News

June 28, 2008

Hazleton Area schools’ new budget has tax hike

RALPH NARDONE Times Leader Correspondent

The Hazleton Area School District approved a $105 million budget for the 2008-09 fiscal year at a special school board meeting on Friday night. The bottom line for taxpayers is an increased tab of $58, according to district business manager Anthony Ryba. The vote was 6-3 in favor of the 13 mill increase for Luzerne County residents and about a 1 mill increase for residents of Schuylkill and Carbon counties.

Luzerne County’s millage will rise to 187.392, Schuylkill 36.588 and Carbon 29.562. A mill is a $1 tax on every $1,000 of assessed property value.

Board members Tony Bonomo, Jack Shema and Sean Shamany voted against the budget preferring another $103 million option that held the current tax rate but required the district to close the swimming pools, cut security and athletic staff in half and eliminate transportation services for grades 9 through 12.

A third option was discussed where Luzerne County residents faced a 25 mill increase, Schuylkill and Carbon counties a 3 mill jump. Superintendent Frank Victor said that $108 million budget option represented what the district actually needs.

“We cut $2 million to get to a 25 mill increase,” Victor said. The approved budget essentially requires another $2 million in cuts. He said the district will have to cancel sending teachers to conferences, some tuition reimbursements, and health insurance benefits. The approved budget will be tight and the district will have to work smarter, he added.

Victor pointed out the tax mills in Luzerne County for the Hazleton Area School District stayed level at 171 in 1997 and 174 in 2007. Since then the district added 2,000 more students and 60 teachers, he said.

Ryba provided information showing the district has the lowest millage after the increase in both Luzerne and Carbon County.

Larry Sampson, a volunteer from Luzerne County who sat in on the budget process, said the cuts required in the new budget are painful but taxpayers will appreciate holding back on tax increases. Dealing with the property reassessment debacle and rising costs, residents can barely afford any higher school taxes, Sampson said.

Each of the board members who voted for the new budget echoed similar sentiments saying the district is choosing the option that best balances expense cuts and tax increases.

Board president Elaine Curry thanked Sampson and two other volunteers, Joann Pitchel from Schuylkill County and Charles Schalles from Carbon County. “They were valuable members of the team,” she said.

Curry hopes next year’s budget process will be less painful.

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