It appears likely residents who live in the Northern Lehigh School District will see a 2.8 percent increase in their property tax rates next year.

On an 8-0 vote, the school board on Monday adopted the 2014-15 proposed general fund budget in the amount of $29,132,905. Director Mathias Green was absent.The spending plan would increase the millage rate by 0.59 mills, from 20.17 to 20.76 mills for residents who live in Lehigh County, and by 0.63 mills, from 57.31 to 57.94 mills for residents who live in Northampton County.Sherri Molitoris, co-director of business affairs/human resources, said that the district would have to utilize $465,000 from its fund balance to help offset about a $570,000 increase in the Public School Employees Retirement System."We should be holding steady on our fund balance next year to balance our budget," Molitoris said.Superintendent Michael Michaels noted that the district "has put together a very conservative budget."Molitoris added that the district could still see an additional $271,000 through a Ready to Learn block grant, on top of the $128,000 in Accountability Block Grant funding it received last year.In January, the board approved the Act 1 Tax Levy Resolution, which states that the district may raise taxes up to the 2.8 percent index in the 2014-15 school year.Final budget adoption is expected to be granted when the board meets at 7:30 p.m. June 9.Last June, the board approved the 2013-14 budget with a 2.3 percent increase in the property tax rate.That budget, in the amount of $28,509,357, represented a $402,575 increase over the 2012-13 spending plan, and called for a 20.17 millage rate in Lehigh County, and a 57.31 millage rate in Northampton County.Residents who live in Lehigh County had to pay $2.01 for every $100 of assessed value, and those who live in Northampton County, $5.73 for every $100 of assessed value. That was because Lehigh County was assessed at 100 percent, while Northampton County was assessed at 50 percent.The district took $347,000 out of its fund balance that had been set aside for the PSERS increase to help balance that budget.Also as part of that budget, the board approved the lease of desktop computers for the high school, and desktop and laptop computers for the administrative staff from California First Leasing Corporation, Irvine, Calif., for $50,000 per year, with a lease term of 36 months and a $1 buyout option at the end of the lease agreement.In addition, the board approved to commit and/or assign portions of the June 30, 2013, fund balance for the PSERS increase, health insurance premiums, technology, replacement equipment, and long-range maintenance (actual amounts to be determined after completion of the 2012-13 end-of-year audit).In an unrelated matter, Michaels announced, as part of his superintendent's report:• That the week of May 5-9 was National Teacher Appreciation Week, at which time he spoke highly of the district's teachers.• That baccalaureate will be held at 7 p.m. Thursday, June 12, in the high school auditorium.• That high school graduation will be held at 7 p.m. Friday, June 13.