Residents Support Tax Increase for Continued Quality Education

For the average household in the Nazareth Area School District, a 1.7 percent tax increase would mean an extra $58 per year, or 21 cents per day, according to Superintendent Victor Lesky.

At tonight’s school board meeting, about five district residents stood up in support of the increase, each leaving the podium with a round of applause from the audience.

“There’s two sides to every story,” Lesky said after the meeting.  “The people are reacting to what the board heard in February and to what they’ve read [in the news].”

Lesky believes these residents wanted to share their point of view, and although they do not oppose an increase, they do want the district to spend “prudently and not recklessly,” Lesky added.

“I have no qualms with [the school board] raising taxes as long as they keep the education intact,” said Wilhelmina Donnelly of Upper Nazareth Township.

Mike Woodland, also of Upper Nazareth, wants to see the school district remain a “destination.”

“My wife and I lived in another school district before deciding to start a family,” he told board members.  “Looking around the Valley, there were only a few we considered.”

Donnelly wondered if the school board could do more.

“Is the administration going to take a pay freeze or a cut in pay?” she asked.

According to Lesky, about 22 administrators have offered to lower their pay raises to 1.7 percent from 3.75 percent.

“No other groups have come to the board with any offer the board felt was credible,” Lesky said.

Lesky says the Nazareth Area Education Association and the Nazareth Area Educational Support Personnel Association has either offered him no response, or responses the board did not deem credible.

School boad president Lorin Bradley was happy to hear from taxpayers.

“It’s a welcome change of pace to hear concerned citizens of the district recognizing the difficult process of the budget.  We’re raising taxes on ourselves as well,” he said, adding that several board members have children attending a school in the district.

“When we go through this budget process, we have good debates.  We have a lot of discussion,” Bradley said.  “But all of us have a common thread: we’re trying not to impact the quality of education or the experiences and opportunities of our children." 

Lesky discussed Gov. Tom Corbett’s proposed budget, which includes the elimination of exceptions school boards can apply for.

“Next year, there will not be exceptions if that passes the full Senate and the House… we’re going to handcuff the boards by taking away the exceptions and we’re going to sit behind closed doors in Harrisburg and watch the carnage because the school boards will have to make those tough decisions and will have to make those cuts,” Lesky said.

“It’s very easy to go to a school board meeting to make your feelings known, and I applaud that, but we really need you to contact your state legislators, which are Lisa Boscola, Marcia Hahn and Joe Emrick.  If they take those exceptions away, there will be no debate.  The flat out answer will be ‘no,’" Lesky said.

"We will have no choice.”

The final budget will be adopted during the first meeting in May, according to Lesky.