When Panther Valley School Board adopted its preliminary budget in January, a 3-mill tax increase was included.

Some board members at the time vowed that the millage would be pared by the time the final budget is approved in the next month or so, possibly by as much as 1.5 mills.On Thursday, some board members expressed concern about how little is going to be shaved from the original 3-mill figure.John Williams, a member of the budget and finance committee, said a committee meeting will be held and he is hoping all the board members attend as well as school administration members and members of the public.He said he is hoping administrators can suggest how their respective budgets can be decreased and feels that members of the public might possibly have ideas on how the district can save money.Roy Angst, a member of the board who is resigning April 23, said he realizes he won't be voting on the budget, but if he was, he would oppose any tax increases.That's because Angst feels "favorable action will occur" in Harrisburg this year to provide financial relief to school districts.He also is hoping that a lawsuit filed by Panther Valley School District with several other districts regarding how the state makes subsidy payments to the districts, with some districts getting much larger reimbursements than others, will be resolved.Member Bill Hunsicker said if there is a 2-mill increase, the budget will still reflect a 5-mill deficit.When the preliminary budget was approved, it was based on a budget of $25,798,662, which was a $650,000 increase from the present budget. That tentative budget shows a deficit of $1,556,857.The board also approved three resolutions pertaining to financing.One resolution calls for reform in the funding for cyber charter schools.The resolution said the current funding formula for cyber charter schools "bears no relationship to the actual instructional costs of the distance learning program."It adds, "The commonwealth is the sole authorizer of cyber charter schools, yet almost all of the costs for cyber charter schools are borne by local taxpayers."This year, total tuition paid to cyber charter schools by the Panther Valley School District totaled $950,000. This was more than $330,000 more than what it paid to cyber schools six years ago.Another resolution urges legislative action on school employee pension reform.This year, the district's projected expenditures to the Public School Employees Retirement System totals more than $2.3 million. by the 2019-2020 school year, the projected expenditures will be $3,139,811.The resolution, approved unanimously, says, "Understanding that pension costs are taking a greater share of available revenues, leaving less funding for true basic education costs directed toward student learning, these projects present critical problems that effectively force the addition of significantly higher financial burdens on taxpayers, school districts and the commonwealth and consequently demand both a short-term and a long-term solution."A third resolution approved calls for the Pennsylvania General Assembly to establish a new funding formula for basic education.