Residents of Lehighton Area School District could see a slight increase in their property tax rates next year.

That's if the school board follows through with a 0.65-mill increase for the 2014-15 school year, as discussed at Tuesday's finance committee meeting.Six members of the board, directors Rocky Ahner, Hal Resh, William Hill Jr., Andrew Yenser, Stephen Holland and Lora Nothstein, attended the session.The consensus of those board members was to have assistant business manager Tina Holmes construct next year's spending plan under the parameters of a 0.65-mill increase, which would raise the millage rate from 47.32 to 47.97 mills.If the board were to approve next year's spending plan at that rate, a homeowner with a home valued at $100,000, which would be assessed at $50,000, would pay $32.50 more in property taxes to the school district next year.A homeowner with a home valued at $150,000, which would be assessed at $75,000, would pay $48.75 more.Earlier in the meeting, Superintendent Jonathan Cleaver said that there are two elementary teachers who are planning to retire at the end of this school year.Of those, one would not be replaced, while an adjustment would be made to replace the second teaching position with a school psychologist, Cleaver said.Cleaver noted that of the five school districts in Carbon County, LASD has the highest student enrollment, yet only has one school psychologist at present."It's pretty tough," Cleaver said. "We're stretching the envelope with what we've got."Cleaver added that the school psychologist position is currently included in next year's proposed budget.Even with a 0.65-mill increase, the district would still be faced with a $1,032,609 shortfall, of which it would utilize $800,000 from the fund balance; $600,000 of which would be for health insurance, and $200,000 for the district's budgetary reserve, which wold leave a net shortfall of $232,609Cleaver said, "This is the first year that I can remember using this much in a long while."However, Cleaver added that all things considered, the district remains in solid fiscal shape."It's really fortunate," he said. "Some of the districts are furloughing staff and cutting teachers; that's not even part of our discussion."The district is scheduled to grant proposed final approval to the budget when it meets at 7 p.m. Monday.From that point, the board's finance committee will meet again on June 10.Final budget adoption is scheduled for June 23.