Shaler school board passes budget with tax increase

At its June 21 meeting, Shaler Area School Board approved a final general fund operating budget for the 2023-24 fiscal year estimated at $96,894,664. However, property owners in the Shaler Area School District can expect to pay more in real estate taxes as part of next school year’s budget. Board members approved an increase of 1.176 mills.

The vote count was 6-2 in favor — Edward Kress and Jeanne Petrovich voted against the budget.

“I do not feel comfortable asking the taxpayers for more money when we rank 198th in the state,” Petrovich said. “Our numbers have gone down. And I believe we’re not focused where we should be.”

After the meeting, Shaler superintendent Dr. Sean Aiken said he didn’t know where Petrovich had gotten her information.

“I don’t know what publication she’s getting those results from,” Aiken said. “I feel like our academic program has never been stronger.”

Aiken acknowledged that a funding gap necessitated the tax increase.

“We’ve used fund balance money in the past to help balance the budget and we’ll have to use a little bit (this year) but we are interested each year in trying to figure out how we continue to look at district finances in an operationally efficient manner.

“We are dedicated to creating the very best academic program for our students,” he said. “So, we protect the programs that are closest to the classroom and we continue to strive to be better and better as a school district and we recognize how important it is to be sure that we are fiscally responsible.”

Shaler school board chair April Kwiatkowski voted in favor of the tax increase but expressed concerns about having to do so.

“We weigh so heavily on the taxpayers and how does that impact student achievement? We’re expected to do more, and we’re expected to give more and mandated to do more and mandated to achieve more but given less,” Kwiatkowski said. “The last thing that I or anyone at this table or in this room wants to do is raise taxes. But sometimes it becomes a necessary evil. And when we want to provide a top-tier education to prepare these students for the world that they’re going to enter, our hands are tied.”