Tamaqua Area School District remains on track to pass next year's budget with a 1.2-mill increase.

On an 8-0 vote, the school board on Tuesday approved the 2017-18 preliminary budget. Board President Larry Wittig, who attended the meeting, left before the vote was taken.If the board were to approve the budget as it stands now with the proposed increase, it would raise the millage rate from 35.38 to 36.58 mills.That would mean a homeowner with a home valued at $100,000, which would be assessed at $50,000, would pay about $60 more to the district in property taxes.Business Manager Connie Ligenza previously said the driving factors behind the proposed increase are the employer contribution rate for the Public School Employees Retirement System, cyber charter school tuition and capital projects.Ligenza said Cyber Charter costs are budgeted at $982,000, while the employer contribution rate to PSERS will be 32.57 percent of eligible payroll.The total cost is $3,976,009; as the district receives subsidy from the state of about 50 percent of the cost, which results in a net cost to the district of $1,988,005.Last month, as part of several budget reductions in next year's spending plan, the board chose to postpone the final phase of its high school roof project in an attempt to lessen its $2.9 million deficit.At that time, Ligenza highlighted three budget reductions that would result in a $623,216 savings.She said postponing the final phase of its high school roof project would save the district $438,216; eliminating the assistant principal to the special education director position, which is currently vacant, would save the district $115,000; and the summer/seasonal staff pool budget would be reduced by $70,000, from $100,000 to $30,000.Those three reductions would lower the district's deficit from $2.9 million to $2,284,943.However, even with those reductions, the board is still faced with a 1.2-mill increase.Ligenza previously said 1 mill will generate about $331,426 for the district in the 2017-18 school year.In December, the board agreed not to increase taxes above the Act I index of 3.4 percent, which equates to 1.2 mills, or about $362,212 in tax revenue.Final budget adoption is slated for June 20.Last June, the board approved this year's spending plan with a 1.09-mill increase in the property tax rate.That decision increased the district's millage rate from 34.29 to 35.38 mills, and called for a homeowner with a home valued at $100,000, which would be assessed at $50,000, to pay $55 more to the district in property taxes.The final budget left the district with a $2.12 million deficit, meaning it had to use $1,923,000 from its fund balance to balance the budget.Ligenza said that increase was due primarily to the capital needs/improvements of its buildings on the board-approved list of additional items.