Jun 26, 2015 3 min read

CARMICHAELS – Carmichaels Area School Board adopted the district’s 2015-16 budget Thursday night, raising property taxes by 0.65 of a mill to cover the increase in debt service costs associated with the school renovation project.

Under the $15.94 million spending plan, the tax rate in the district will increase to 23.4 mills.

The 0.65-of-a-mill take hike was the maximum the district was allowed to increase taxes under the inflationary index established under the Taxpayer Relief Act. The tax increase means a homeowner with a property worth $50,000 will pay an additional $32.50 in school taxes next year.

Revenue raised by the rate hike will be dedicated to paying debt payments for bonds issued for the renovation project, business manager Amy Todd said. Debt service payments are expected to increase by about $200,000.

Other categories in the budget in which there are major increases include retirement costs, which will jump by about $300,000, and health insurance, which will increase by about $25,000, Todd said.

The board also included $30,000 in the budget as a separate line item for the purchase of new text books, she said.

In other business, the board voted to increase student lunch prices by 5 cents, a requirement for continued participation in the federal subsidized lunch program. The increase will push lunch prices to $2.05 in the middle-senior high and $1.85 in the elementary.

Board President Tom Ricco said the board didn’t want to increase lunch prices, but it was required to in order to continue receiving funding from the federal school lunch program. Several years ago, the federal government asked school districts to bring their regular lunch prices in line with what the federal government pays the districts in free lunch subsidies.

The free lunch subsidy is now greater than what Carmichaels Area charges paying students for a lunch, Todd explained earlier. The idea behind it was to prevent districts from subsidizing student lunches with the federal subsidies they receive from the free lunch program, she said.

The board also took steps to begin the move from a junior-senior high to a middle-senior high grade alignment, a change the board approved in March.

Ronald Gallagher, now assistant junior-senior high principal, was named the district’s middle school principal.

Lisa Zdravecky will continue as the senior high principal, Superintendent John Menhart said following the meeting, and the district will advertise for a new elementary principal.

Acting elementary principal Dave Bates was transferred Thursday to an elementary teaching position. Board members Ken Ganocy and Ed McIntire voted against the motion; Ron Ferek and Jerry Simkovic were absent.

The district also will begin a pre-kindergarten program this year. The board voted to purchase $17,840 worth of furniture and equipment for the new pre-kindergarten classroom.

The board approved several motions regarding band, appointing Jessica Hathaway, assistant junior-senior high band director; Joanna Walker, junior high band director; and Erin Drury, elementary band director.

Maintenance supervisor Dave Franks reported furniture has been delivered for the renovated junior high school and has been placed in the proper rooms.

The board later voted to sell excess equipment resulting from the school renovation project on eBay.

In regard to the renovation project, Menhart said following the meeting that contractors were now completing punch list items in the junior high school and are about 85 percent complete with work on the second floor of the high school.

The renovation project is expected to be completed by Aug. 20 to give the district time to prepare for the start of school. The first day of classes for students is Aug. 25.