School board welcomes new members, elects officers
AMITY >> Two Daniel Boone School District residents have stepped up to serve four-year terms on the now seven-member school board.
Jennifer Leone (Region 1) and John Murray (Region 2), both Amity Township residents, were sworn in at the board’s reorganization meeting on Dec. 2.
They replace four departing board members; the terms for three members expired in 2019, and a fourth member has moved out of the school district.
Two seats in Region 3 are vacant due to a lack of candidates from the Birdsboro area.
The board has not indicated when it intends to fill those two seats. State law requires school boards to have nine members.
Two incumbent board members Julia Olafson (Region 3) and Kevin Stroble (Region 2), were re-elected in November to serve until 2023.
After the swearing-in ceremony, Olafson was elected by the board to serve as board president through 2020.
Board member Steven Miller was elected as board vice president.
Board member Bucky Scott, was elected as board secretary, and member Beverly Albright was elected as alternate board secretary.
“The previous board decided for some reason it didn’t want to hear criticism, and to stop reading correspondence. If it will still be on the agenda, it should be read.”
— Rich Martino
Rich Martino, a previous board member and board president from December 2013 to December 2015, asked the new board to resume the previous practice of reading correspondence at meetings.
“The board reports to the community,” said Martino.
“The previous board decided for some reason it didn’t want to hear criticism, and to stop reading correspondence. If it will still be on the agenda, it should be read.”
“Secretary’s Correspondence” has continued to appear on the agenda for the Committee of the Whole meetings.
Martino, one of the founders of the Daniel Boone Taxpayers Association, said his real estate property taxes have increased more than 40 percent over the last 16 years.
“Five percent this year puts the millage over 32,” said Martino, adding, “What is the limit? How deep will you reach into our pockets without regard to what you’re spending?”
The previous nine-member board approved on Nov. 25 a preliminary 2020-21 budget that raises the millage rate by 3.4 percent.
If the preliminary budget of 3.4 percent is approved by the board as a final budget in June, taxes would increase from 31.584 mills to 32.6578 mills, a 1.07386 mill increase from the 2019-20 budget.
Taxpayers would pay $3,265 for every $100,000 of assessed property value, a $107 increase.
The board also approved to apply for the Act 1 special education exception, which would add an estimated .60220 mills to the budget, for a total tax increase of 5.4 percent.
Act 1 of 2006 allows school districts to levy property taxes to their Act 1 index (this year 3.4 percent for Daniel Boone) without needing voter approval.
The total millage rate with the special education exception would be 33.2601 mills, for a total annual tax of $3,326 for every $100,000 of assessed value.