Parkland School Board members granted unanimous approval to the $157.7 million budget for the 2015-16 school year.

Preparation of the financial plan, which began last September, still had a $1.2 million deficit at the budget seminar in April.

Upon presentation at the May 19 meeting, the deficit was resolved and the budget balanced with revenue matching expenditures.

The new rate of taxation, 14.35 mills, is a 1.85-percent increase over the 14.09 mill rate of the 2014-15 budget.

An owner of a property assessed at $225,214, the district average residential value, will pay $58.56 more in taxes in the new budget than in the previous school year.

Business Manager John Vignone offered an explanation of how the deficit was eliminated.

He reported the assessed value of real estate in the district has increased, resulting in an increase in the value of a mill, bringing in an additional $208,793.

Vignone applied $196,781 in leftover funds from this year's budget to pay for curriculum resources.

Bids for diesel fuel and gasoline came in better than expected, and the district has a new electricity supplier, leading to a combined benefit of $300,000.

Vignone explained Parkland has an opt out health insurance incentive for employees who are covered under a different plan such as a spouse's.

If a staff member presents evidence of other insurance coverage, the district offers a $1,500 buyout.

Vignone said more employees are taking advantage of this option, for a district savings of $99,545.

Vignone reported $100,335 in a refunding of 2010 bonds was applied to help bring down the deficit.

For the remainder of the deficit reduction, Vignone found some savings in non-medical insurance costs, salaries and pensions and applied an increase in state funding.

The budget is helped along with a $5 million appropriation from the general fund and a $500,000 transfer from the Capital Reserve Fund.

Vignone noted funding from the commonwealth remains uncertain as the governor and legislature are still deliberating on the Pennsylvania 2015-16 budget, which probably will not be settled soon.

Gov. Tom Wolfe's budget would provide an additional $1.2 million for Parkland.

District Superintendent Richard Sniscak commented on the budget.

"Challenges impacting Parkland includes increasing costs of special education, $2.4 million in payments to cyber/charter schools, increasing mandated contributions to the Pennsylvania School Employees' Retirement System, and uncertainty surrounding commonwealth funding to school districts," Sniscak said. "Parkland School District's 2015-16 financial plan provides for the educational needs of our students while considering the ability of the tax paying public to support a high quality, comprehensive educational program."