May 5, 2016 2 min read

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

The board voted unanimously to approve the proposed $53,121,929 spending plan for next year, which increases the millage rate to 121.8, up from 113 mills.

Director of Fiscal Services David Roussos said significant increases in the school district’s contribution to the state’s Public School Employees’ Retirement System and special education costs are responsible for the tax increase.

“The district has been doing a very good job at trying to keep costs in line, looking to make adjustments in some areas to accommodate certain increases in other areas, but in PSERS and special education, there’s just been no way to accommodate thses huge increases, other than increasing the millage rate,” Roussos said.

Roussos said the school district’s contribution rate toward PSERS will climb to 30 percent next year, which will increase the district’s contribution to more than $6.3 million. Over the next three years, the district’s contribution rate will continue to increase, topping off at more than 34 percent.

As an example, Roussos said a house with a market value of $150,000 would have an increase of about $130.

Roussos told directors Trinity has the fifth-lowest millage rate in Washington County, and even with the tax increase, the district will retain that spot. Had the district not run into steep increases in PSERS and special education costs, he said, the millage rate would have been the same as it was in 2008-09, when it was 103 mills.

Roussos said administration is still looking at ways to make reductions and increase the fund balance before a final budget is adopted June 16.