Metro

ROARING SPRING — The Spring Cove School Board approved the 2025-26 budget reflecting no tax increase in an unofficial vote during Monday’s meeting.

Board members Gretchen Bettwy, John Biddle, Misti Fisher, Amy Acker-Knisely, Andrea Moses, Kevin Smith and Linda Smith voted in favor of no tax increase in a straw poll, while members Chuck Gojmerac and Troy Wright voted in favor of raising taxes 2.75%, which is about half of the district’s Act 1 Index of 5.4%.

A 2.75% tax increase would increase the district’s millage rate to 11.9761 mills and generate about $303,000 in additional revenue. No tax increase will keep the millage rate at 11.6556, according to business manager Steven Foor.

The 2025-26 budget reflects $30,321,959 in revenue and $35,321,451 in expenditures, including the already-approved $2.7 million for a new roof at the Central High School, which will come from the district’s capital projects fund.

Not including the cost of the new roof, the district will face a deficit of about $2.4 million. By adding about $600,000 from its budgetary reserve, the deficit will be brought down to about $1.8 million.

While Foor has not specified how the remaining deficit will be covered, he said the district received a “very slight increase” in federal funding but is still uncertain about state funding.

Prior to the straw vote, the board discussed its tax options, with Acker-Knisely saying the hypothetical revenue generated from the 2.75% increase would go “to pay for cyber schools” because “that cap is not coming for at least two years.”

Acker-Knisely said if cyber-charter costs were capped at $8,000 for the district’s 47 students who use outside schools, they would pay about $400,000 a school year instead of $1 million.

“The difference is $600,000,” Acker-Knisely said. “We would not need a tax increase. It’s not rocket science. We’re a small district, and we’re paying $1 million for 47 students.”

Moses agreed, saying “there should be reform” for cyber schools. She said there needs to be accountability for cyber schools, as physical districts are held accountable for their actions.

“I don’t think it’s fair that we’re having to decide whether to do a tax increase, and then the cyber schools can spend whatever they want,” Moses said. “And they’re not held accountable for that. Then, we get held accountable for deciding whether or not to do a tax increase. I don’t think that’s fair at all.”

Acker-Knisely asked Foor what it would mean for the district if the board chose to not raise taxes for the upcoming school year, to which he said it would “possibly mean a bigger tax increase later to try to make it up because of Act 1 limits.”

“You’re only allowed to raise so much per year, so you could possibly be looking at a bigger tax increase and a major impact on the taxpayers,” Foor said.

Following the unofficial vote, Acker-Knisely asked that a resolution be put together, saying the district wants a cap put in place on cyber-charter spending.

“I just think it’s important that we show a unified front,” Acker-Knisely said.

The board will officially vote on the adoption of the district’s 2025-26 final budget during its next meeting on June 23.