YATESVILLE — The Pittston Area School Board approved a final budget for the 2026-27 school year on Tuesday with no tax increase for the sixth consecutive year.
The tax millage rate remains at 16.5413 mills, or a $16.54 for every $1,000 of assessed property value.
“We’ve continued to hold the line on taxes for our taxpayers,” said Superintendent Kevin Booth, who thanked the board, administrators, and business office for their work on the budget. “It says a lot to the people that are doing the job.”
The final budget notes about $68.7 million in expenses and $67.8 million in revenue, with a $921,210 shortfall. The proposed final budget projected $67.5 million in expenses and million $67.6 in revenue.
Tom Melone, whose firm is the district’s business manager, said the final budget accounts for increased costs related to health care, cyber charter tuition, career and technical center enrollment, and supplies, including new Chromebooks.
Melone said the district expects to receive increases in state subsidies under the proposed state budget, including an additional $105,700 for basic education, $134,026 for special education, and $1,240,436 in adequacy funding, for a total increase of about $1.48 million to cover the shortfall.
If the district receives less in subsidies than anticipated, Melone said the board can reassess expenditures and consider cuts, though it has a healthy fund balance to draw from. The district is expected to end the 2025-26 school year with an estimated fund balance of $8.86 million.
He advised against excessive fund balance spending, but he feels comfortable with the buffer it provides.
“The minute that that legislation is passed, we will be able to report immediately how much of the projected $1,480,000 would be actually received,” Melone said about the state budget.
Board President Frank Serino reflected on the district’s ability to avoid tax increases and debt for capital projects. He said past LERTA agreements increased long-term district revenue after the tax breaks expired.
“There was a plan with all of this,” Serino said, crediting past board members and administrators. “Nothing happens in finance without long-range planning.”