North Hills School Board approves final budget with no tax increase

At its June 1 meeting, North Hills School Board unanimously approved a $96,224,003 budget for the 2023-24 school year with no real estate tax increase.

It’s different from the proposed final budget approved in late April that included a tax increase of .18 mills. Now, the millage rate for the coming school year remains unchanged at 19.70.

The budget uses $1.1 million — or about 38% — of the district’s American Rescue Plan Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund money. The roughly 23% remaining of the available covid-19 relief funding is earmarked for the 2024-25 budget, according to the district.

“Our goal every year is to make sure we are asking for the lowest possible increase that will enable us to educate and serve our students and maintain our properties at the level the community expects,” board president Allison Mathis said. “It’s not always possible, but this year, we are pleased to (have) a budget with no tax increase. This is particularly important to our community in a time when we have all faced rising costs and expenses.”

The 2023-24 budget fully funds all requests made through the district’s curriculum council for the third straight year, the district said.

The final budget also includes the addition of a high school learning support teacher needed because of increased enrollment among special education students. Additional first and fifth-grade teachers are being hired at McIntyre Elementary due to the increased number of students.

The budget also includes an interim assistant principal for West View Elementary School while the school is under construction. The district said the position is not permanent but will allow the board and the administration to evaluate the need for elementary assistant principals.

Also at the meeting, the board accepted the donation of a tornado machine to Ross Elementary from former KDKA-TV meteorologist Dennis Bowman. The machine will be used for demonstrations beginning next school year, the district said.