TOWER CITY — Taxes for Williams Valley School District residents will remain stable under a 2016-17 proposed preliminary $15.6 million budget approved by the school board April 28.
Business Manager Anthony Aukstakalnis unveiled the general fund budget for the period July 1, 2016, to June 30, 2017, which showed expenditures of $15,616,364 and revenues of $15,173,572.
Williams Valley School District straddles both Schuylkill and Dauphin counties. The real estate tax for Schuylkill County residents stays at 33.98 mills; and for Dauphin County residents, stays at 15.73 mills. The real estate tax resolution reflects a rebalancing of the rates using the market values of each county with respect to the Act 1 index of 3.6 percent, Aukstakalnis said. Other levies include a $205 occupation tax and two $5 per capita taxes for a total of $10.
Superintendent Donald Burkhardt commended Aukstakalnis for his work in preparing the budget. Later, he also commended baseball coach Donald Matter for attaining 500 wins.
In other business, the board approved:
• Amending a motion for Stephen Sedesse, Tower City, as a volunteer seventh- and eighth-grade boys’ basketball coach to Sedesse being named head coach for the team at full salary.
• Hiring Amanda Yashinsky as a substitute teacher for the Time Travel Camp from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. June 20 to 23 and June 27 to 30.
• Hiring the following coaches for the 2016-17 school year with board Director John Mika abstaining: Head girls’ basketball coach, Charles Rodichok, Tower City, at a salary per the collective bargaining agreement; and volunteer assistant boys’ basketball coach for seventh and eighth grade, John J. Mika III and John J. Mika IV, both of Tower City.
• The resignation for retirement from district office secretary Cynthia Shutt, effective July 5, 2016.
• Hiring of the following for ESY program for the summer 2016: teachers Susan Paul, April Rusnak and Andrea Leitzel; and paraprofessionals Heather Webster, Jessica Carl, Britnie Lehman, Shayna Machamer and Sharon Lehman.
• Payment for the education of a third-grade student who is currently in an out-of-state hospital at a rate of $66 per hour for an approximate two-week period, not to exceed five hours per week.
• Fundraiser and rental requests, as submitted.
• A customer agreement with Forecast 5 Analytics Inc. for software licenses.
• A request from the WV Elementary Yearbook Committee to close out their current account with BB&T Bank and transfer the funds to an activity fund within the district.
Board President Daniel Stroup announced the board held an executive session April 26 to discuss personnel.
The board heard a report from Richard Pitcavage of Jones & Co. on the audit report for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2015.
The next board meeting will be held 7:30 p.m. May 12 in the district board room.