SAINT CLAIR — On Wednesday, the Saint Clair Area school board approved a tentative budget for its 2016-17 school year with a tax increase.
“Tentative millage for 2016-2017 is 35.67, an increase of 1.17 which is the index. Median household value equates to approximately $18,250. Approximate tax increase on average median household would equate to $21.35,” Jason Bendle, the district’s superintendent and principal, said after the board’s May meeting Wednesday night at its elementary/middle school at 227 S. Mill St.
Before the meeting, Terry Schane, business manager for Saint Clair Area, said the proposed 2016-17 spending plan is a higher budget than the one adopted for the current school year, and the board was in an executive session considering raising taxes.
“They’re discussing raising it to the index,” Schane said referring to Section 311(d)(1) of the Special Session Act 1 of 2006.
Saint Clair Area was not planning to increase the school district tax for the 2016-17 school beyond an index as calculated by the state Department of Education, she said.
“That’s 1.17 mills. The district’s current millage is 34.5 mills. The district does not intend to raise taxes beyond 35.67 mills,” Schane said.
The board adopted a $9,901,934 spending plan for the 2015-16 school year with a tax increase, hiking the millage rate from 32.35 to 34.5.
So, in that case, one mill was equivalent to $3.45 of the tax on every $1,000 of taxable value. Therefore, an owner of a property with an assessed value of $100,000 was required to pay $3,450 a year in real estate taxes in the 2015-16 school year.
At the regular meeting, the board made its decision.
With a motion by board Secretary Thomas Kaledas, which was seconded by board Vice President Jeanette Zembas, the board approved a proposed general budget fund for 2016-17 in the amount of $10,305,426, and the proposed tax increase.
All other members of the board present Wednesday voted in favor of the motion: board Treasurer Erin Murhon, and board members Robert Matlock, Kathleen Modica and Brian Regnier.
Absent were: board President Michael Holobetz, and board members Virginia Bartashus and Marlene Cook.
If the district decides to ultimately raise the millage to 35.67, one mill would be the equivalent to $3.56 of the tax on every $1,000 of taxable value. Therefore, an owner of a property with an assessed value of $100,000 was required to pay $3,560 a year in real estate taxes in the 2016-17 school year.
The board will give final adoption to the spending plan at a public meeting scheduled for 6 p.m. June 8.
In other matters at the school board’s meeting Wednesday, the board honored one of its students, Tristen Clews, who helped to save someone’s life last year in May 2015.
Clews, an eighth-grade student, is the daughter of Scott and Tracie Clews, Saint Clair. She is a Cadet Girl Scout with Troop 31072 in Saint Clair, according to Corinne Sabaday, the troop leader.
“Tristen is a life saver, literally. She started off a fun day at the Baltimore aquarium with her Girl Scout troop and she ended up responding quickly to an emergency when a woman fell into the Inner Harbor. As soon as the Girl Scouts exited the bus to explore the aquarium, they heard screams from the woman. Tristan’s father, an experienced EMT, ran over to assist but could not pull her out of the water. Instead of just joining the crowd of bystanders, Tristen took action. Tristen ran across the bridge and retrieved a life ring from an emergency box and ran back to her father. She helped save this woman so we just wanted to recognize her for her heroic act,” Bendle said at the meeting.
“It happened on May 30, 2015,” Tracie Clews said Thursday night.
“Sometimes it takes a while for someone to get recognized for things like this,” Sabaday said Thursday night.
Sabaday said before the school was notified, she was trying to determine how Tristen should be recognized. In April, Tristen was recognized by an online Girl Scout newsletter. The school board learned about Tristen’s adventure after that.