Jun 20, 2016 2 min read

Trinity Area School District directors approved a final 2016-17 general fund budget Thursday that includes an 8.8-mill tax increase.

Director of Fiscal Services David Roussos said the board voted 8-1 to approve a spending plan of $53,200,494, increasing the millage rate from 113 to 121.8.

As an example, owners of a house with a market value of $150,000 would see about a $132 increase per year in taxes.

Roussos said there were no comments from the public concerning the increase during the meeting.

The biggest factor in the millage increase, he said, is the district’s contribution to the state’s Public School Employees’ Retirement System. For the 2015-16 school year, the contribution to PSERS was set at 25.8 percent. For the coming school year, the contribution increases to more than 30 percent.

“In the ’15-16 school year, we’re the fifth lowest (school district) in Washington County for millage rates. Even with the increase, I believe we still have the fifth lowest,” Roussos said. “This is just what everybody has to do.”

Over the next three years, the contribution is expected to increase to more than 34 percent.

In addition to the retirement contribution, the school district’s costs for special education services is increasing.