Greater Latrobe School Board did an about-face Tuesday and halted its multimillion-dollar revitalization plan that was set to raise taxes significantly through 2039 — thanks to a majority vote by directors who won successful write-in campaigns last month.
The motion at Tuesday’s board meeting rescinded two resolutions passed during previous board meetings, including the initial adoption of the capital project plan and an authorization to engage in professional services.
It passed 7-2 in a roll call vote. President Merle D. Musick, Vice President Andrew Repko, Tom Gockel, Merle L. Musick, John Petrarca, Bradley Toman and John Urban voted yes, while Heidi Kozar and Rhonda Laughlin voted no.
Now that the resolutions have been rescinded, the plan will head back to the drawing board.
Greater Latrobe Superintendent Michael Porembka said the motion was one that the new board felt it needed to make to slow down the process, which he said was OK.
“We have four brand-new board members,” he said. “They need information; they need to learn.”
The initial plan approved in September had three phases, with the figures projected for the most expensive, or worst-case, scenario:
• The first phase was expected to cost about $53 million and included an addition to the senior high school for ninth grade, a partial renovation of the senior high school and some maintenance at the elementary buildings.
• The second phase was expected to cost about $63 million and included a new building for the seventh and eighth grades, the demolition of the current junior high school, the redevelopment of the demolition site and the completion of the high school renovation.
• The third phase was expected to cost between $66 million and $82 million depending on whether Baggaley and Mountain View elementary schools were renovated or consolidated in a new building.
The previous board expected to borrow between $182 million to $198 million from 2024-2039, with the assumption of a 30-year payback period.
District property owners were expected to see tax hikes totaling 24 mills by 2039, and the average taxpayer would have seen a $648 increase from their current tax bill.
Based on the most recent common level ratio of 11%, the average assessed value of a home in Greater Latrobe is about $27,000.
The plan was selected over another option that would’ve maintained the district’s current facilities, increasing taxes 11.25 mills by 2040.
Porembka previously said there was up to $187 million of need — potential renovations or construction — identified in the district after a series of assessments.
Before the vote in September, community members showed up to express their opposition, with many bringing up the issues of residents being on fixed incomes and creeping inflation. The Unity supervisors also expressed concern over the plan and its tax hikes.
The revitalization plan was cited as a driving factor in the unprecendented number of write-in votes cast in the board’s November election — accounting for almost half of all write-in votes in Westmoreland County.
Write-in John Petrarca finished third in the race for five, four-year terms on the board, and write-in Tom Gockel finished fifth. Two newcomers also won seats: John Urban came in second with 4,937 votes, and Bradley Toman came in fourth with 2,979 votes. And one incumbent, Merle L. Musick, won a seat, receiving the largest number of votes at 5,309.
Incumbents who did not win reelection included Eric Hauser with 2,784 votes, Susan Mains with 2,740 votes and Michael Zorch with 2,699. All had voted in favor of the district’s revitalization plan, and Hauser was the outgoing president of the board.
Porembka said he’s had “very positive” conversations with the four new directors, and he wants to work to get them the information they need to eventually move forward with a decision.
“I don’t think anybody disagrees that something has to be done here, but we all need to work together,” he said. “There’s a path forward — we’re going to figure it out.”
Megan Swift is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Megan at 724-850-1204, [email protected] or via Twitter .
