Board eyes realty tax hike, new electronic equipment

The Franklin Regional school board is expected to vote June 19 on a $56.57 million budget for 2017-18 that would raise the property tax rate by 2.63 mills.

The final budget projects expenditures of $56.57 million and revenues of $55.64 million. To balance the budget, $830,000 from pension funding and $101,283 from the unassigned fund would be used.

The current property tax rate is 90.99 mills, and the proposed increase would bring that to 93.62 mills. The estimated value of a mill in the district is $350,000 for 2017-18.

Administrators on Monday presented the school board with a proposal to approve $274,902 in purchases of technology equipment for next school year, including iPads, Android tablets, desktop computers and a laser engraver.

Assistant superintendent Mary Catherine Reljac explained how the district came up with money for the proposed purchase, including using funds that were available when some technology projects came in under budget.

“By reorganizing the budget, we have freed up $175,000. In addition, we have received a grant of $40,000. We will need to transfer $59,902 to fund this request,” she told the board. Seventeen teachers districtwide would be trained in the use of the technology to implement the district’s technology upgrade program, called Lead the Way.

The school board is expected to approve tuition agreements for extended year educational services through the summer with four local schools: The Children’s Institute of Murrysville, $225 per student per day; New Story of Monroeville, $285 per student per day; The Pace School of Churchill, $2,500 per student per summer session; and The Pennsylvania School for the Deaf in Edgewood, at $1,900 per student per summer session.

The board was also asked to consider a contract with Adelphoi Education Inc. of Latrobe for 2017-18 to provide educational services for students with behavioral problems. The fee for the district would be $83.52 to $148.50 per student per day, depending on the age and individual needs of the student.