MOUNT CARMEL - The Mount Carmel Area School Board passed a tentative $17 million budget that may include a 5-mill tax increase to help balance it.
However, several members were not happy about the tax increase, one even saying that school districts are being held for ransom by the state.
At their meeting before a packed audience Thursday night, Mount Carmel Area passed the proposed 2011-12 final budget at an amount of $17,702,743.44 by a 8-1 vote. Board members Charles Mannello, Michael Rovito, Joe D'Andrea, Robert Muldowney, Nicholas Goretski III, Rose Marquardt, Dr. Raymond Kraynak and Judith McCollum voted for the budget, and Donna James casting the lone dissenting vote.
The proposed budget includes the adminstration's recommendation for a 5-mill increase for residents in Northumberland County and a 2.54-mill increase in Columbia County, but the district said if state funding increases, no tax increase may occur.
At first, no one wanted to make a motion for the budget and tax increase, but solicitor Edward Greco prodded directors to take action.
"By law, we have to pass a proposed budget and advertise it for 30 days on public display before passing it by June 30," Greco said.
That was exactly the problem, noted Goretski, who them made the motion.
"I don't see how it is fair that we have to
pass a budget when we don't have any idea how much money we are getting from the state," Goretski said.
When asked what would happen if a budget is not passed, Superintendent Cheryl Latorre said if no budget is in place by June 30, the state either fines the district $300 per day or withholds subsidies.
"I don't see anyone withholding anything from the state when they don't pass a budget on time," Goretski said. "In my opinion, the governor is in violation when he doesn't pass a budget on time, but no one questions him. The governor thinks he is above the law, and the local districts are being held for ransom by the state."
Board members said the current spending plan is only for display purposes and they will be meeting in the coming weeks to hammer out a final budget. Latorre said, however, the picture is not a good one.
"We have to find $2 million to cut, or there may not be an MCA in the future," she said.
That came from current numbers in which business manager Janis Venna said the district currently receives $1.4 million less in state funding.
She said $560,000 of that was money that funded early education, but board members said cuts in the full-day Kindergarten and K-4 program are the last thing on the district's list.
Sharks program
Among those in attendance were parents of participants in the MCA Sharks Summer Swim Program, The parents were concerned about the program's future.
After hearing the impassioned comments of former participants and coaches, board member Donna James said there was never any talk in the district about cutting the program, only tabling a motion to allow usage of the pools for one week to consider imposing a new facility usage fee.
What stemmed the concern was a mass e-mail sent to parents and The News-Item from MCA Sharks president Eric Belfanti, a former school board member.
"As you made have read in The News-Item last week, the MCA School Board decided to explore the possibility of charging the MCA Sharks a facility usage fee to use the pool this summer," Belfanti wrote. "Accordingly, if this motion passes at this Thursday's school board meeting, there probably will not be a summer swim program for the students of the MCA School District."
The board did approve the facility usage fee, setting it at $150 per event or per season, by a 8-1 vote, with James casting the only negative vote.
To ensure the Sharks season, Goretski said he would donate the fee for the team this year.
James said following the meeting that she thought the fee should be pro-rated.
"A program that uses a gym or pool three times a week for three months is paying the same as someone who may want to use a classroom for one night," James said.