A tax increase could be in the cards next year for residents who live in the Northern Lehigh School District.

Sherri Molitoris, co-director of business affairs/human resources, presented several options for the board to consider.In January, the board approved the Act 1 Tax Levy Resolution, which states that the district's index for the 2015-16 fiscal year is 2.6 percent.If the board were to pursue that route, it would raise the millage rate by 0.5398 cents for every $1,000 of assessment, which would generate $415,782 in revenue for the district.However, that would push the millage rate to 21.30 mills in Lehigh County.Under that scenario, Molitoris said a homeowner who lives in the county with a home assessed at $200,000 would have an increase of $108.Molitoris said that at 2 percent, it would generate $319,000; 1.5 percent would generate $239,000; 1 percent would generate $159,000; and zero percent would generate no revenue.Superintendent Michael Michaels said the district has debated next year's spending plan since November.Michaels noted that under his tenure as superintendent, the district has had several years without a tax increase."However, I'm not sure we can do that again this year," Michaels said."We've done a great job with the budget, we've never asked for an exception, we've worked within our means. We can't have a zero (percent increase) every year."Michaels suggested the board start off with some form of increase, and work from there."We could always come down in May, but if you start at zero, you can't come down," he said.Director Gary Fedorcha said he needed more time before he voted on the matter.The board decided it will revisit the budget at next month's board meeting.Last month Molitoris said the district was set to see a $545,000 PSERS increase based on its 2014-15 salaries districtwide. However, the district has $3 million set aside for that expense, she said.She also said at that time the district previously received $350,000 from PlanCON, and over $200,000 in back taxes from the former Slatington Lamp Factory.In June, the school board approved the 2014-15 budget with a 2.8 percent increase in the property tax rate.That budget called for a 0.59-mill increase for residents of Lehigh County, and a 0.63-mill increase for residents of Northampton County.The $29,132,905 spending plan increases the millage rate from 20.17 to 20.76 mills for residents who live in Lehigh County, and from 57.31 to 57.94 mills for residents of Northampton County.As part of that budget, the district used $465,000 from its fund balance to help offset about a $525,000 increase in the Public School Employees Retirement System.Bond refinancingAlso on Monday, the board unanimously agreed to refinance a pair of bond issues after it adopted a resolution presented by Bond Counsel Rhoads & Sinon LLP for future nonelectoral debt for the refinancing of the 2010, and a portion of the 2011 bonds.The resolution states that the district will incur nonelectoral debt to be evidenced by general obligation bonds in an amount under $10 million; to refund all of the district's general obligation bonds; series of 2010 and a portion of the general obligation bonds, series of 2011, and pay the costs of issuing the bonds, accepting a bond purchase agreement; and setting forth the parameters