MIFFLINTOWN — Call it a conundrum. Call it a Catch-22. Call it whatever you want — when expenditures exceed revenues, there’s a problem.

For the Juniata County School District Board of Directors, it’s really a no-win situation for the 2025-26 school budget. Even a proposed five percent tax hike brings the numbers close together, but there still will be an estimated $700,000 to $800,000 shortfall.

The obvious answer is to address students leaving the district to attend charter schools. The tuition costs to the district are $5.2 million for the preliminary budget.

Even whittling that number down by 15 percent would cover the deficit. Making a more sizable dent might spare Juniata County taxpayers from a proposed tax increase.

The problem for the district, which is already under scrutiny for spending, is that the Juniata County Virtual Academy needs an investment to make improvements — money that the district doesn’t really have at its disposal.

The other solution would be for parents who send their children to charter schools to keep them in the district.

Listening to the monthly reports from administrators and teachers, they are always full of information about band and chorus musicians qualifying for prestigious competitions, athletic teams winning district championships, students excelling in various academic fields or the curtain going up for theatre productions to packed houses.

“There’s a lot of good things going on in our schools,” Juniata County School District Superintendent of Schools Christie Holderman said during a recent board meeting.

The directors, teachers and administrators don’t need to be convinced of that, it’s the parents of these students in charter schools who might reconsider their decisions and give public schools another chance, or even try one of their online alternatives.

Director Douglas Kline agreed, “The cyber school is our Achilles heel. If we can figure out a way without paying out for the cyber school (a tax increase wouldn’t be necessary). This (tax increase) is not something that anyone enjoys doing.”

Kline and Directors Jackson Albert, Joseph Shearer, Martha Jane Shirk and Angela Varner voted for the preliminary budget, while Helen Casner and Ray Page voted against it. Two directors were absent: Troy Woodward, who tendered his resignation, and Cindy Treaster.

Casner and Page were asked by the other directors for recommendations for solving the budget dilemma. Casner said she believes funding for projects for Apple computers should be more closely examined to find lower prices as Apple can be more expensive than other brands.

Page believes the schools should focus on basic education first and “live within its means,” he said.

The school board will hold its workshop meeting at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, June 11 at the administration office in Mifflintown.