Wyoming Area School Board approves $49.53 million final budget, authorizes switchgear contract and tax calendar

The Wyoming Area School Board on June 23 approved the district’s final general fund budget for 2026–27, $49,534,905, and authorized related finance measures including electric‑service agreements and a not‑to‑exceed $1,107,000 contract with CM3 for replacement of the switchgear and associated work.

Board business centered on a multi-part spending plan that includes a 4.8% index increase in the proposed revenue stream. Business manager Mr. Malone told the board the district is projecting a shortfall in the current plan (about $1.17 million after adjustments) and a projected opening fund balance near $3.2 million under conservative assumptions. Malone said local revenue estimates rose slightly (about $50,000) and the board factored a $70,000 state increase offset by smaller federal allotments; he flagged a $750,000 increase in health‑care costs as a principal driver of the budget gap.

"If tonight we were to raise the tax increase to the index, which is 4.8%, that brings in $850,000," the president said when explaining why the index item remains in the plan. Malone presented alternatives (0%, 2.4% and 4.8%) and modeled homeowner impacts; under the 4.8% scenario he showed rebalancing effects that would translate to about $214 annually on a $250,000 Luzerne‑county house and larger percentages for lower assessed valuations in Wyoming County.

The board also authorized two electric‑service agreements (Smartest Energy US LLC and Tenegy) and a contract with CM3 for the switchgear replacement at the secondary center, a project the superintendent said is roughly three‑quarters covered by a grant secured with help from state Representative Brenda Pugh. The CM3 contract was listed as “not to exceed $1,107,000” and requires formal approvals of the superintendent, solicitor and business manager before final execution.

Board members completed a roll‑call vote on the finance slate. The roll call recorded multiple "yes" votes and one member recorded a split vote (Campenni/Campany was recorded as voting "No" specifically on item 11, the final budget, while supporting the remainder of the package). The motion for the finance slate passed.

The package included a resolution establishing the property‑tax calendar and installment dates required by Act 1, and a homestead/farmstead exclusion calculation that the board set to reduce real estate assessments by formula (the district reported aggregate tax‑reduction funds of $816,246.53). The treasurer reported bank and trust balances across several funds before the vote.

Officials said the district will advertise the required budget notice and follow statutory timelines for adoption and tax collection. Malone and other staff stressed that the spending plan still assumes the governor’s proposed state funding in some scenarios but that state appropriations were not yet finalized at the time of the meeting.

What happens next: The board authorized advertisement of the adopted final budget notice per law; staff will monitor state funding developments and implement the contracted work for the switchgear per grant and capital‑fund availability.