LEWISTOWN — The Mifflin County School District Board of Directors approved a preliminary 2026-27 general fund budget of $106,062,122 at its special voting meeting on Thursday.

Directors passed the motion to approve the preliminary general fund budget in an 8-1 roll call vote, with board President Zeb Harshbarger against the motion.

The directors may continue to make changes to the budget as it has not yet been finalized and only needs to be advertised at least 30 days prior to adoption.

Superintendent of Schools Vance Varner later clarified that the board will not vote on a property tax increase until the board’s June 25 voting meeting; the board must also approve its final budget at that meeting.

Some proposed millage adjustments include:

• Adjust millage from current 34.5215 to 36.1785 to reflect full Act 1 increase;

• Adjust millage from current 34.5215 to 35.5215;

• Adjust millage from current 34.5215 to 35.0215;

• Maintain current millage of 34.5215.

During the public comment portion of the special voting meeting, community members voiced their concerns with the 2026-27 budget.

During the first public comment, Arika Pellman, of Lewistown, said, “I’d like to speak in support of a balanced approach, a reasonable increase in millage combined with the responsible use of a fund balance. If we hold the current millage and rely only on reserves, we’re not solving anything; we’re postponing it. Next year we’ll be right back here with fewer resources and less flexibility.”

During the second public comment portion of the meeting, Jasey Zerby, a teacher at Mifflin County Middle School, said that the budget-cut ideas removed from the board’s Monday agenda are still ideas now, but may come to fruition later if action is not taken. Zerby mentioned teacher cuts through attrition as an example of an idea that later became reality.

The board continued discussion regarding the 2026-27 budget at its Committee of the Whole meeting Thursday.

Further information regarding the Committee of the Whole meeting will appear in a future edition of The Sentinel due to deadline restrictions.