EMPORIUM — Members of the Cameron County School Board voted unanimously Thursday to adopt a resolution which opposes current legislation to eliminate school property taxes.
Board member Robert Lininger said members are not opposed to the elimination of property taxes, but the suggested funding formula would end up costing local taxpayers more in the long run than current funding mechanisms.
According to a fact sheet compiled and approved by a number of organizations, including the Pennsylvania State Education Association (PSEA), the Pennsylvania School Boards Association and the Pennsylvania Association of Rural and Small Schools, “reducing school property taxes means the state must fill in the funding gaps for local school districts with $14 billion in higher personal and income taxes.”
In addition, 59 percent of school districts will send more money to Harrisburg than they get back in property tax relief. In the 25th Senatorial District, it has been determined that taxpayers will contribute more than $51 million in additional funding through the proposed bill.
The document shows the Cameron school district would be one 23 school districts within the Senate district to pay more in property taxes under the Property Tax Independence Act. Taxpayers from 43 percent of districts — 19 of the 28 within Senate District 25 — would also continue to pay property taxes in order to pay down debt from construction and other capital projects.
Federal taxes will also rise, because taxpayers will lose a federal tax deduction they can currently take to cover a portion of property tax costs. Taxpayers in 318 school districts will pay more in state and federal taxes.
In other news, board members discussed issues with a plan to resurface the high school track.
It has been discovered that a complete replacement would cost upward of $230,000. Plans had been laid to resurface the track, but it has been discovered that the remedy might not work. Companies that still perform that type of work will not guarantee it for more than a year.
Superintendent Dr. Keith Wolf said he would like to follow up with the companies and see if the issues would make the track surface worse if the process does not work as intended. Wolf said that a company representative visited the school and stated the track was not in as bad a condition as expected, and would likely hold up for several more years without complete resurfacing. A quote is being generated to repaint lines and markings.
The Mee Foundation will be contacted, as the organization has already pledged $27,500 toward the project. Wolf is hopeful the foundation will still provide funding for the necessary repairs. Other areas of the track complex still need to be attended to as well.
Also, several actions were tabled for future consideration.
Board members voted unanimously to table the Administrative, Confidential Employee, and Business Administrator Compensation Plans; a resolution transferring administration of the district’s federal Title I Part A and Title II Part A funds allocation to the Seneca Highlands Intermediate Unit Nine; and adoption of a resolution approving the proposed general operating budget of the IU9. The operating budget vote was tabled because final numbers for the total budget and the amount of the Cameron County School District’s contribution are still unknown.
In personnel moves, assistant track coach Don Olivett resigned, and teacher Kevin Shunk was hired to fill his position.
The next regular school board meeting will be held at 7 p.m. April 11 in the high school library. A workshop meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. April 6.
