Cornwall-Lebanon school board approves 2026-27 budget and tax increase

This article was funded by LebTown donors as part of our Civic Impact Reporting Project.

The Cornwall-Lebanon School District unanimously agreed to adopt the 2026-27 budget, including a 3.9% tax increase, at a monthly meeting June 15.

With expenditures totaling $119,634,821 and pre-tax increase revenues totaling $116,863,133, the district unanimously increased millage by .75 mills to 19.9606 mills to balance the budget.

Director of business affairs Jean Hentz said during a work session June 8 that there were no changes to the budget since it was discussed in May and approved for advertisement. She also said some details of the budget remain unknown including state Basic Education Funding, Special Education Funding, and Ready to Learn Grant Funding and federal subsidies for title programs.

The board also unanimously approved homestead and farmstead exclusions for the 2026-27 fiscal year.

During public comment, the board heard from parent Mike Malinoski, who expressed concern with the structure of the high school’s music program. Students are not permitted to be in concert band during the school day unless they are also in marching band, which requires around 190 hours of out-of-school activities throughout the year and over summer break, Malinoski said.

He said his son is unable to make this commitment due to athletics, academics, and community obligations, and the school is unwilling to make accommodations for him and other students in similar situations.

Board member and extra-curricular representative Joel Zug said “the board will work with administration and take the information under review and consideration.”

Superintendent Dr. Phil Domencic, who noted he met with Malinoski before the end of the school year, extolled the size and success of CLSD’s music program, but said he and the board would look into the matter further.

“Prior to making any of those [decisions], this is an issue that we believe would require a certain amount of input and looking at this from a perspective that includes a lot of different constitutents,” said Domencic. “But we’re certainly prepared to do that and to look at that and we will be doing so, so thank you for being here.”

In other news, the board:

• Heard from Domencic, who urged parents to sign kids up for kindergarten as soon as possible if they plan to enroll.
• Unanimously approved the following change orders for ongoing renovations:
  • The Farfield Co., HS electrical contractor: $14,721.30
  • Jay R. Reynolds Inc., HS plumbing contractor: $13,504
  • Accelerated Fire Protection, HS fire protection contractor, $1,800
  • NCI Construction LTD, stadium general contractor: $14,727
• Unanimously approved a collective bargaining agreement between CLSD and the Cornwall-Lebanon Education Association for the 2027-28 through 2029-30 fiscal years.
• Unanimously approved the selection of Moore Engineering for the chiller and hot water heater replacements at Cedar Crest Middle School, with the chiller recently having been deemed unreliable and needing replaced by next spring. The chiller was originally planned for replacement at the time of middle school renovations.
• Unanimously approved adoption of revised current events and school visitors policies.
• Unanimously approved revised Articles of Agreement with the Lebanon County Career and Technology Center.
• Unanimously approved an amendment to the Act 93 agreement.
• Unanimously approved Hoaster Gebhard and Co.’s Student Accident and Sports Insurance for a three-year renewal at a premium cost of $33,194, a 15% price increase.
• Unanimously approved overnight field trip requests for students.
• Unanimously approved personnel items.
• Unanimously approved a variety of pupil services, food service, technology, and transportation items.
• Unanimously approved minutes, the payment of bills and other routine business, and heard reports.

The board also heard the following student presentations:

• Coach Rob Bare presented track and field state qualifiers.

This meeting was covered remotely by LebTown using a livestream of the meeting posted to the district’s YouTube page and notes from previous coverage of the board.

This article was edited to reflect a change to student presentations. LebTown sincerely apologizes for the error.

The Cornwall-Lebanon school board holds a work session the second Monday of each month and its regular meeting the third Monday of each month, both at 5:30 p.m. Meetings are held at South Lebanon Elementary School due to ongoing construction at Cedar Crest High School.