SLIPPERY ROCK TWP — The school district board approved the 2024-25 budget on Monday, June 24, with a little more than $38 million in expenditures, which is balanced by a tax increase of 3.75 mills.

After discussing a version of the budget that put the district at a deficit, the board amended the motion to balance the budget. The projected expenditures for the approved budget are about $2 million more than the 2023-24 budget, which had expenditures of about $36.4 million. The board increased taxes by 2.5 mills last year.

Alfonso Angelucci, superintendent of Slippery Rock Area School District, said increased staff costs including benefits and health care are the main increases in expenditures.

The increase in millage brings the tax rate in the district to 108 mills. While the district also is in the process of renovating Slippery Rock Area High School, business manager Paul Cessar said the project is not a major influence on the budget.

In talks about the budget Monday, school board members discussed the possibility of not filling certain open jobs in the district to cut down on costs. Angelucci said the business manager took that idea into account when drafting the budget.

“A rise in health care is the primary increase,” Angelucci said. “There is one paraprofessional that resigned that we won’t be replacing, but we’ll still be able to keep the same level of service for the students who need support.”

Angelucci also gave credit to Cessar for drafting a balanced budget despite increased costs in the district.

“He’s coming in early, he’s coming in evenings, he’s coming in weekends,” Angelucci said of Cessar. “Somebody used the analogy of looking under every rock — you know he does ... He works extremely hard and we’re lucky to have him.”