The Butler Area School Board will use a draft of the preliminary 2017-2018 budget to make a decision if they need to petition the state to raise taxes above the inflation index.
Director of Business Services Deb Brandstetter presented the board with the draft during a meeting Monday, which includes the maximum 3.2-mill tax increase allowed without petitioning for an exception. The draft also includes an estimated $6 million deficit which would drain the district’s general fund.
Brandstetter was under direction from the board not to include any borrowing with this budget and no cuts to programming have been proposed yet either. Even with the elimination of five teaching positions, the steadily rising pension costs resulted in Brandstetter recommending that the board move forward with petitioning the state for permission to tax above the index.
The school board needs to vote on the request for exception at their regular meeting in January but will have a budget work session the first Friday next month for more discussion.
Written By: Ryan Saeler
