Property tax hike proposed
By PAT FRIDGEN Echo Pilot

Brian Kirkpatrick asked the school board to consider adding soccer as a middle cchool sport. The board did not take any action.

A first look at the 2008-2009 budget was handled in a worksession of the Greencastle-Antrim School Board April 3. Business manager Richard Lipella recommended raising taxes 4.7 mills. The increase would put the rate at 93.6 mills.

Lipella said the increase would amount to $92 for the average homeowner in the Borough of Greencastle and $95 in Antrim Township.

"Of course, no one ever seems to know who the average taxpayer is," he acknowledged.

The proposed budget projects revenues of $30,508,465. The expenditures are estimated at $32,418,510. The difference would be made up by a transfer from the fund balance reserve, which could be at $3.8 million.

Lipella said the new budget includes the hiring of three additional teachers, two for full-day kindergarten and one for special education. The board has not yet discussed the kindergarten positions at a public meeting, but Lipella said they talked about it at the January retreat. Should the board decide against having allday kindergarten for every student, he said he would still ask for the money and spend it in other ways.

He cited the non-existence of commercial growth over the past five years, the economy affecting assessments and real estate sales and earned income taxes, the erosion of the commercial tax base by $450,000 and a 10 percent increase in student enrollment over those five years as the main reasons for the mill increase.

Lipella said 67 percent of the revenue comes from local sources and 32 percent from the state. Fed- eral funding is expected to be $367,785 in the form of Title I and II monies.

Personnel wages account for 51 percent of the budget, and benefits another 21 percent.

Revenue and expenses percentage wise are similar to years past, he said.

A mill is equal to $1 for every $1,000 of assessed property value. Under Act I, G-ASD cannot raise the rate above an index of 5.4 percent. The 4.7 mill proposed increase is 5.29 percent. The hike would bring in $815,000 for the district.

The board will approve the preliminary budget April 17, discuss it during the two May meetings and adopt the final version June 5.

Other business

During the regular meeting the board heard from Brian Kirkpatrick, who spoke on behalf of parents and players. He encouraged the board to create a soccer program at the middle school, an idea presented by principal Mark Herman in February. He said parents would not be upset if the youth left the U14 community teams to play for the middle school and cited the advantages: five days of practice a week, a longer game schedule, more touches on the ball, and building pride as the players represented their school.

While Herman had also recommended the addition of a crosscountry program, Kirkpatrick asked the board to 'cut some pork' to make room for the more expensive soccer program as well. He said later some students in middle school are too old for the community teams but too young for the high school team.

Lipella said neither sport was in the budget for next year. Athletic director Vicki Ritchey said she could absorb the $2200 attached to the cross-country program in her budget. The board voted to start middle school cross-country next fall but did not address the soccer program, citing finances.

The board accepted the resignations of elementary music teacher Ruthann Hull and high school science teacher Donald Tabar, effective at the end of the school year.

It approved the continuation of an additional Language Arts teacher on staff at the middle school through next year. Administration did not see that the position necessarily had to become permanent, depending on how the 'bubble' of students dispersed in the high school through the many educational opportunities offered.

The board also approved a resolution supporting changes in the Franklin County Career and Technology Center's Articles of Agreement.