Board approves $56M preliminary budget

AMITY >> Following a three-week public review period, the Daniel Boone Area School Board voted 8-1 to approve its 2017-18 preliminary budget of $56,336,312.

Board member Richard Martino opposed the vote.

“This is not a vote to raise taxes, but a procedural step,” said board member Connor Kurtz.

“We are leaving our options open,” said board President Michael Wolfe.

All Pennsylvania public schools must approve a final budget by June 30.

Between now and June 30, the board and district administration will attempt to balance the bud- get without a tax increase.

If the preliminary budget amount is approved by the board in June, the district’s real estate millage rate would increase from 29.7 mills to 31.09 mills.

Property owners who currently pay $2,970 for every $100,000 of value, would pay $3,109 if the current budget amount is approved.

“Instead of going out of busi- ness, the school turns to the community and taxes more and more,” said Martino. “Throwing money at education doesn’t improve it. Our teachers are the highest paid in Pennsylvania. I blame the board for approving contracts with money we don’t have.”

In other business, Superinten-

dent James P. Harris said the administration is recommending that the district contract with Creative Health Services to provide a “full array” of student and staff outpatient mental health services in all school buildings.

Creative Health Services at 11 Robinson St., Pottstown, serves over 250 Daniel Boone families, according to Director of Outpatient Services Karen L. Becker.

It also has offices in Birdsboro at the Matthew Brooke building, 321 N. Furnace St., Suite 40.

Frank Pogash, director of community and facility based children’s programs at the Spring City facility, 1 Mennonite Church Road, said he and Becker are Daniel Boone residents.

“We care about this area and want to give back to the community,” said Pogash.

“We have an interest and really have a concern,” said Becker, adding, “We are very passionate about what happens in our community.”

Creative Health Services in each school building will allow for students to meet with therapists during school, instead of needing to be removed from school by a parent, with the possibility of not returning to school that day.

The board heard a simi- lar presentation at its Dec. 5 meeting by Zachariah Milch, outpatient director at Progressions Behavioral Health Services Inc., in Reading.

Wolfe instructed the district’s solicitor to draft a contract that includes a separation clause.