BUTLER TWP — The Butler County Area Vocational-Technical School’s proposed budget for the 2023-24 school year passed Thursday, with 57 votes from school board members across the county.

The school’s budget has an operating cost of about $6.51 million, about $207,000 more than the previous year’s budget. Several line items decreased in the proposed budget compared to the current year’s budget, including salaries and employee benefits.

Line items that increased in cost in the proposed budget include supplies; property services such as the student information system, solicitor fees and contracted safety and security services; and “other purchased services.” The budgetary reserve also increased from about $85,000 to a proposed $92,000.

Vo-tech school administrators opened the sealed votes from each school board member from the seven county school districts at the Thursday meeting of the Joint Operating Committee.

Regina Hiler, vo-tech executive director, said the budget has final approval now that school boards and their individual members have approved it.

“They already voted, then the school districts voted, then they all voted individually, so this is it until next year,” Hiler said.