BY JEFF HORVATH
Times-Shamrock Correspondent

The Elk Lake School Board unanimously approved a $19.9 million budget for 2015-16 Thursday, June 25, and also a collective bargaining agreement good through 2019.

To accommodate the budget, superintendent Ken Cuomo announced a tax mill increase of 2.02 mills in Wyoming County property taxes, and a tax mill decrease of one tenth of a mill in Susquehanna County.

Wyoming County’s millage rate now increases from 44.74 to 46.76, while Susquehanna County’s millage rate drops from 39.42 to 39.32.

The approved final budget for the Susquehanna County Career and Technology Center totals $5.26 million which includes the career center’s adult programs. The 2015-2016 SCCTC budget is $228,414.98 less than the 2014-2015 budget.

Citing unforeseen revenue drops in expected natural gas royalties as well as increased funding of both employee pensions and the medical fund, Board President Anne Teel said that “this has been a very difficult couple of weeks.” New computer software and a roofing project also account for budget increases.

Nonetheless, the final budget is $176,833 less expensive than the preliminary budget the board approved in May.

The board also approved the “ELEA (Elk Lake Education Association) Collective Bargaining Agreement” for the years of 2014 to 2019. Superintendent Kenneth Cuomo recommended the approval of the 5-year collective bargaining agreement and a memorandum of retroactivity for the 2014-2015 school year.

The contract calls for a 0 percent increase for each of the next three years, one percent in 2017-2018 and two percent increase in 2018-2019.

There will also be no change in health insurance deductibles; however they will be increased by $100 in the fifth year out.

Board member Chuck Place made the motion to approve the collective bargaining agreement which was passed unanimously with Board Member Alice Carr abstaining.

Lauding the ELEA Negotiating Committee’s cooperation and commitment to amicably work with the Board through the process of negotiating the agreement, President Teel acknowledged that “this was not an easy contract to put together.”

“We want to thank you for working with us and being sensitive to our budget needs,” Teel continued, “thank you from the bottom of our hearts.”

Cuomo also praised the “working relationship” between the two groups.

“It is unusual and refreshing to see a school district in this day and age negotiate and work together in good faith,” Cuomo said.

The board received the audit report from the accounting firm of “Murphy, Dougherty and Co.” for the 2013-2014 school year. According to Paul Murphy, who delivered the report, Elk Lake’s total fund balance in the general fund grew by $40,609.00 during the aforementioned year, while the total fund balance of the SCCTC’s general fund decreased by $219,219.00.

During the meeting Superintendent Cuomo announced that Varsity Baseball Coach Tony Rezykowski and others associated with the program have collected $46,000 in private donations to help finance renovations and additions to the Elk Lake baseball field. This perspective additions may include adding a scoreboard, batting cage, and concession stand, among other renovations. The baseball program was looking for permission to proceed with their project, and had requested another $6,500 from the district to finance the additions and improvements.

Board member Jack Sible made the motion to grant conditional approval for the project, with the conditions being that the district will not provide the $6,500 in funding, that the company doing the work provides liability insurance, and that no structure be approved without first consulting with the builder. The board also retains the right to cease the project at any time.

Sible’s motion was seconded by Arden Tewksbury and passed unanimously.

Tewksbury went on to say that he “would love to see this project happen if it can be done with donor money,” and then complimented the baseball program for their hard work.

2 SCCTC Clinical Nurse Supervisor contracts were renewed by the board, with Karen Killian and Chelsea Lunger having the their contracts renewed through June 30 of next year.

Dianne Eastman was approved for the position of “Per Diem OB Nurse,” at the rate of $30 per hour.

Iris Hoffman was also approved for a full-time Associate Position at Elk Lake with a salary of $9.50 per hour.

The board approved the posting of several positions, including a 10 month Assistant Principal’s position that will replace the Dean of Students position at the school. A 9 month Secretary position and a full-time Maintenance position were also approved for posting.

Principal Brian Mallery also announced forthcoming changes to Elk Lake’s driver’s education class. Due to changing regulations, student drivers must now complete all course work for the driver’s ed class before they can get behind the wheel for their 6 hours of practice driving with an instructor. In order to accommodate this change Elk Lake will make driver’s ed a ninth grade course instead of a tenth grade course. Students will complete the driving component of the course in tenth grade.