Northwestern School Board approved its 2015-16 budget with millage remaining at 15.963.

Budget revenues total $39,599,749 and expenditures are $43,511,123, leaving a shortfall of $3,911,374.Of that amount $2.85 million will be covered by a transfer from fund balance to Capital Projects.The final shortfall is $1,061,374.The question of stabilization accounts was raised. These accounts cover such items as an energy study fund, pension fund and the Emmaus bond pool stabilization.The funds are available to prevent the district being hit by large unexpected bills.In three years a technology plan will be implemented.The amount of $400,000 is the budgetary reserve; if it is not needed it will go back into the fund balance.Board member LeRoy Sorensen said the district is carrying $68 million in debt and maintaining that amount cost over $4 million.He said the district should not borrow any more.Board President Paul Fisher said this is the fifth year without a tax increase and fiscal and sustainable methods have been used in budgeting.The homestead and farmstead are a pass-through of gaming money to provide discounts for taxpayers.Tax rebatesA tax rebate proposed by board member Joe Reiter came up for discussion.Solicitor John Freund III said districts do not have a specific ability to create rebates.School boards are limited to items in the school code. A rebate might ultimately be challenged.No exceptions have been granted unless the general assembly wants to reimburse school districts.Reiter proposed it as a way to aid those with need, disabilities, poverty, or age. He said many schools are providing a rebate. It alleviates hardships. He thinks 372 people in the district would be helped.Sorensen said on the first discussion it was found to be unconstitutional and there is actually no shifting the rebated taxes to others because it would be state reimbursed.The board, on a 6-3 vote, decided to send the matter to the finance committee.Other businessA number of agreements were approved:• Constable agreements with Barry Betz, Salvatore Lizzio, Lester Klock and Robert Yeager at $18 per hour.• Mosteller and Associates to conduct a compensation market study for support staff not to exceed $8,000.• Medical waste disposal for $90 per month.• Simplex for repairs to a fire pump for the sprinkler system under the state contract for $32,849.• KCBA to plan and bid on a flasher signal replacement on Route 309 North not to exceed $11,625.• S&H Group Inc. for asbestos abatement oversight at $1,600.• Sargent Enterprises for asbestos abatement at $6,488 at the high school boiler.• Vector Security for security alarm monitoring at $100 per month.• Simplex Grinnell for fire alarm monitoring at $90 per month.An agreement with KRE Security/Investigations Inc. for two years was tabled. Jason Zimmerman said some changes are being negotiated. He said they are understaffed at football games.Graduation testsThere has been an extension proposed on the requirement of the Keystone tests for graduation. Wright supports the proposal because there are still many questions.Resident Troy Sosnovik attended the June 17 meeting of the Northwestern Lehigh School Board to ask that lacrosse be made an extra-curricular sport in the district.If the district will solidify it at Northwestern he will give regular updates.Two students in the Health Occupation program are going to nationals in Anaheim, California.They are Sarah Hieter who will continue her training at St. Luke's Nursing School and Jacob Wirsch who will continue his pre-med studies at Pittsburgh.