During the Cranberry Area School Board’s regular meeting on Monday evening, next year’s preliminary budget was passed — with a 2.3% tax increase — and staff changes were approved, including the retirement of high school Assistant Principal Shawn Deemer.
On the preliminary budget, the board unanimously approved it with a .3241-mill increase, which will bring total millage to 14.4168. That translates to a $32.41 increase per $100,000 assessment.
Business Manager Henry Karg presented the board with three options.
The second option was a 2.3% increase, which the board approved.
The final option was no tax increase, which would leave a $443,337 projected shortfall.
Karg pointed out the state has not yet announced how much funding the district will receive, which makes it difficult to plan the budget.
“None of us want a tax increase, but I think we are unfortunately about due for one,” board member Kyle Melat said. He pointed out the district’s need for building work, road work and the rise of labor costs.
Board member Mark Marterella echoed Melat’s remarks.
Ken Brannon, another board member, asked Karg and the board how other school districts are able to pass budgets without raising taxes for eight or nine years in a row.
Karg explained some districts rely more on federal and state funding, while others rely heavily on local support. Districts with more government funding might not need to raise taxes as frequently, and the Cranberry Area School District is somewhere in the middle.
Several board members said they were more comfortable with a 2.3% tax increase, rather than a 4.6% hike.
Melat asked Karg if the budget had been “scrubbed” for any “low-hanging fruit” that might be cut to lower the shortfall.
Camae Bunyak, first vice president of the board, who was acting president in the excused absence of board President Tom Neely, asked for a motion, and the budget with a 2.3% tax increase was unanimously approved.
Other business
– The board approved the resignation of high school Assistant Principal Shawn Deemer, with his last day of employment being June 30. Brannon commented the board accepts his resignation, but “with regrets.”
Assistant elementary school Principal Beth Conkle was approved to fill retiring elementary school Principal Bob Horner’s role.
The district is now working to hire assistant principals for both the high school and elementary school.
– At the beginning of the meeting, the board heard from parent Jessica Warner, who expressed concern over a portion of the current bus route that runs through the Rockland Township area.
She showed the board a map of the route near her house and suggested an alternative route that adjusts the route within a mile section of it, which she suggested would be comparable in efficiency and safer for the children.
– Eric Petrazio, of McClure Co., told the board that his company offers renovation work to schools with a streamlined process that cuts out the system of bidding and outsourcing contractors.
“We do something different… We take the place of an architect,” he said. “You know the final price before you sign anything.”
Petrazio said the McClue Co. has done work with several local schools and has been asked to return for additional projects.
– Superintendent Bill Vonada said the district is looking into doing work on Education Drive over the summer. However, he was uncertain whether the project could be completed before August, since the current estimated completion time for the project is 13 weeks.
