SMETHPORT — The Smethport Area School Board re-elected its two top officers Wednesday during the annual reorganizational meeting.

Director Dan Wertz was temporary president for the elections that saw president Larry Dennis and vice-president Bill Funk returned to office for one-year terms.

The board adopted a resolution stating the district will not increase property taxes for the following fiscal year by more than the index as indicated by Act 1 of 2006, which was passed by the state legislature.

The index is the state’s measure for calculating property tax increases by wage inflation. All proposed tax increases for 2017-18 will be kept within the district’s adjusted index of 3.7 percent, which is determined by the Pennsylvania Department of Education.

By limiting its tax rate by adopting this resolution, the district certifies that it has sufficient funds to balance its final budget.

Budget preparations for the 2017-18 school year are to begin this month, according to Superintendent David London.

The directors also approved the calendar for work sessions and public meetings that keeps the same schedule. With the exception of January and September, the work sessions will be the first Monday of the month. Except for January and December, the public meetings are slated for the second Monday of the month at 7:30 p.m. in the Large Group Instruction Room of the elementary school.

Directors also re-appointed business manager Sue Jordan as delegate and Mary Jo Kreiner, alternate delegate, to the McKean County Tax Collection Committee.

The board also approved a Repository bid of $1,205 from Don and Sherry Martin for 47 Hemlock Ave. in Hamlin Township as presented by the McKean County Tax Claim Bureau.

High school Principal Robert Miller, the district’s testing coordinator, reported that the winter Keystone Exams will be administered in the high school prior to Christmas. Students’ progress will be evaluated in biology, mathematics and literature.

Other forms of these exams are to be administered in March.