Two weeks after their first attempt failed, Panther Valley school board members passed a budget with a tax increase.

On Wednesday, the school board voted 5-3 to approve a budget with a tax increase of 3.7% for Coaldale residents and 1.5% for Carbon.

The same budget failed in a vote on May 18, but this time received the five votes needed to pass.

The school’s business manager recommended the tax increase to make up for a decrease in the overall assessed value of the district’s real estate.

The district does not anticipate any increase in its state funding. Last year the district got an 8.5 percent increase in its state funding.

The 2022-23 budget includes $30,957,116.19 in expenses - $3.1 million less than 2022-23. Last year’s budget was larger, but set aside some funds for future years because the district used COVID relief money.

This year’s budget will use approximately $1.5 million from the money the district set aside. It will leave the district with $2.1 million in its general fund at the end of next year.

Business Manager Jesse Walck said increased expenses are from health care costs and inflation.

Daniel Matika, Marco D’Ancona, Joseph Faenza, William Mansberry and Shawn Hoben voted in favor of the budget.

In May, D’Ancona and Mansberry said that the district needed the tax increase.

“We need to do something,” D’Ancona said.

Renee DeMelfi, Steven Foster and Gary Porembo voted against the budget. Keith Krapf did not attend the meeting.

DeMelfi said during the May meeting that it was the wrong time to make residents pay more.

“I know we need the money, but I can’t do it to our families,” she said.

The school board will meet June 23 at 7 p.m. for final adoption of the budget.