Peter Szymanski, Core Architects’ project principal, shows a draft of what the Penn Cambria High School’s library/media center will look like after construction is completed next year. Mirror photo by Matt Churella

CRESSON — By a 6-2 vote, the Penn Cambria School Board adopted the final 2026-27 general fund budget, including a tax increase to the Act I Index.

Board members Anthony Dziabo and Matthew Kearney were the sole dissenting votes. Jeffrey Stohon was not present during the meeting.

With a 5% tax increase, the new tax millage rates for properties levied and assessed within the district will be 72.04 mills in Cambria County and 9.82 mills in Blair County, where the district has properties in Tunnelhill Borough.

Based on the district’s average residential assessment, which is $11,433 in Cambria and $73,070 in Blair, property taxes will increase about $39 in Cambria and almost $20 in Blair, according to Jill Francisco, Penn Cambria’s business administrator, noting the amount would be reduced for residents who qualify for the Homestead-Farmstead tax relief exclusion.

The state provides the district with a list of properties that have been approved for the exclusion, and each property will see a reduction of about $234.85, Francisco said, noting the reduction is about the same amount of money as last year’s rate.

The board approved the Homestead-Farmstead tax assessment reduction amounts for the fiscal school year beginning July 1 during the May 19 meeting.

Projected expenditures total $34,585,448, while local, state and federal revenues in the budget approved Tuesday total more than $30 million, which on paper makes it look like the district has a $4.5 million deficit. However, district officials have stressed the actual deficit is about $800,000.

The reason for the larger total is because the district is pursuing a renovation project totaling a little more than $2 million and a list of capital improvements for the district’s elementary school project totaling about $1.7 million, Superintendent Jaime Hartline said.

Hartline said the district has built its general fund savings — a committed fund balance for capital improvements — for the specific purpose of covering the school renovations.

The district has also received a little more than $1 million in pledged donations for a stadium renovation project, but since those donations are only pledged, that funding can’t be shown as revenue in the district’s budget, making the deficit appear larger than it actually is, Hartline said.

In a press release the district sent after last month’s meeting, officials said the stadium improvements are separate from the district’s current $49 million renovation project and noted athletic facility upgrades were not included in the original project scope due to budget limitations.

Planned projects

In other business during Tuesday’s meeting, the board approved an agreement with Keystone Environmental, Health and Safety Services to provide asbestos abatement oversight and air monitoring services for the district, including the removal of asbestos-containing floor tile, mastic and thermal systems insulation at the high school.

The project oversight, including daily air monitoring, and onsite air sampling will be billed on a lump-sum basis of $1,150 per day, according to the meeting’s agenda. Transmission Electron Microscopy final clearance samples will be invoiced additionally at a rate of $245 per sample.

With the construction work underway at the high school this summer as part of the renovation project, Hartline said the asbestos abatement work is required and the board didn’t have much of a choice but to approve the agreement Tuesday.

As part of the process to remove asbestos, officials are required to take air samples to ensure the air quality is safe, Hartline said.

During the meeting, the board heard a project update from representatives of SitelogIQ and Core Architects.

Core Principal Peter Szymanski presented a slideshow showcasing the work that’s planned to be completed in 2027.

The scope of the work will include renovating the high school’s library/media center, new hall lockers and office area renovations. At the pre-primary building, it will also include a complete roof replacement, new exterior windows, replacing the building’s electrical panel and fire alarm panel.

According to Szymanski, construction documents will be drafted through October, at which point the bidding phase will open from Oct. 20 to Nov. 13. The board is expected to approve bids at either the Nov. 17 meeting or at a special meeting in December.

The construction phase will take place from June to August 2027, Szymanski said.

Mirror Staff Writer Matt Churella is at 814-946-7520.