Jun 25, 2022 2 min read

Canon-McMillan School Board is expected to adopt a $100,910,447 general fund budget Wednesday that calls for a tax increase.

The tax rate would increase by .0471 mills, taking it to 12 mills.

Business manager Joni Mansmann said the budget includes an overall expenditure increase of 6%, but the impact to taxpayers is small.

A homeowner with a home assessed at $100,000 would pay an additional $4.71 a year.

Mansmann said the budget reflects one of the largest budgetary increases the school district has experienced in several years, “but district growth continues.”

A number of housing plans are being constructed in the district, which encompasses Canonsburg and Cecil and North Strabane township, and district expenses have increased as a result.

The budget includes rising contractual and mandated staff costs. Among them are additional expenses for a number of new teachers and paraprofessionals, and additional employees in several departments, including transportation, maintenance, administrative, technology, special education, athletics, and business.

Also, the district will continue to phase in additional bond payments for the new middle school, which is scheduled to open in the 2022-23 school year, as well as preparing for construction of a new elementary school building on the campus of Wylandville Elementary School.

District expenditures also include the cost of a new E-Sports club and personnel.

The district also is paying for Advanced Placement Testing; formerly, the cost was covered by parents. Additionally, there has been an increase in pay for substitutes in cafeteria, secretarial, professionals, custodial, and para educators.

Mansmann noted the state has not yet adopted its budget, so the district’s budget was built with an estimate of what state funds the district expects to receive.

The budget includes ESSER, ESSER, ARP and other grants to be received in the 2022-23 school year.