In June, school districts across our area focus on approving the budgets for the next school year. Tonight, the Blairsville-Saltsburg school board looks to approve their budget.
The budget for the district has had a run of eight consecutive years without a tax increase for district residents in Indiana and Westmoreland counties. During a budget presentation last month, District Business Manager Gary Zuchelli recommended a tax increase for the district due to increasing retirement costs and salaries combined with flat funding from the state. The board went against his recommendation, saying they did not want to increase taxes for district residents. Zuchelli said this may be the last year that the district goes without raising taxes. Tax levels are expected to remain at 15.98 mils for Indiana County Residents and 109.86 mils for Blairsville residents.
In other business the board will receive an update from the Petrarca Committee, who have been spearheading efforts to separate the Blairsville-Saltsburg School District into two different districts. The Committee’s representatives Nicholas Pantalone and Daniel McGregor said in April that the state Department of Education was biased against the district’s plan to separate, and are biased towards plans to close some of the schools in the district. He said that a new plan for district separation would be presented to residents in Saltsburg before bringing it before the full board. It’s not known if a new plan is part of the presentation tonight.
Tonight’s meeting is set for 7:30 at the Blairsville High School Cafeteria.
