Board Approves Budget with
No Tax Increase
Mars Area School Board voted unanimously in favor of Mars Area School District’ s 2017-2018 General Fund Budget of $ 47.8 million with no millage increase.
The approved budget is the 10th consecutive with no real estate tax increase. Taxes will remain at 99 mills.
“ This is the 10th year without a millage increase for our residents. It represents conservative budgeting, tight management, and good decision making on behalf of our students, staff and the taxpayers,” says Dayle Ferguson, Board president.“ We will have some new programs and some new opportunities this year and are very proud of this budget.” The 2017-2018 General Fund Budget is 4.3 percent($ 2,000,000) higher than the 2016-2017 budget of $ 45.8 million. District revenue from local, state and federal sources is anticipated to net a $ 1.7 million increase and will be used to offset expense increases.
Approximately $ 43 million( 89.5 percent) of the budget is earmarked for fixed costs such as salaries, benefits, retirement,
transportation, cyber and special education. The remaining $ 4.8 million in budget expenditures will be used to pay for other District operations.
The District’ s educational program is primarily funded by the hometown tax base, which represents 71 percent of all District revenue sources. The increase in state support is $ 647,000, $ 310,000 of which is from the rise in the mandatory pension contribution for the 2017-2018 School Year. Singledigit percentage increases in the pension contribution rate are anticipated for future years unless a legislative solution at the state level is achieved.
The 2017-2018 General Fund Budget will be made available for public review at marsk12. org as well as at the District’ s Administration Office and school buildings. Questions or comments regarding the budget may be submitted to Mars Area School Board via e-mail at masdboard @ marsk12. org or at any public Board meetings.
For more information, call 724.625.1518. cKeesport AREA
CITY MARS OF AREA MCKEESPORT SCHOOL DISTRICT NEWS NEWS
High School Names 2017 Valedictorian & Salutatorian
Claire Staresinic
Evan Deddo
Mars Area graduates Claire Staresinic and Evan Deddo were named valedictorian and salutatorian of the Class of 2017, respectively.
Claire Staresinic, 18, daughter of Ken and Maria Staresinic of Valencia, served as co-president of National Honor Society, Student Council representative to the School Board, Speech & Debate Team co-chair and Hometown High-Q Team captain. She was a member of Honors Band and National German Honor Society( Delta Epsilon Phi) Chapter, and was a four-year cast member in Mars Area High School’ s annual fall play.
Staresinic is a 2017 National Merit Scholarship Program Finalist and an AP Merit Scholar with Honor. She was named a 2017 Trib Total Media Outstanding Young Citizen Program Gold Medalist as well as to the 2017 American Association of Teachers of German( AATG) National German Exam for High School Students Level 4 Bronze Presidential Honor Roll.
She received first place in the Poetry Recitation category at
46 Mars Area the 2017 Three Rivers German Day, took first place overall( with graduate Abby Parsons) in the Duo Interpretation category at the Pennsylvania High School Speech League( PHSSL) District 2 Qualifier, and was selected for the 2016 PMEA All-State Band.
She is a National Elks Foundation Scholar and a recipient of the PEO( Philanthropic Educational Organization) International Star Scholarship, Ralph B. Canterbury Scholarship( Clearview Federal Credit Union), Student Council Scholarship, High School Service Award and a Distinction Diploma Seal.
Staresinic has participated in Junior Olympic Archery for the past seven years. In 2015, she took first place in the Female Cadet Recurve Bow competition at the Pennsylvania State Archery Association( PSAA) Indoor Championship.
In the community, she has volunteered at Mars Home for Youth, Animal Friends, Family Psychological Associates and Clarion Psychiatric Center.
Staresinic will attend the Honors Program at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she plans to major in Pre-Med.
Evan Deddo, 18, son of Kenneth and Deborah Deddo of Valencia, was a member of National Honor Society and a four-year letterman on Mars Area High School Boys Varsity Cross Country Team. He holds a Pennsylvania“ You Be the Chemist” Challenge state title and has participated in the MathCounts competition at the state level.
Deddo is a 2017 National Merit Scholarship Program Finalist and was selected for PMEA All-State Orchestra in both 2015 and 2016. He is the recipient of the 2017 Butler Road Race Inc. Scholarship and The Edward & Bethel Kean Foundation STEM Scholarship.
He received the National Federation of Music Clubs( NFMC) President’ s Gold Cup for Piano Solo and has earned a“ Superior” rating in each of his 12 years of participation in the adjudication program. In addition, Deddo is a principal violinist with the Pittsburgh Youth Symphony Orchestra, which is performed a fourcity concert tour in Spain this summer.
Deddo will attend the University of California— Berkeley as a physics major.
For more information on the valedictorian, salutatorian and honors selection process, visit the“ Mars Area High School” page at marsk12. org, and click on the“ Class Rank Determination” link under“ For Students” or call 724.625.1581.