On May 21, Hamburg Area School Directors voted, 8-0, to approve the proposed final budget of $41.82 million with no tax increase for the 2018-2019 school year.
One week earlier school directors opposed, by a 6-3 vote, a $42.51 million budget that included a .25 mill increase.
$689,000 was reduced from the previous proposed budget and no reductions were made for classroom initiatives.
“You’ve made it clear that you support the innovation we’ve asked for,” Superintendent Richard Mextorf told school directors. “You’ve also made it clear that you don’t want a tax increase.
“I’m confident that we’ll be okay.”
Some of the adjustments included $146,000 in salary and benefits will be saved from three staff positions.
A budgeted position for a special education teacher was removed because the student requiring the teacher will not be back in the district, according to Business Manager Michele Zimmerman.
Also two aides are retiring and those positions will not be filled.
Repairs to the intercom system at the middle school and Tilden Elementary Center and the purchase of two mowers totaling about $100,000 will be paid for through the capital fund budget instead of the general fund.
Also, $81,000 in revenue was received from January property assessments, said Zimmerman.
“This is an example of how it’s supposed to work between a superintendent and (school) board,” Mextorf said. “The board sets the direction, financially. They are a touchstone to the community. Balance is needed.”
The proposed final budget reflects a $954,013 deficit, down from $1.3 million in the previous proposal.
Mextorf prefers to budget conservatively and is confident that the district will not finish the 2018-19 school year with that deficit.
The 2017-18 budget included a $1.4 million deficit and Mextorf said, “I believe we’ll break even.”
School directors agreed to move their second meeting in June back one week to June 25 to accommodate the 30-day requirement between the approval of the proposed final budget and the vote for the final budget.
The district had increased taxes .25 mills for nine consecutive years.
A .25 mill increase would have generated $206,000, according to Zimmerman.
In other news, school directors agreed to lock in diesel fuel prices at $2.08 per gallon for the 2018-19 school year.
The district is part of a consortium of school districts in Berks County which helps to obtain lower prices.
School directors also approved a four-year technology lease with Vantage Financial beginning July 1 with annual payments not to exceed $53,261.
The next meeting of school directors will be Monday, June 4 at 6:30 p.m. in the James A. Gilmartin Community Room.
