Residents in the Lehighton Area School District will see a mild increase in their property tax rate next year.

That's after the school board, by a 5-3 vote on Monday, agreed to adopt the 2014-15 budget with a 0.56-mill increase.Directors Larry Stern, Wayne Wentz, Stephen Holland, Andrew Yenser and board President Gloria Bowman were in favor. Directors Rocky Ahner, William Hill Jr. and Lori Nothstein were opposed. Director Hal Resh was absent.Before the vote, Ahner commended recently hired business manager Brian Feick for the job he has done in putting together the budget.Afterward, Ahner said, "I still have a problem with raising taxes. I think there's something that could have been done.""I just have a problem with raising taxes if you don't have to," Ahner said. "A zero tax increase could have been achieved by using fund balance money for the entire work to the high school gymnasium project; this was money taxpayers already paid for school repairs."Bowman said the board's finance committee "really tightened their belt" to reduce the budget increase.Nothstein asked whether the board could table the vote on the matter.Board solicitor William Schwab told Nothstein the board had until June 30 to adopt the budget.The $37,099,689 spending plan raises the millage rate from 47.32 to 47.88 mills, which means a homeowner with a home valued at $100,000, which would be assessed at $50,000, will pay $28 more in property taxes to the school district next year.Conversely, a homeowner with a home valued at $150,000 and assessed at $75,000 would pay $42 more.Even with that, the district is still faced with a $1,001,664 shortfall, which will require it to use $800,000 from the fund balance.Of that, $600,000 would go toward health insurance and $200,000 toward the Public School Employees Retirement System, which would leave a net shortfall of $201,664.Last month, the board, on an 8-1 vote, approved next year's proposed final budget of $37,139,981 with a 0.65-mill increase.In a related matter, the board, upon recommendation by the board's Finance Committee, approved the following fund balance resolution, which states that the board of education directs the administration to commit a portion of its current unassigned general fund balance into a committed fund balance for PSERS rate stabilization, and to fund future OPEB liability obligations.In other budgetary matters, the board:• Approved the 2014-15 Homestead and Farmstead Exclusion.• Approved a fund transfer in the amount of $75,000 from the general fund to the food service fund to cover the food service contract.Also on Monday, a plaque was bestowed upon the school district courtesy of the American Heart Association.Kim Gear, Youth Market director, American Heart Association of Northeast PA, presented the Fit-Friendly Gold Achievement Award to the district as a Fit-Friendly worksite."Your district has been a phenomenal partner over the last 20 years," Gear said.Superintendent Jonathan Cleaver thanked Gear for the accolade, and praised all those in the district who have made it possible.The Fit-Friendly Worksite Recognition program is an award given by the association's "My Heart. My Life."