The Bethlehem school board Monday night voted to keep all options on the table to help it close a $12.5 million budget gap. 

The school board passed the 2017-18 preliminary budget in a 7-1 vote. lehighvalleylive.com file photo 

The board vote 7-1 to apply to the state for permission to potentially exceed its 3.1 percent on annual property tax increases. Director Shannon Patrick was absent.

Director Tom Thomasik was the lone dissenting vote.

"I did it for the people that elected me," he said after the meeting, pointing to a newsletter detailing how much taxes have gone up in Hanover Township, Northampton County.

The administration wants the district to apply to the state for permission to potentially exceed its 3.1 percent cap on annual property tax increases. 

Bethlehem school district starts budget $12.5M in the hole

Director Dean Donaher cautioned that does not mean the district will hike taxes the max it can. The vote is just a procedural step in the budget process, he said.

The 2017-18 budget's top cost drivers contributing to the huge budget hole are: a $3.8 million increase in mandated employee pension payments; $2.7 million for salaries; $2.6 million for academic initiatives; $1.5 million for general operations; $1.2 student tuition and $704,056 in charter school payments. 

The administration already has cut $5 million from the preliminary budget, including $2 million of educational programming, like new curriculum and professional development.

Bethlehem expects to again use at least $2 million of its savings to help balance the 2017-18 budget. Superintendent Joseph Roy has said that figure may need to be higher this year, but he noted that money will have to be made up somewhere the following year.

The district began the 2016-17 budget process with a $15.2 million deficit, which by June was closed through spending cuts, $2.9 million in district savings and a 3.2 percent tax hike.

Budget workshops are scheduled for March 29 and April 26. The final tentative budget adoption is scheduled for May 15 and the final vote is set for June 19.

Sara K. Satullo may be reached at ssatullo@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow her on Twitter @sarasatullo and Facebook. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.

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