Zoning Hearing Board Approves Stegmaier Parking

60th Anniversary Reunion Planned 
A 60th Anniversary Reunion Is Planned For 1936 Graduates Of E.l. Meyers High 
School. This Reunion Celebration Is In Honor Of Fellow Graduate Dr. Edward B.

Wednesday, June 26, 1996 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Page: 5A 





WILKES-BARRE -- The Wilkes-Barre Area School Board approved a $62.6 million
budget that includes a 7-mill increase for the 1996-97 school year at Tuesday
night's special meeting. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Board member Edward Biniek said the 7-mill increase was only a fraction of
the 21 mills that the board could have requested. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; "We're in trouble ... but we can't let our children suffer," Biniek said. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The current property tax is 196 mills, but the increase will bring it to
203 mills. Each mill generates $120,000 for the Wilkes-Barre School District.
A mill is a $1 tax for each $1,000 of assessed value. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The average property is assessed at $3,000 so the increase will mean an
additional $21 in taxes. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Board member Barbara Youngblood said the district is "losing money because
people are having their property reassesssed." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The board voted 6-1 in favor of the budget. John Yencha voted against the
budget. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The last property tax increase was a 3-mill increase in the 1994-95 budget. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Ralph Scoda, business manager, attributed the increase to flat revenue. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "Growth revenues and state subsidies were flat," Scoda said. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 School board members offered suggestions to help streamline the budget,
including central supply operation, cutting transportation costs, streamlining
administration and putting a cap on employee mileage and overtime. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 In other business: &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The board discussed recommendations for a computer network that would
provide Internet access for the entire district. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Central Susquehanna Intermediate Unit, a computer service, provided results
of a cost comparison of six bidders to install cable and network services to
the district. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The bids range from $449,400 to $1.2 million. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The board voted to continue discussions of proposals and bids that were
submitted. The school board plans to hold a special meeting on July 9 to
discuss the network proposal. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

W-b Area School Board Board Approves Budget With 7-mill Tax Increase