At their regular monthly meeting Monday night the members of the Sayre Area School District Board of Education voted 7-1 to approve the proposed final general fund budget for the 2008-2009 school year.
    The proposed budget is valued at $14,969,263.
    Board member Erin Wayman cast the lone “nay” vote, saying she felt the board hadn’t fully discussed the contents of the budget. Board member Don Skerpon was absent from Monday’s meeting.
    This proposed budget contains a one-mill real estate tax increase, bringing the total millage to 41.5 for district property owners.
    District Superintendent Dean Hosterman noted that the maximum millage increase allowable for Sayre by the Act One inflation index is 6.4 percent. One mill represents a 2.47 percent increase for the district, significantly less than the cap set by the index.
    Despite the fact that neither the state nor federal budgets for next year have been passed yet, Hosterman reported that the district’s budget committee built next year’s spending plan on the assumption that state and federal assistance will remain at their 2007-2008 levels.
    No specific figures were available at Monday’s meeting, but Hosterman noted that departmental budgets remain the same in the proposed ’08-’09 plan as they have been for the last four years.
    Many expenditures are expected to increase next year, including instructional salaries and benefits, planned capital projects, and ever-growing energy costs.
    Also at Monday’s meeting, the school board:
    • recognized Lucas Reilly, Colleen Bean, Riley Card, and Molly O’Hara as Sayre High School’s “Students of the Month” for May.
    • recognized Kim Mastrantonion with a Redskin Spotlight Award.
    • approved the retirement of high school custodian Geraldine DiPio, effective July 25.
    • approved the hiring of Roland Sweet, Haley Wheeler, and Lori Schoonover as volunteer football, girls’ soccer, and volleyball coaches, respectively, pending their receipt of necessary clearances.
    • reported that nine bids have thus far been received for the renovation of the high school science classrooms. Those bids will be opened later this week.
    The Sayre School District Board of Education will hold a public hearing on its proposed budget and is expected to adopt said budget at its June 18 meeting, to be held at 7:30 p.m. at H. Austin Elementary School. The public is invited to attend.
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    Amanda Baird may be contacted at amandabaird@morning-times.com.