Easton Area School Board passes budget that raises taxes and cuts over 100 positions

http://www.lehighvalleylive.com/easton/index.ssf/2012/05/easton_area_school_board_passs.html FROM THE EXPRESS TIMES The Easton Area School Board tonight passed a budget that will raise taxes by 2.2 percent, reduce a kindergarten class and cut 102 positions, including 49 teachers. The $133.4 million spending plan for 2012-13 was passed in a 5-1 vote at school board meeting held tonight in the high school auditorium. Board member Bob Arnts' resignation from the board was accepted tonight. He quit for health reasons, according to Board President Robert Fehnel. Also absent tonight were board members Pat Vulcano Jr. and Kerri Leonard-Ellison. “We have a budget,” Fehnel said after the board’s vote. The only opposition came from board member Bob Moskaitis, who pushed for a budget without a tax increase. He said the school district is taking money from taxpayers to fulfill the teachers contract. The board will revisit tax increases next year and the year after, he said. “I will not vote for this 2.2 percent increase,” he said. “The public deserves a zero percent increase.” To balance to the budget, the district raised taxes, cut staff and pulled $1.5 million from its reserves. Programs were not cut, but Cheston Elementary School’s full-day kindergarten will now be half-day. Staff cuts include 49 teachers, 31 full-time support staff positions, 21 part-time support staff positions, and one in-school police officer cut through attrition. The previous projection of 77 positions is correct, Chief Operating Officer Michael Simonetta said, but it equates to 102 positions when part-time positions are combined. The 2.2 percent tax hike means the owner of a home assessed at $75,000 would pay $88 more in property taxes next year. The new millage rate for Northampton County will be 54.46. That's a 1.17-mill increase over last year. One mill equals $1 for every $1,000 of a home’s assessed value. Before the budget was passed, former school board President Kerry Myers said he wanted to defend his reputation because during last year's teachers contract renegotiations, he said he “made it crystal clear that this contract was unsustainable.” “At no point did we not inform every board member,” Myers said. Hearing the teachers’ union representatives claim they were unaware it was unsustainable “irritated the hell out of me,” Myers said. “It irritated my family members.” Union spokeswoman Glenda Kellow asked Myers why he sold the contract as a present to the board and teachers “if you knew it was unsustainable?” Kellow said she was under the impression that the previous contract was unsustainable, not the renegotiated one. “This contract is one that you created…voted on and approved,” she said to Myers. Teachers union president Jena Brodhead said the district was to save $27.8 million in salaries and tuition reimbursement through August 2015. Also tonight, Fehnel announced Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum Maura Roberts will resign at the end of the 2012-13 school year. She heads the districts pupil services department, according to the district website. Candidates interested in filling Arnts' vacancy must submit applications to the district by June 4. The school board will interview candidates on that date.