The Salisbury Township School Board voted 8-0 to approve the district's preliminary final budget for the 2013-2014 at its May 15 board meeting.

The budget calls for a 2.2 percent tax increase, a $74.30 rise for the average homeowner in the district. The maximum increase allowed was 2.99 percent.

The administration recommended the 2.99 percent tax increase at the school district's May 1 operations committee meeting, but Board President Russell Giordano said this year might be one of the few opportunities the board has in the next few years to accept a lower tax increase and help out the district's taxpayers.

The board was also presented with a proposal for a 2.6 percent tax increase at the operations meeting, but the board unanimously voted to accept the 2.2 percent increase. Giordano complimented the administration for the hard work they had done on the budget.

"They enabled us to have a tax increase significantly lower than we've had in recent years," Giordano said.

Giordano also acknowledged the difficulties facing the administration when putting together the budget.

"This is in spite of all the slings and arrows that have come to us from Harrisburg, including PSERS [Public School Employees Retirement System] and the continued disgrace, in my mind, of the charter school funding legislation," Giordano said.

With the 2.2 percent tax increase, the district is projected to bring in a total revenue of $31,216,034 while spending $31,398,872. This will leave the district with a net deficit of $182,838, which will be covered by the district's general fund balance. Giordano said a preliminary final budget must be approved 30 days before the adoption of the final budget.

The school board will vote to adopt the final budget at its June 19 board meeting.

Board member Mary Ziegler was not present because she was attending her daughter's graduation at Lehigh Carbon Community College.

In personnel news, the board accepted with regret, the resigation due to retirement of Richard W. Marsico as an English teacher at Salisbury High School effective at the end of the work day June 11.

Salisbury Middle School teacher Meghan Ott had her request for an extension of her general leave of absence without pay and/or benefits extended through the beginning of the third marking period of the 2013-2014 school year.

Library Media teacher at Western Salisbury Elementary School and Salisbury Middle School Barbara Jaindl's intermittent FMLA leave was approved effective May 1 through June 11. Harry S Truman Elementary School teacher Dana Sugra was approved for an intermittent FMLA leave for up to 60 days effective April 15 and for a general leave of absence without pay and/or benefits through Oct. 31.

Head cook at Western Salisbury Elementary School Connie Yost was approved for a FMLA leave for up to 60 days effective April 3.

The next operations committee meeting will be 7 p.m. June 5.

The next regular board meeting will be 7:30 p.m. June 19.