Members of the Greater Nanticoke Area School Board gather for Thursday’s meeting.
Margaret Roarty | Times Leader
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NANTICOKE — The Greater Nanticoke Area School Board at its regular meeting Thursday approved the final 2024-2025 budget of $40,491,331 with no tax increase.
The tax rate will remain at 12.8083 mills. A mill is a $1 tax for every $1,000 of assessed property value.
The current projected revenue of $38,531,735 excludes state funding, as the final state budget has not yet been approved. The deadline for lawmakers to pass that budget is June 30.
Business Consultant Tom Melone explained that Gov. Josh Shapiro’s proposed budget, which was unveiled on Feb. 6, calls for around $4 million in funding for the Greater Nanticoke School District and if the final budget passes without any changes, the district would have a surplus of funds left over.
Even if the district slashed that amount in half, the budget would still break even, and if they went a step further and used last year’s state funding amount, which is a far more conservative estimate, there would be a budget shortfall of around $633,000 that Melone said would “easily” be absorbed by the current fund balance.
In full, Shapiro’s proposed budget calls for a $1.072 billion increase to basic education funding.
Of note, the board also:
• Appointed Mark Matusek as boys head soccer coach (pending clearances), Nico Deluca as boys soccer coach assistant I (pending clearances), Josh Olzinski boys soccer coach volunteer (clearances on file), Terry Schnee as girls tennis volunteer (clearances on file), Ryan Verazin as golf assistant I (clearances on file), Len Packowski as girls basketball assistant III (clearances on file), Bill Goodman as girls basketball assistant IV (clearances on file), Janice Welch as girls basketball videographer (clearances on file), Kayla Aufiero as girls basketball volunteer assistant (clearances on file), Janice Welch as girls basketball volunteer assistant (clearances on file) and Kim Turoski as girls basketball volunteer assistant (clearances on files).
• Approved the posting of several spring sports positions for the 2024-2025 school year including: baseball head coach, assistant I, assistant II, assistant III, and assistant IV, scorekeeper; softball head coach, assistant I, assistant II, assistant III and assistant IV, scorekeeper; track and field head boys coach, head girls coach, assistant I assistant II, assistant III, scorekeeper and assistant IV junior high; boys volleyball head coach, assistant coach, scorekeeper, timer and libero tracker.
• Approved the Nanticoke Senior Legion Baseball team to use the high school baseball field for their home games.
Approved the Nanticoke Jr. Trojans to utilize the football stadium for their home games on: Aug. 11, Aug. 17 (night game), Sep. 1 and Oct. 6.
• Approved quote from Guyette Communication Industries in the amount of $47,683.94 for replacement of pager system in the High School.
• Approved quote from Guyette Communication industries in the amount of $7,917.22 for pager system upgrades in the Education Center, Elementary Center and Kennedy Early Childhood Center.
• Recommend approval to purchase iPads for grades K-2 in the amount of $727.00. (Paid for through Title IV funding)
• Approved the purchase of materials to be utilized for K-5 Summer Skills Camp students in the amount of $1,818.60. (Paid for through Title IV funding)
• Approved agreement with KIDVENTURES THERAPY INC. for the 2024-2025 school year.
• Approved agreement with Beyond Behavior Consulting, LLC for the 2024-2025 school year.
• Approved quotes from MCGraw Hill in the total amount of $339,907.60 for the new K-12 social studies series. (Paid for through ARP/ESSERS)
• Approved Wilkes-Barre Area Career and Technical Center budget for the 2024-2025 school year.
• Approved quote from Tanner Furniture in the amount of $83,350.00 to purchase cafeteria tables for the Educational Center.