SHARON School board delays vote on bond issue

The search is down to six candidates, and the board hopes to make an appointment by July 1.
By HAROLD GWIN
VINDICATOR SHARON BUREAU
SHARON, Pa. -- The school board was ready to vote on a $3.125 million bond issue to complete some building renovations, but the bond issue wasn't ready for the board.
The board authorized borrowing the money June 4 and was scheduled to formally approve the plan Wednesday, but the documentation on the bond issue wasn't completed, said business manager James Wolf.
The school board had been considering a $10 million bond issue at one point, which would have included some $7 million of work proposed for Case Avenue Elementary, but switched to the lower figure at the June 4 meeting, dropping the Case Avenue plans for now but also leaving its bond agents insufficient time to redraft the borrowing plan, Wolf said.
Vote reset
The vote was pushed back to 7 p.m. Monday.
The money includes $1.9 million to complete ongoing renovations at the middle-high school; $525,000 in improvements to the Bennett Educational Service Center, which houses central administration offices; about $400,000 in change orders for the middle-high school project; and $155,000 for a 50-camera video security system for that building.
The board will also vote at 7 p.m. Monday on the final version of a 2002-03 budget that calls for a 3-mill increase in property taxes.
That's 3 new mills, comparable to a 9-mill increase under the current budget. Mercer County changed its tax assessment ratio this year from 33.3 percent to 100 percent of a property's assessed value. That tripled the value of a mill and also tripled the cost of a mill to taxpayers.
Cost of increase
A 3-mill increase will cost the average residential taxpayer about $45 more a year, Wolf said.
The final budget figure stands at $21,203,180.
In other matters, the board is still looking at six potential candidates for the post of superintendent.
The board voted last fall not to renew the contract of Superintendent Richard Rossi when it expires June 30 and has been searching for a successor.
President Lora Adams-King said the board hopes to hire someone by July 1 but said it is unlikely an appointment can be made at Monday's meeting.
The board completed one round of interviews with the six candidates and is looking at a second round of interviews, she said.
Rossi didn't attend Wednesday's school board session and his nameplate was missing from the board table.
Adams-King said he may be using up some vacation and personal days until his last official day on the job.