Residents of the Weatherly borough will face a school tax increase for the upcoming year.

The board approved the 2016-17 budget totaling $13,503,969, which includes a 4-mill tax increase. The preliminary budget called for a 1-mill increase.Board members Chad Obert and Gerard Grega opposed the motion. Board President Girard Fewins, Vice President Amy Potsko, William Knepper, Brandon Pugh, Matthew vonFrisch and Brian O'Donnell voted in favor of the budget.Board member Georgeann Herling was absent from the meeting.To cut costs, the district rearranged the administration."Because of budget issues and decreasing student enrollment, we have made some administrative changes for the upcoming school year," said Superintendent Thomas McLaughlin.High school Principal Amanda Zaremba will fold middle school grades into her principal duties. Elementary school Principal Sandra Slavic will include special education supervisor in her job responsibilities, while retaining the title of principal for third to fifth grades.Neither Zaremba nor Slavic will gain a salary increase. Potsko, Grega and Pugh opposed the motion.McLaughlin will continue as superintendent for the district while picking up principal duties for kindergarten to second grades with an additional $5,000 increase in salary. Grega and vonFrisch opposed the motion."With our current financial state, administration needs to look immediately for savings for next year. There was a lot of taxpayer money that could've been saved with some recommendations," Fewins said."We do need to start early to explore options. We need to start in October," said David Marsiglio, business manager and board secretary."School districts everywhere are nervous about another state budget stand-still. The reality is the money tree from the state and subsidies are over. They have statewide problems. To vote for a tax increase is wrong. I know people who voted for it want the school to stay open but 4 mills isn't going to do anything for Weatherly," Grega said."We will assess this arrangement as we move through next school year," McLaughlin said."The rearrangement of the administration was our superintendent's recommendation to save the district money," Grega said."Even with this 4-mill tax increase, the district is still approximately $1.5 million short on revenues verse expenses for 2016-17," Grega said."Our board majority and the administration left a number of cost savings options on the table this budget season without implementing them and opted to simply raise taxes by 4 mills, versus acting on a number of these additional changes to save operating costs and avoid any tax increase. I feel badly for the taxpayer," he said.Other businessThe meeting continued with former board member Corey Gerhart hired as the varsity boys basketball coach for the upcoming season at a salary of $6,400.Knepper and O'Donnell opposed the appointment.After the vote Knepper told those in attendance, "We should put differences aside. You'll have a good coach."O'Donnell was also sworn in to replace Gerhart, who resigned from the board a week before the meeting.