When: Penn Manor school board meeting, June 17.
Budget vote: After months of sometimes contentious debate, the Penn Manor school board voted 5-4 to approve the 2024-25 budget. President Joseph Fullerton, Vice President Nickole Nafziger and school board members Matthew Beakes and Anthony Lombardo voted against, saying they thought the 3% tax increase was too high.
Details: The budget includes an 8% increase in general education spending, four new full-time positions and two part-time positions that are becoming full time, and $250,000 set aside for debt service for future facilities projects.
More: The budget includes $106.6 million in expenditures and $105.8 million in revenue. The board is also using $750,000 from the district’s budgetary reserve to cover unexpected costs and balance the budget.
Taxes: The biggest point of disagreement in the board’s vote was on taxes. In discussion before the vote, Beakes said, “I strongly object” to the 3% increase and that he believed the district is “charging the taxpayers more than what we need.” He added that the board should wait to see how much money the district receives from the state.
By the numbers: School board member Frederick Herr proposed the 3% tax increase at the June 3 meeting as a compromise between the 3.5% and 2.5% increases the board was debating. The 3% increase creates a millage increase of 0.5381 mills, taking it from 17.9363 mills to 18.4744.
More: The board voted unanimously to approve an increase in homestead/farmstead tax relief. The tax increase for a property owner with an average assessed home of $182,000 would be $98.09, which will be reduced to about $68.09 if the owner has an approved homestead/farmstead application on file. The board also voted unanimously to commit $15.7 million from the district’s general fund to be used on future facilities projects. These projects include work at Letort, Eshleman, and Central Manor elementary schools.
Quotable: “This is the culmination of a year’s worth of work, to be able to support the mission of our students next year and into the future,” said Dan Forry, chief financial officer.
Athletics: Pat Tocci, athletic director, gave the board an update on athletic performance in the district. He reported that student participation is up 12% since 2022. There were 569 students who participated in an athletic program and many who participated in multiple sports.
More: Tocci said that the percentage of varsity teams to finish in the top three of their leagues went from 31% to 39%. This includes field hockey, golf, girls volleyball, baseball, bowling, girls and boys lacrosse, boys wrestling and boys basketball teams.
Quotable: “When people ask me, ‘what’s your favorite part about the job or something that’s really great and special about Penn Manor,’ and I say this every time — it’s really the support that we have here at Penn Manor,” Tocci said. “From the board level to the district office … and then just the community in general, it’s really a special place.”
Next meeting: The board meets again on July 15.