News

June 28, 2008

W-B school taxes go up 4.3 percent

The real estate tax increase to 310 mills will add about $38 to the average property owner’s tax bill.

By Mark Guydish mguydish@timesleader.com
Education Reporter
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WILKES-BARRE – The Wilkes-Barre Area School Board voted Friday morning to adopt a $96.5 million budget for 2008-2009 that raises taxes by 13 mills, or 4.3 percent.

The new tax rate is 310 mills and will add about $38 to the average property owner’s tax bill. A mill is a $1 tax for every $1,000 of assessed property value.

Immediately after approving the budget during the special meeting, the board voted on a lengthy resolution that will knock nearly $212 off the tax bills of 13,691 qualified property owners. The tax break comes courtesy of slots gambling revenue.

The tax rate will be calculated using current property assessments, not the ones being sent out under the countywide reassessment. The new assessed rates cannot be used for district taxes until next year.

At the end of the meeting, board member Frank Pizzella criticized the reassessment process. He said he had called for and attended an informal hearing on his new property value, which he believed was too high, and that the people he talked to admitted they weren’t qualified to answer his questions.

“I think there should be a class action suit against this,” he said.

In other business, the board approved routine contracts with the Luzerne Intermediate Unit for special education services. The LIU provides those and other services to area districts, mostly on a fee-per-pupil basis. The board also approved a contract with the Luzerne County Department of Probation Services for school-based probation services for juveniles deemed “delinquent” by a county judge, the equivalent of being found guilty in an adult court.

The board hired Heather Green as a teacher and appointed Michael Corcoran as elementary science coordinator, Lindsay Taskar Barker as elementary math coordinator, Patricia Martin as music coordinator, and Anthony Khalife as junior high athletic director at GAR Memorial High School.

When student Brian Miller asked the board about a proposed new dress code, President James Fisher said the board is still working on the details, but promised the new code would not be as restrictive as the one adopted last year by Wyoming Valley West School District. Fisher thanked Miller for a letter he had given the board with ideas on what the dress code should include.

Superintendent Jeff Namey also praised Miller, who was dressed in shorts and a “Nightmare before Christmas” T-shirt.

“And someday,” Namey quipped as Miller prepared to leave, “you’re going to be wearing a suit and tie.”

Mark Guydish, a Times Leader staff writer, may be reached at 829-7161

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