Jul 2, 2018 3 min read

Property owners in Canon-McMillan School District will see a slight increase in the real estate tax rate for the 2018-19 school year.

The school board Thursday unanimously approved a proposed $85.5 million budget for the upcoming school year that includes a 0.3105-mill increase, bringing the tax rate to 11.4 mills. The increase equates to an additional $31.05 per year for a house with an assessed property value of $100,000.

Included in the 2018-2019 finalized budget are several educational, technology, facility and safety initiatives.

The district, which implemented Code to the Future at Hills-Hendersonville, Wylandville and South Central elementary schools in 2017-18, will roll out the coding program in Borland Manor and Muse elementary schools. Future budgets will allow for expanding to the intermediate, middle and high schools.

The district also plans to continue to purchase technology equipment on a rotating schedule to move Canon-McMillan toward its goal of providing technology devices for all students.

Business Manager Joni Mansmann said the 2018-19 budget also includes funds for additional professional staff to meet the district’s growing enrollment.

“In terms of enrollment, we’re continuing to increase,” said Mansmann, noting the projected enrollment for the upcoming school year is 5,355, an increase of 93 students over 2017-18. “As we grow, we’re adding buildings, but we’ll be able to add staffing, too.”

Another increase included in the budget is the district’s contribution to the Pennsylvania State Employees’ Retirement System.

Mansmann said the district’s contribution calls for a single-digit increase this year, compared to double-digit increases in recent years.

Regardless of pension reform, the district won’t realize financial savings until the 2040s, Mansmann said.

In another matter, dozens of students and parents attended the school board meeting to protest a change in a school policy regarding apparel bearing the school colors.

According to the policy, any apparel bearing a reference to Canon-McMillan must bear the school district’s dominant colors, blue and gold.

While the policy has been in place since 2012, the school district has not applied the policy to clothing outside of school uniforms. However, the athletic committee recently asked the school district to enforce the policy to eliminate the number of different colored clothing – such as black t-shirts – bearing the Canon-Mac logo or references to the school district.

Assistant superintendent Scott Chambers said the policy impacts extracurricular groups.

The fundraising policy says groups must follow the policy when purchasing uniforms or apparel that represent the school district.

“If I have a school play and want black and red, it has to get approval through the athletic department and comply to those color schemes, and the dominant colors are blue and gold,” said Chambers. “In the past, we did not apply (the policy) to apparel outside of uniforms. Anything that uses reference to Canon-McMillan School District has to be approved when it’s purchased through fundraising or public money, and it should adhere to these colors,” he said.

In response to the concerns, the school board plans to hold a meeting soon to discuss the changes and get additional input from students, organizations and parents.