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Franklin not trying to be a better Missy, but a happy Missy

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Wilkes-Barre man accused of selling heroin

<p>WILKES-BARRE &#8212; The Wilkes-Barre Area School Board approved a final budget for 2017-18 on Tuesday with a 3.5 percent property tax increase, the maximum allowed by state law without seeking state exceptions or voter approval. The board also announced a new pre-kindergarten program to be introduced at two schools this fall.</p><p>The budget sets the property tax rate at 17.4434 mills, the same as had been approved in a preliminary budget passed May 18. A mill is a $1 tax for every $1,000 of assessed property value.</p><p>Total spending in the proposal, which by law must be balanced, is $121.2 million, up $3.4 million from this year&#8217;s budget. During public comment prior to the meeting, Sam Troy &#8212; who has announced he intends to run for school board as an independent in November &#8212; called the budget a &#8220;moral abomination&#8221; because of the tax hike and urged the board to reject it.</p><p>Administrative and Student Services Director Rochelle Koury told the board of the plan to have Pre-K at the Solomon/Plains Education Complex and Kistler Elementary, in cooperation with Building Blocks Learning Center. The program will be piloted at both schools and refined before being offered at all schools.</p><p>It will be an all-day program five days a week. Participation is voluntary and parents will be responsible for transportation. Board President Denise Thomas said the program will be run &#8220;at no cost to the district&#8221;</p><p>The board agreed to pay $17,200 to Wilkes-Barre city for use of municipal athletic fields for 2017-18, and renewed membership in the Pennsylvania School Board Association &#8212; including continued participation in the PSBA Board Policy Maintenance Program &#8212; for $14,195.</p><p>The board also voted to purchase replacement ovens for the kitchen at Heights-Murray Elementary from Rice&#8217;s Food Equipment and Consulting Inc. at a cost of $31,773.</p><p>And the board voted to make a final payment for asbestos removal at Coughlin High School totaling $104,254, settling a dispute with the contractor Abmech Inc. Solicitor Ray Wendolowski said the two sides agreed to the amount calculated by the district, and to &#8220;suspend&#8221; the contract rather than cancel the remainder of it.</p><p>The original contract called for removal in the older section of the school, which was completed, and the newer annex, which may not be done because the board failed to secure a required zoning variance to replace the school with a new, larger one.</p><p><ins>The board also passed a string of motions common near the start of a school year to provide outside services. The board approved:</ins></p><p><ins>&#8226; A contract with the Northeastern intermediate Unit in Archbald for special education services.</ins></p><p><ins>&#8226; An agreement with John McElwee as internal coach for Autism Support Classes participating in the Pennsylvania Autism Initiative Applied Behavioral Analysis Support Program, a teacher training program offered by the state.</ins></p><p><ins>&#8226; A memorandum of understanding with Luzerne/Wyoming Counties Bureau of aging for three years through June 2020 for placement of foster grandparents to serve 200 children with special needs.</ins></p><p><ins>&#8226; An agreement with Wyoming Valley Alcohol and Drug Services for prevention/education services for district students.</ins></p><p><ins>&#8226; An agreement with Meadows/UCBH of Centre Hall, Pa., for diagnostic/prescriptive services for academic needs of hospitalized students.</ins></p><p><ins>&#8226; An agreement with the Luzerne County Department of Probation Services for a school/community-based probation project.</ins></p><p><ins>&#8226; An agreement with Bancroft of Cherry Hill, N.J., for special education services.</ins></p><style>
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<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Mark Guydish</p><p>mguydish@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Mark Guydish at 570-991-6112 or on Twitter @TLMarkGuydish</p></shirttailMeta></div>

W-B Area approves final budget with tax hike