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JERSEY SHORE -- By a 6-3 vote, the Jersey Shore Area School Board failed to set a tax rate for the upcoming fiscal year at their meeting this week.
So, it's back to the drawing board, or rather the calculator, to come up with a rebalanced tax rate that will be amenable to the entire board.
The administration had proposed a 1.4% increase, which would mean residents in Lycoming County would pay an extra $26.50 per $100,000 of a property's assessed value. Taxes in Clinton County would increase $2.32 per $100,000 of a property's assessed value.
But, the board rejected that proposal, seeking instead to have no tax increase, which Ben Enders, district business manager, pointed out is not possible since the district is in two counties.
"We will be drafting a final budget with no tax increase at all," said Dr. Brian Ulmer, superintendent.
But, the tax rate will still reflect an increase for Lycoming County because of rebalancing.
Ulmer explained what will happen.
"We won't get additional revenue from taxes, based on the county assessment data. The bills could fluctuate from one county to another," Ulmer said the day after the meeting.
At the meeting, Enders had indicated that one county, this year Lycoming, could see its tax rates go up 80 cents for every $100,000 of a property's value because of rebalancing. Clinton County's tax rate could decrease, he said.
"Rebalancing is the equalization of taxes based on the assessed values across the two counties and that's set by the state tax equalization board," Ulmer said.
The proposed budget was advertised after the board's meeting earlier this month, so the final budget with any changes will be approved next month.
Without an increase, the district is facing a $500,000 deficit.
Board member Wayne Kinley, who was a strong advocate for closing one of the elementary schools as a cost-saving measure, said, "We had other options on the table to save costs, and we could have actually balanced the budget and not had any increase."
He pointed out that the only way the budget will be balanced now will be by "digging into the fund balance."
Under personnel, the board approved the following items: the appointment of Jamie Straub as 12-month accounts payable secretary at $39,100 per year; appointment of Eric Hess as the Physical Education Department coordinator; transfer of Justin Armbruster to high school principal, at $114,000 per year; appointment of David Bittner as director of CTE, at $95,000 per year; and the transfer of Delores Herman from a part-time food service position to a substitute position at $11.50 per hour.
The following letters of resignation were approved: Autumn Cantrall, head middle school cheer coach; Brayton Rowella, assistant baseball coach; Lou Anne Gasperine, assistant swim coach; Amanda Houtz, part-time food service worker; and Joanne Knepp, full-time Act 93 student data coordinator.
Job descriptions for the accounts payable secretary and the career and technical education teacher were approved as well as classified employee, food service and auxiliary sport staff pay rates for the upcoming school year.
In other items under finance, the board approved: agreements for Lycoming and Clinton counties with Infocon to print and mail real estate tax bills and provide processing services for 2023; an agreement with Navigate 360, LLC, doing business as PBIS Rewards, for subscription services for fiscal year 2023-24; and a BLaST IU 17 and district inter-governmental agreement for shared education service for the 2023-24 school year.
An Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) agreement with BLaST IU 17 for the upcoming school year was approved by the board. In the agreement, BLaST agrees to administer federal Special Education funds and pass through those funds to the district to supplement special education services.
Estimated IDEA fund for 2023-24 total $427,319, which is a source of revenue for the district.
The next board meeting will be at 7 p.m. on June 12 at the Administration Building, 175 A&P Drive.