Feb 12, 2019 1 min read

Trinity Area School Board on Thursday approved a preliminary $60,783,900 budget for the 2019-2020 school year.

The board also approved applying for an exception to the Act 1 index, set at 2.8 percent for the district. The index sets the maximum figure by which a district can raise its tax rate, without an exception.

The proposed budget represents about a $3 million increase over last year’s spending plan, according to Matthew Howard, director of fiscal services.

Howard emphasized the district is “very early on in the budget process right now,” and although board members voted to seek an exception to the Act 1 index, it does not mean they plan to raise taxes for the next fiscal year.

“It’s just a part of the process right now,” said Howard. “We’re just working within the parameters the Pennsylvania Department of Education has permitted us to work under.”

The current tax rate for district residents is 13.31 mills. The district did not calculate a proposed millage rate for the preliminary budget.