Greater Latrobe school board adopts proposed $61.5 M budget

The Greater Latrobe school board this week adopted a proposed budget of more than $61.5 million with a 1-mill property tax increase for the 2022-23 school year.

Six board members voted in favor of adoption. Board member Andrew Repko voted against the spending plan, and members Merle D. Musick and Merle L. Musick were absent.

The board will vote on a final version of the budget in June as the district waits to hear how much it will receive in state funding.

This year’s proposed budget is about $3.8 million more than last year’s budget of more than $57.7 million. The 1-mill tax hike would add $27 to the annual bill of the average district home.

The tax increase could be avoided if the state Legislature approves education funding increases proposed by Gov. Tom Wolf.

Wolf’s 2022-23 budget proposal recommends allotting more than $8.6 billion in basic education funding to K-12 schools. That proposal would increase state education funding by more than $1.5 billion compared with 2021-22.

Greater Latrobe could receive about $22.8 million in state funding. If approved, the state would increase the district’s basic education subsidy by about $620,000 and its special education subsidy by more than $179,000.

The Legislature must adopt the state budget by June 30.

During Tuesday’s board meeting, member Rhonda Laughlin said the district cannot increase its proposed budget but can decrease it after it learns how much state money it will receive.

“(Decreasing the budget) is obviously what our goal would be and what I hope is accomplished,” Laughlin said. “That is why I vote yes — because, at this point, it’s a proposed budget.”