Weatherly Area SD real estate taxes to rise by 1.5 mills

by Seth Isenberg

The Weatherly Area School Board, at their June 14 meeting, approved a tax increase of 1.5 mills on a 5-2 vote, Tom Connors and Ryan Binder opposed. The 2023-2024 General Fund Budget has total expenditures of $16,832,711 and a $675,000 deficit to be drawn from the District’s fund balance.

WASB vice-president

William Knepper explained that the board talked at length about both raising and lowering the tax increase, finally coming together at this amount. He complained that the cost of cyber schools is “really high” and that the state needs to “step up” to aid districts for these costs.

With the resignation of Matthew vonFrisch as Weatherly Area School District Board member on May 11, Ryan Binder was officially sworn-in by district justice Joseph Homanko. Board members offered ‘thank yous’ for vonFrisch’s years of service.

SMOKE, FIRE AND DARK: The explosion of an electric transformer behind Main Street in White Haven on Tuesday caused a small fire, a downed tree, and a blackout for most of White Haven and East Side. The fire was extinguished by the White Haven Volunteer Fire Company, and power was restored within about 2 hours by PPL. JH:

Binder will fill the vacancy on the athletic committee, and Kenneth Jacoby III steps up to be chairman of that committee. Jacoby will also cover the vacancy on the Carbon Lehigh Intermediate Unit #21 board of directors. In personnel, the Board approved the resignation of maintenance director William Moyer, effective August 4, and Amanda Derr, Elementary/Middle School Music teacher, effective at the end of this school year. Each received a ‘thank you’ from the board.

Judith Kunkle, fulltime paraprofessional, gained Board approval to move to fill the full-time Administrative Assistant to the Superintendent position effective June 7 at a salary of $45,000 prorated plus benefits.

Helene Baur, part-time cafeteria aide, was approved to move to fill the Head Cook vacancy, at an hourly rate of $13.75 and Kristin Walton, part-time cafeteria employee, was approved to move to full-time cleaning aide effective June 7, at an hourly rate of $13.21 plus benefits per the WAESPA contract.

Head boys basketball coach Corey Gerhart resigned at the end of his season in May. The District gave notice of the vacancy, and is now interviewing four applicants for the position.

The following are the 2023-2024 sports coaches: •Will Bartel, Head Coach-

See WASB, page 5