TOWER CITY — Taxes remain stable under a $16.3 million preliminary budget for 2017-18 approved Thursday by the Williams Valley school board.
Voting in favor of the spending plan were directors Daniel Stroup, Tedd Johns, Tracey Minnich, Michael Minnich, David Ferraro and Joanna Stroup. Board members Christopher Stroup, John Mika and Jennifer Kramer were absent.
The general fund budget for the period July 1, 2017, until June 30, 2018, shows expenditures of $16,334,662 and anticipated revenues of $15,712,259. Superintendent Diane Niederriter said the district has historically been conservative with its expenditures, and for the 2017-18 school year a retirement incentive was also offered.
Health care in retirement was offered to employees who met certain criteria, including having at least 20 years of uninterrupted service with the district; being at least 60 years old; or having at least 30 years of service with the Public School Employees Retirement System, Niederriter said. That health care would be provided until the retiree became eligible for Medicare, she said. There were eight people who were eligible for the retirement incentive, although Neiderriter did not share how many actually took it.
Williams Valley includes two counties, Dauphin and Schuylkill. The real estate tax rate will remain at 16.46 mills in Dauphin County and 34.68 mills in Schuylkill County. Business Manager Amy Tomalavage said the median home property values were the same as last year.
For Dauphin County, the median home property value is $45,000, or an average real estate tax of $740, while the median home property value for Schuylkill County is $19,300, or an average real estate tax of $669.50. Other levies remain unchanged and include a $205 occupation tax and two $5 per capita taxes for a total of $10.
In other matters, Niederriter said she had recently attended two events recognizing the academic accomplishments of students across Schuylkill County. She said Williams Valley’s representatives stood out nicely.
In other action, the board approved:
• Hiring the following coaches for the 2017-18 school year: Zachary Reichert, Pottsville, assistant girls’ soccer coach, salary per the collective bargaining agreement; and the following volunteer assistant girls’ soccer coaches: Michael Lauver, Williamstown; Cameron Smith, Williamstown; Kelly Fetterhoff, Lykens; and Carl Klinger, Tower City.
• Ashley Machamer, Wiconisco, as a guest teacher for the 2016-17 school year.
• Accepting the resignation of attorney Richard Thornburg as school solicitor, effective June 6.
• Hiring attorney Nicholas Quinn as school solicitor, effective June 7.
• WV Dental Group, Williamstown, as the school dentist for the 2017-18 school year at the same rates as last year.
• The first reading of new policies, No. 917 on Parental/Family Involvement; and No. 918 on Title I Parental Involvement.
• Permission to plant a tree and place a memorial marker on elementary grounds in memory of Sue Brown, who served as elementary nurse from 2003 to 2016. Maintenance personnel were requested to plant the tree.
• The Susquehanna River Basin Commission to install a camera on a vacant pole for use of flood monitoring in Dauphin County at no cost to the district.
• A two-year contract with Schlegel Photography, effective July 1 through June 30, 2019.
• Cafeteria pricing for the 2017-18 school year.
The next board meeting will be 7:30 p.m. May 25.
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