had received the unanimous support of the board budget committee, said Cindy Jento, chairman of the budget committee.

Of the total increase in the budget, Jento said, 39 percent results from an increase in retirement costs, 12 percent from an increase in salaries and 8 percent from an increase in special education costs.

About $150,000, or 23 percent of the increase, will be earmarked to make improvements to the district’s middle-senior high school.

The board has been considering renovating the school and recently had a feasibility study completed; however, because the estimated costs of a renovation were higher than the district could afford, any plans for building improvements will be “greatly reduced,” Jento said.

The board intends to ask its financial consultant how much money the district can borrow with annual payments of $150,000 and then go to its architect to see what work can be done with that amount, she said.

The board has agreed improvements are needed to the school.

The board will have to meet to prioritize what will be done with the amount of money that will be available, board President Lisa Mattish said.

The 1.39-mill increase is the most the district could increase taxes this year under the state’s Taxpayer Relief Act and an exception granted by the state Education Department.

The district had received an exception allowing it to raise the millage above that allowed by the inflationary index established by the act because of its high retirement costs.

Board member John Shaffer asked residents to contract state legislators to urge them to fix the “pension crisis” affecting the statewide public school employee retirement system.

Increases in pension costs are becoming a difficult burden for school districts and are impacting the districts’ ability to provide important educational programs and upgrade older school facilities, he said.

Board member Jon Hildebrand suggested the answer to providing quality education, especially in small districts like Jefferson-Morgan, is through consolidations or mergers with other districts.

This year, property owners eligible for the homestead or farmstead exception will be able to subtract $242.39 from their property tax bill.

In other business, the board approved the purchase of a new reading series for kindergarten through sixth grade that will cost $40,929.11 for textbooks and $6,732.75 for supplemental resources.

The board accepted the retirement of guidance counselor Sandra Whetsell; and the resignation of assistant principal Ronald Gallagher.

Resident Richard Knight addressed the board about plans a company has to develop a water filling station for tanker trucks serving the drilling industry on Route 188, within 300 yards of the school property.

Knight spoke of residents’ concerns regarding truck traffic on Route 188 and the safety of trucks entering the highway in that area. He noted a zoning hearing on the project will be held at 6:30 p.m. today at the Morgan Township Municipal Building.