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Brownsville Area taxes to stay under state index

By Eric Morris emorris@heraldstandard.Com 3 min read

HILLER — Any potential property tax increase in Brownsville Area School District will not exceed the state index for millage in 2017-18.

The school board Thursday adopted the accelerated budget opt-out resolution for the 2017-18 school year, which gives the district additional time to prepare its preliminary budget and ensures it will not raise the real estate tax above the Act 1 index set by the state.

The 2017-18 index is set at 3.8 percent for the district.

Schools boards are required to pass a preliminary budget by January each year if they intend to raise taxes above the index.

By adopting the opt-out resolution, the district will have another month before being required to submit a preliminary budget to the state Department of Education, said business manager Bill Boucher.

The additional time allows the district to wait for funding estimates that could affect budgetary figures.

While school directors voted to not exceed the state index, the board could still vote to raise taxes up to the index rate at a maximum increase of 0.675 mills for Fayette County property owners and 4.244 for those in Washington County, according to Boucher.

Current rates for the district are 17.7545 mills in Fayette County and at 111.6907 mills in Washington County.

Superintendent Dr. Phil Savini stressed that money the district will receive from the sale of the former Cox-Donahey Elementary School property will be used to balance the budget in the next fiscal year.

The sale of the 15.6-acre property to Calvary Chapel of Fredericktown is expected to net the district $355,000, pending approval of the sale in the Fayette County Court of Common Pleas on Feb. 1.

Turning to other business, the board hired a head football coach Thursday.

On a split vote, school directors voted to hire William Maczko to the head coach position on a three-year contract beginning in the 2017-18 school year.

Maczko’s salary was set at $6,000 salary.

School directors Ron Dellarose Jr. and John Harvey opposed the measure, and Richard Gates passed on the motion.

According to Savini, Maczko is a native of Smock who currently teaches at a school in North Carolina and has experience coaching football at the high school and collegiate levels.

Maczko replaces Jason House, who coached the Falcons the past two seasons.

In addition to filling the head football coach position, the board made the following athletic hires for the current school year: Zachary Hibbs, assistant middle school boys basketball, $2,100; Kyonte Martin, head middle school volleyball, $2,700; William Rouse, assistant softball, $3,200; Patty Columbia, assistant softball, $3,200; Ralph Rice, assistant high school baseball, $3,200; Nick Eadie, assistant high school baseball, $3,200.

Also Thursday, the board:

n Approved an agreement with Interim Healthcare for substitute nurses.

n Renewed an agreement with social services organization Pressley Ridge to provide student services.

n Approved the retirement of Lynne Hartmann and Richard Riley.

n Approved foster care transportation agreements with Children Youth Services for Fayette and Washington counties.

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