Nanticoke schools do not hike taxes

NANTICOKE – In a long and busy meeting Wednesday, the Greater Nanticoke Area School Board approved a budget with no tax increase, hired a gifted-education teacher who board members promised would improve a program one parent criticized, and promised to arrange a meeting to check allegations from another parent contending the head football coach gave false information on his resume.

Business Consultant Al Melone said the budget for 2009-10 would spend about $25 million while keeping property taxes at the same rate as this year, though the countywide reassessment will make bills look different.

Reassessment – the first in four decades – dramatically increased the market value of properties throughout the county. As a result, the millage rate, or the amount of taxes paid for every $1,000 of assessed value, dropped sharply in every district.

In Greater Nanticoke Area, the millage rate under the old assessment was 255. Under the new assessment it will be 9.9295.

Melone noted the district recently learned a former special-education student was returning to the district and required education while hospitalized. By law, the district must provide the services, and Melone estimated the cost for one year at $183,000.

While the state and other sources would offset that, the district will probably end up paying about $125,000.

The board also hired a full-time gifted teacher, and told one parent who rose to criticize the program that the new employee coupled with new training for administrators and teachers should improve the program substantially.

And the board heard allegations from parent David Kotz regarding football coach Lou Cella. Kotz and other parents criticized Cella’s treatment of students last year, and Kotz had previously claimed Cella had put false information on his resume, but had been reassured the information had been checked.

Kotz told the board Wednesday he had called schools where Cella claimed to have coached, and had been told the claim was inaccurate. Kotz also said the people he talked to said no one from Greater Nanticoke Area had called them regarding Cella.