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YATESVILLE — Taxes for Pittston Area School District property owners are increasing 3.4 percent for the 2017-18 school year.

That’s the maximum amount allowed under state law, without the district asking for special permission to exceed the threshold.

Pittston’s school board voted unanimously Tuesday for the tax hike. It means property owners will pay $1.55 more for every $1,000 of assessed property value.

Albert B. Melone Jr., a partner with Albert B. Melone Co., CPA, advised the board to vote for the increase to cover possible financial obligations during the next 12-month period. Melone, the district’s business adviser, said the extra money will cover “a tremendous amount of uncertainty.” That includes possible changes to the state budget; specifically, a cut to the $1.6 million received to help cover the district’s busing contract. Within the last week, Pittston Area also received word that two insurance claims could cost the district more than a combined $500,000.

“We’re self-insured,” Melone said. “We make provisions for catastrophic illness. We have two $250,000 above-and-beyond-the-norm potential claims. One of those claims may triple due to treatment.”

Melone initially expected to recommend no change in taxes or an increase of just 2 percent until the aforementioned factors emerged.

“Based on the factors that I know, driven by catastrophic illness, driven on the state cutting into our revenue, driven by the fact we’re just working our way back into the comfort zone, we changed,” Malone said.

In addition, the district’s annual operating costs will rise next year by an estimated 3.8 percent.

The 2017-18 budget vote was the first for Joseph Salvo, who joined the board after being appointed in May.

“Nobody wants to see anything increase, especially when it comes to taxes, but you need to run a school,” Salvo said. “There’s so many families and so many people that are touched by a school district. You can’t go backwards, it’s just impossible.”

In other business:

• The budget vote also included prices for school lunch and breakfast during the 2017-18 school year. Elementary lunch will be $2.30, secondary lunch will be $2.40, and breakfast at both buildings will be $1.20.

• Proposals made to the district by the Coca-Cola Co. were accepted through the end of the 2019-20 school year.

• The board decided to handle a large number of personnel decisions, including appointments of coaches and club advisers, at a special meeting 7 p.m. Tuesday, July 11, at Pittston Area Senior High School, 5 Stout St., Yatesville.

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By Gene Axton

[email protected]

Reach Gene Axton at 570-991-6406 or on Twitter @GeneAxtonTL