Trending
HOLLIDAYSBURG -- The Hollidaysburg Area School Board voted 5-2 to approve its budget for the 2023-24 school year with a 5% tax hike Wednesday.
Two board members -- Kenneth Snyder and Carmen Bilek -- were absent from the meeting. In the previous committee of the whole meeting, both Snyder and Bilek had voted against the budget in a mock vote, but the measure would have passed even if the two had attended the final vote.
Ronald Sommer, Lonna Frye, Scott Brenneman, Doug Stephens and Nicole Hartman voted in favor of adopting the budget, while Manny Nichols and Jennifer Costanza were the dissenting voices.
After the initial budget proposal included no tax increase, the majority of the board came to the conclusion that an increase to the Act 1 Index of 5% was necessary to help narrow the shortfall of more than $3 million.
After plenty of discussion during their previous meetings concerning the budget, board members were largely silent throughout the meeting, offering no comments or questions before taking the vote.
Costanza also declined the Mirror's request for comment following the meeting.
"I think it's the right thing for the district," Stephens responded when asked why he voted in favor of the budget.
The budget now shows a deficit of $1,890,458 after a projection of an additional $1,124,085 generated in revenue from the Act 1 increase. The difference will be covered by the district's unassigned fund -- which would drop down to a balance of just over $6.5 million -- and the capital reserve.
Hollidaysburg resident Trish Haight said the board should be able to find a way to spend within its means without having to raise taxes. She said the board was caving into the demands of the state, since the state's formula for determining district funding takes tax rates into consideration. If a district is deemed able to increase taxes based on its average real estate value, then the state will not give that district as much funding as one that is considered to be at the maximum tax rate based on its population.
"It's not what the taxpayers want," Haight said. "They want the school district to validate how they spend it and they want to see results."
In other business, the board approved a measure to join a class action lawsuit with other school districts -- including Spring Cove, most recently locally -- around the country against META Platforms Inc., among other social media companies. The suit alleges that these companies contributed to a rise in mental health issues among students in recent years. Hollidaysburg will not have to pay anything to join the lawsuit, but it will have to pay legal counsel a percentage of the payout if the suit is successful.
Mirror Staff Writer Nate Powles is at 814-946-7466.