With Miller and Baskan both strongly urging that the program remain and Rothman unwilling to make the motion to put the topic back on the table, the discussion continued.

“When we talked about it in the fall, we said we were excited about this program — but not at the expense of something else,” Assistant Superintendent Charles Heller finally said. “There’s really nothing else we can cut.”

Miller moved to reconsider rescinding the program; his motion passed with only Baskan casting a dissenting vote.

The motion to actually rescind the program passed 4-to-3, with Miller, Rothman and Baskan in the minority.

From there, the board unanimously agreed to reconsider the budget. However, with VanTuil, Rothman and Baskan dissenting, the budget resolution once again failed because Pennsylvania’s School Code requires annual budgets to be approved by at least five school board members, not a simple majority of those present at the meeting.

After even more discussion, Rothman said that resolving questions he had about the district’s capital improvement budget — money set aside in previous years that would not have any impact on the 2009-10 budget anyway — would enable him to change his vote on the budget.

With that, the board unanimously agreed to reconsider the budget.

This time around, VanTuil cast the only dissenting vote and the 2009-10 budget passed by a 6-1 margin. Within minutes, new millage rates were also in place.

According to Guy O’Neil, the district’s business manager, the 1.9 mill increase includes .5 mill for the district’s ongoing elementary construction program and .5 mill for improvements at Crawford County Career and Technical Center. The balance, he said Tuesday, “is for salaries and benefits — and everything else.”

Mary Spicer can be reached at 724-6370 or by e-mail at mspicer@meadvilletribune.com.