Since the budget seminar in April, the Parkland administration and board have been able to lower the 2017-18 tax rate from 15.22 to 15.13 mills, a 1.89 percent increase over the previous term’s rate of 14.85.

At the May 23 meeting, business manager John Vignone commented on the change.

“Our assessed valuations are doing well. That’s how it came down from 2.5 percent to 1.89 percent,” said Vignone.

He reported the 2017-18 district real estate assessment will be $7.93 billion, a $124.7 million or 1.60 percent, increase over the present school year.

At the 15.13 mill rate of taxation, the owner of a property with the average residential assessed value of $226.595 will pay $3,428.38 to the district, an increase of $63.44 over the previous term.

Vignone noted the $172.3 million budget receives 70 percent of its revenue from property tax, 15 percent from other local sources such as Earned Income Tax, about 13 percent from the Commonwealth, and the remaining amount, about two percent, from the federal government.

He observed the state legislature’s plan to eliminate property tax as a source of school funding would have an adverse effect on Parkland and its education programs.

Vignone said a major factor in previous budgets was the rising cost of health insurance for employees.

However, with Parkland’s participation in the Lehigh County schools’ health care consortium, there is no increase this year.

“The average health insurance increase nationwide is 8-12 percent. We’re at zero.

“We have a new front runner in expenditures. Cyber-charter schools are our biggest worry now,” said Vignone.

He anticipates a $3.6 million expenditure towards cyber-charter schools in 2017-18, an $800,000 increase over the previous term.

This amount does not include transportation which is a significant expense.

Vignone noted budget planning for 2017-18 began last August.

“We had transparency of all processes. We’re in the business of education and providing resources for education,” stated Vignone.

The proposed budget is available for public inspection at the administration building.

The vote for final adoption will be taken at the June 27 meeting.