With budget expenditures of $39,331,592, the Northwestern Lehigh School board approved its final budget for 2014-15 on June 18.

Taxes include: real estate, 15,9631 mills; earned income tax, .5 percent; real estate transfer tax, .5 percent for each of four townships; and local services tax, $10.

Board member Paul Fisher said the fund balance is being use appropriately to balance the budget. LeRoy Sorensen, a second school director, however, said the fund balance will dry up.

"It is the fourth year with no millage increase," Sorensen said.

Superintendent Mary Anne Wright gave the board some good news about the driver education program at Carbon Lehigh Intermediate Unit 21.

There will be no membership fee for the district, which was about $2,000. Costs will be $285 per student for on-the-road training and $185 for online theory.

Director Greg Sanders said completion of the course will help the students obtain a driver's license.

Wright thanked high school Principal Aileen Yadush and Assistant Principal Don Allen for a dignified commencement and congratulated the graduates.

In other matters, she said the school will receive a $10 million grant and is doing prep work preparing for its use to combine digital and traditional hybrid learning.

She said when a grant is approved, the money tends to arrive quickly.

Proposals will be presented at the July meeting.

Board member Bill Dellicker said support staff is in the budget for a 3-percent raise.

Using the method to set administration wages suggested by the Pennsylvania School Boards Association, the administraion would receive 2.7 percent.

Sorensen said the money to balance the budget came out of savings and that is not sustainable.

Fisher said merit increases are needed.

"Our staff does a great job and we need fair and competitive wages for recruiting. It should not be based on what 77 other schools do."

The 77 schools used to develop a fair compensation are the approximate same size in an area economically equal to Northwestern.

"Appreciation is not always by paycheck," Fisher said.

Board member Todd Hernandez said an "Attaboy" is only so much but he wants to see it in his check, too.

He and Dellicker wanted to add 1.6 percent to merit increases. Dellicker said 1.6 percent will keep it comparable to other schools.

Board member Phil Toll said maybe the entire method of determination could be modified toward merit.

Board member Joe Reiter said the PSBA may no longer be on the right understanding of how raises are set.

Wright said salaries are associated with merit through evaluations.

A vote to not give raises above the 0 to 2.5 merit raises passed 7-2.

In other business books are on view for the seventh grade math.

Grant applications for the federal Title I and Title IIA will be applied for.

School lunch prices will be $2.45, elementary; $2.60, middle school; $2.85, high school and $1.50, breakfast. The raise is based on USDA regulations, said Lori Seier, food service director.

Bids will be requested for a dishwasher for the middle school.

Business Manager Leslie Frisbee said she had hoped for a reduction in insurance but did not get it. The cost will be $60,000 for the third year in a row.

Fisher said the rate is determined by the PSBA.

The used computers that the school wanted to give away will have to be auctioned.

The education foundation will hold a charity golf tournament Aug. 8 and a clay shoot Oct. 19.

The Earned Income Tax Credit is being decreased. When $20 million dollars is used it will go away for the year if it passes. The previous number was $50 million.

The agreement with the constables for security was renewed at a rate of $18 per hour.

Constables are Barry Betz, Robert Yeager, Louis Solt, Salvatore Lizzio and Lester Klock.

Lehigh Carbon Technical Institute listed award winners as Robert Metzger in precision machine for the Elmer Gates award and a first as a CNC turning specialist.

Amanda Webster placed in marketing with a gold in marketing cluster team and second in the school store competition.

Sorensen said the art club is painting a piece of equipment with bouncing animals on the community fields.

The van purchased is no longer available and Frisbee is looking for an alternative.

Sorensen said he thought the science team should be funded appropriately compared to others. In his opinion academics should be funded first.

Wright thanked Middle School Principal Laurie Hoppes for her 11 years with the district.

Her resignation is effective in July.