The revised Carbon Career & Technical Institute budget has been passed by the sending school districts.

“The CCTI 2025-26 budget has passed,” David Reinbold, the administrative director of CCTI, told the joint operating committee Thursday night.

“This is the 12th year in row that we will be billing the five sending school districts a total of $6,334,930 or less,” Reinbold explained. “If we were a taxing body, this would be the equivalent of having no tax increase for 12 consecutive years.

“Our projected expenditures are $9,584,132. The difference will be made up with moneys from subsidies, grants and withdrawals from our fund balance reserve.”

In a 7-2 vote Wednesday, the Panther Valley School Board passed the motion approving the CCTI 2025-26 operating budget. Jim Thorpe Area, Lehighton Area and Weatherly Area school districts passed the budget earlier.

Palmerton Area School District has not yet passed the budget, but will meet next week.

CCTI needed four of the five sending school districts to approve the budget or it to pass.

According to Reinbold, the total amount requested by CCTI is divided among the five school districts using a formula considering a five-year average of a district’s CCTI enrollment and its real estate market capitalization.

Due to this calculation, each district’s contributing share varies from year to year.

To assist some districts with their budget concerns, CCTI has also offered to bill $250,000 less overall than it did last year.

As a result of the cost share formula and the $250,000 reduction, the difference between the 2024-25 budget and the 2025-26 budget of the school districts that have passed the budget are as follows:

• Jim Thorpe — a reduction of $70,087.

• Lehighton — an increase of $36,639.

• Panther Valley — a reduction of $105,548.

• Weatherly — an increase of $30,592.

“Palmerton has not yet passed the budget,” Reinbold said. “They will have a reduction of $141,596.”