Tax rate could rise at Trinity

The Trinity Area School Board Thursday approved a $51.7 million preliminary budget for the 2015-16 school year that includes a proposed 4.7898-mill tax hike.
The tax rate would increase to 112.4898 mills.
A mill generates about $215,000.
Under the Act 1 index, Trinity could increase the current millage by a maximum of 2.3 percent, or approximately 2.5 mills.
To cover the millage in excess of the index, the district will apply to the state Department of Education for tax-increase exceptions based on costs for special education and retirement contributions.
The school board approved applying to the Department of Education for a referendum exception in the amount of $401,222 as a result of anticipated increases in the district’s share of required payments to the Public School Employees’ Retirement System.
Directors also voted to apply for referendum exception in the amount of $63,929 as a result of increases in the costs incurred to provide special education programs and services to students with disabilities.
Several budget discussions will be held before the June 30 deadline, and Director of Fiscal Services David Roussos said the budget likely will change before the school board must vote on a final budget.
“Simply because we seek and, I believe, we will be granted the exception doesn’t mean the budget has to, in fact, be increased beyond the index,” said Roussos. “It merely is giving this body the opportunity to reflect and have some room to go above the index if, in fact, it’s deemed to be necessary.”
A homeowner with a house with a fair market value of $100,000 could see a $53 increase on his or her tax bill.
Over last three years, revenues fell between $3 million and $4 million short of expenditures. The exception the school district seeks will help prevent that deficit from growing.
“We now have a saying, ‘Doing more with less,'” said Superintendent Michael Lucas, noting the continued rising costs of retirement, health care and special education. “Our expenses and new unfunded state mandates continue to increase each year. We also seem to receive less funding each year. This makes planning for a budget very difficult. We do not want to cut any of our wonderful programs but this predicament has caused our school board to prioritize more than ever before. We hope to present a balanced budget that reflects the values and priorities of our entire school community. This is a difficult task.”