The Panther Valley School Board on Wednesday approved a $37.5 million budget that increases taxes for residents in both Carbon and Schuylkill counties.

The balanced spending plan, which was approved on 6-3 vote, increases the taxes by 0.6 mills for Carbon residents and 2.26 mills for Schuylkill residents.

The increase means the average taxpayer in Carbon County will be paying $1.09 more a month, and the average taxpayer in Coaldale will be paying an extra $3.20 a month, Superintendent Dave McAndrew Jr. said.

“We’re trying our best to keep costs down. We know people in the Panther Valley can’t afford a lot of stuff,” he said following the meeting.

“We never want to see a tax increase,” McAndrew said. “The good news is that because of the Homestead Act 2,700 families in Carbon and Schuylkill counties will see about a $75 a year decrease in their taxes.”

The state increased the amount people receive through the Homestead Act this year, providing an additional $76.53 for the 2,758 households receiving the exemption.

Last month, the board struggled with the budget as the exemption meant less revenue for the district and a decision whether or not to increase taxes - just to continue operating the district at the same level as last year.

The board initially shot down a proposed spending plan with the same tax increases as the ones approved in the final budget this week.

The board instead approved a budget approved gave Carbon County residents a 1.01 tax decrease and those in Coaldale no tax increase, but also had a $338,000 revenue loss.

A week later, the board met in special session to approve the budget after a clerical error called the previous vote into question and reversed its decision after reviewing its options again.

On Wednesday, board member Renee DeMelfi questioned the clerical error that prompted the special meeting after the board approved a preliminary budget. She was not at the special meeting.

Board President Daniel Matika said the agenda item for the budget had the 2023-24 school year, and not the 2024-25 school year.

“That was the actual motion on the agenda and that’s what we approved,” he explained to her.

DeMelfi said her concern was that they had promised taxpayers that they would not be increasing taxes, and then reversed on a preliminary budget that would have lower taxes or keep them even a week after approval.

None of the financial information had changed in that week, she said, and the only difference was the year on the budget.

Board member Keith Krapf was also unhappy about the board calling the special meeting and changing the vote, because someone disagreed with the decision. He also was unable to attend the special session.

Board members who did attend the special meeting explained that information was presented differently. McAndrew said that he didn’t think the budget was clear at the first meeting and outlined different options.

“That’s why I put Option A, Option B, Option C, out the following day,” he said. “I thought it was important for everyone to actually see what it actually looked like,” he said.

Not all board members did get to see those options, Krapf said, pointing out that he was at his daughter’s award ceremony and couldn’t attend that meeting or review those options.

Only five board members were in attendance in the special session.

The board discussed being able to see different budget options in the future, reviewing those options before voting and also ensuring that all board members are able to attend special meetings, especially ones with decisions as important as a budget.

The board on Wednesday voted 6-3 to approve the final budget.

“We worked really hard on this budget,” McAndrew said. “And I’m really proud of the board and the people that helped get this budget passed.”