CLARKS SUMMIT — Members of the Abington Heights School Board voted, 6-2, to approve a final budget of 48,998,122, with a one-mill real estate tax increase, for the 2017-18 school year during a regular meeting June 28.
Warren Acker, Jeanne Cadman, board president Cathy Ann Hardaway, Michele Pusateri, Philip Robson and Michele Tierney voted in favor of the budget. Treasurer Gregory Madensky and vice president Louise Brzuchalski voted against it. Michael Fleming was absent.
The one-mill increase, from 120.16 t0 121.16, will generate approximately $215,000 in additional revenue for the school district, according to business manager James Mirabelli.
A mill is a $1 tax on every $1,000 of assessed property value.
Mirabelli added each homeowner in the district will pay approximately $20 more on their real estate tax bill this year.
Hardaway announced members of the school board’s negotiating committee met with the teachers’ union June 27 and the sides plan to meet at least two more times for negotiations during the summer months in an attempt to settle a new contract.
The teachers, nurses and counselors of the Abington Heights Education Association have announced a planned Sept. 12 strike date.
According to Acker, the facilities committee met June 14 to discuss several projects, including the replacement of the floor in the high school auxiliary gym which was damaged.
“The issue was whether to replace it with wood or put a rubberized surface down,” Acker said.”It’s the recommendation of the facilities committee to put the rubberized surface on the floor for two reasons: the maintenance cost is lower and, more importantly, a rubberized surface will take on water better than a (wood) floor.
“We’ve had three instances where water has come into the gym, either through the roof or wall, and each time we’ve had damage to the wood floor. If we put rubber down, it’s less likely we will have damage.”
According to superintendent Michael Mahon, the district received a $90,000 insurance settlement for the floor. He added it would cost the district an additional $16,000 to install the rubber floor.
In other business, Jake Arnold was approved as the district’s new band director, replacing Eric Boylan.
Boylan, who served in the position since 2013, is moving from the high school to the middle school to replace Denise Searfoss, who retired.
Due to Boylan’s move, there will be one less music teacher at the high school for the upcoming school year.
“As we do with all retirees and all positions, we ask ourselves is it possible for us to not fill the position, given our budgetary constraints,” Mahon said. “We recognized that the numbers in our district have fallen in recent years and our numbers in band have also decreased substantially.
“In looking at the numbers, we believe we’ll be able to preserve all programs and offerings with our current staffing minus the retiree.”
