Residents who live in the Tamaqua Area School District will see a 1.09-mill increase in their property tax rates next year.

The school board, on a 7-0 vote Tuesday, with directors Thomas Rottet and Wanda Zuber absent, approved the 2016-17 budget, which will increase the millage rate from 34.29 to 35.38 mills.That means a homeowner with a home valued at $100,000, which would be assessed at $50,000, will pay $55 more to the district in property taxes next year. The value of one mill is $317,365.The final budget leaves the district with a $2.12 million deficit, meaning it has to use $1,923,000 from its fund balance to balance the budget.As a result, the district will begin the next fiscal year, which starts July 1, with a fund balance of $4,043,406, with estimated revenue of $27,723,607, and estimated expenses of $29,923,177.District business Manager Connie Ligenza said the reason for the increase is due primarily to the capital needs/improvements of its buildings on the board-approved list of additional items.In March, Ligenza said the district was faced with a $3.3 million deficit due primarily to the Public School Employees Retirement System employer contribution rate, which in 2017 will cost the district $3.6 million (a 30-plus percent increase), and the cost for cyber-charter schools, $700,000 per year, matters that are not uncommon across the state.The previous board-approved list of $861,950 consisted mainly of building, infrastructure and technology improvements for all buildings in the district.From there, the largest reduction comes through postponing those improvements, in addition to postponing the replacement of a portion of the high school roof costing $350,000.