The Whitehall-Coplay School Board approved final 2013-14 budget at its special school board meeting Monday.

School board member Owen Eberhart opposed.

Board President Eileen Abruzzi and Wayne Grim did not attend the meeting.

The overall $56,509,487 budget has grown 3.27 percent from last year.

The budget balances revenues with projected expenditures that require an increase of 0.4274 mills for a total real estate tax rate of 14.9259 mills.

This means the average residential property owner will pay 2.9 percent more in taxes, or an additional $71.28.

The budget has been advertised and publicly displayed.

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In other business, the board approved the 2012 Homestead and Farmstead resolution which confirmed the acceptance of $1,167,838.66 in total property tax reduction funds, or $157.18 for 7,430 approved homesteads and farmsteads within the district. The vote was unanimous.

The board also unanimously passed a resolution regarding the Whitehall Township Public Library.

The resolution adjusts the library's tax in response to the recent Lehigh County reassessment. The adjustment does not change the amount of money the library will get from the tax.

Also, during committee sessions held before the school board meeting, Superintendent John Corby spoke about new entrance procedures to be put in place at the beginning of the 2013-14 school year.

"Entrance procedures have always been an important issue with the safety committee," said Corby. "We are going to put additional requirements in place for people who enter the building."

Visitors will have to state their name, the purpose for the visit and show identification.

"This is nothing out of the ordinary," said Corby.