The Sayre Area School District board of education approved the district's preliminary budget for the 2013-14 school year at its meeting Monday.
Under the preliminary budget, the district expects to have a total of $17,954,904 in revenue available for appropriation in the coming school year, with expenditures including $9,820,360 for instruction, $5,492,285 for support services, $220,388 for non-instructional services and $134,473 for facilities expenses, according to the budget.
The preliminary budget also calls for a one-mill tax increase, bringing the district's tax rate for the 2013-14 year to 45.39 mills. Adjustments may still be made to the budget before the board votes to adopt the final spending plan in June.
The board also approved the establishment of the William Skerpon Scholarship, named in honor of a former teacher in the district.
The scholarship would be awarded to a student planning to attend a four-year college to major in education, said Sayre High School principal Dayton Handrick.
Board member Ron Cole reminded the board that the 14th annual Open Forest event will be held March 2 at the Satterlee Creek Environmental Center.
The district also plans to hold its annual recognition event in honor of maintenance employees, secretaries, aides, bus drivers, crossing guards, cafeteria workers, Redskin Club members and volunteers April 17 at the high school, Cole said. Planning is also underway for the fifth annual Sayre Area School District golf tournament, scheduled for June 1 at Tomasso's in Waverly.
Superintendent Dean Hosterman commended the Valley community Monday for its participation in a recent community drug forum held at the Patterson Auditorium on the Guthrie campus. Hosterman, other local school administrators and other officials participated in the forum, which attracted nearly 100 people and generated several ideas to approach the presence of drugs in the community, he said.
Amanda Renko can be reached at (570) 888-9652; or email: arenko@thedailyreview.com.
