By a less than unanimous vote, the Northampton Area School District Board of Education approved a final 2015-16 budget that calls for a 2.27-percent property tax increase.

School board President David Gogel and school Directors Jean Rundle and Roy Maranki voted against the increase.

School board Vice President Jennifer Miller, voting by phone, and school Directors Dr. Michael Baird, Darin Arthofer, Chuck Frantz, Chuck Longacre and Judy Odenwelder voted for the increase.

The vote at the June 8 meeting came after a plea by former school director Geraldine "Ginny" Skrapits to not increase taxes.

"I have compassion for many widows who were forced out of their homes," said Skrapits, who served as NASD school director from 2004 to 2011.

Referring to Northampton Press articles she brought with her, including an article about a May 18 school board tour of the new Northampton Area Middle School, Skrapits said, "It seemed to me the amenities outnumber the necessities."

After the vote, former school director Madeline "Maggie" Kemp asked about the level of district enrollment and teacher hiring.

"The enrollment hasn't gone up since the time I was on the board," said Kemp, who served as NASD school director from 2002 to 2009.

NASD Superintendent of Schools Joseph Kovalchik said the district had 419 teachers in the 2009-10 school year and 374 in the 2014-15 school year, a decrease of 45 teachers. There were no furloughs or terminations. Positions weren't filled.

"We are bare-bones," Kovalchik said of NASD staffing, adding that the district may need teachers for state-mandated Keystone Exams remediation.

Kemp asked if the $80.7 million Northampton Area Middle School and Secondary Campus Renovation Project is over budget.

"We're under budget," Gogel said.

Kovalchik estimated the project is $3 million under budget.

The NASD board voted 6-1, with two directors absent, May 4 to approve the proposed general fund budget, which had the same tax hike. Gogel cast the dissenting vote.

The 2015-16 final general fund budget is $96,104,013. The 2.27-percent tax hike is a 1.11-mill increase to 50 mills, up from 48.89 mills.

The average annual tax is $2,888.07, up from $2,823.95. The average increase is $64.12 annually, $5.34 monthly and $1.23 weekly. The tax rates are based on the average NASD property assessment of $57,761.38.

School directors approved the 2015-16 athletic fund of $179,120 and food services budget of $2,370,376.

Also approved: per capita tax, $5; real estate transfer tax, 0.5 percent; and earned income tax, 0.7 percent.

NASD receives 29.7 percent of its budget revenues from the state, 1.3 percent from the federal government, 3.01 percent from "other" and 65.98 percent from local taxpayers.