The Allegheny-Clarion Valley School District approved its preliminary budget Monday and a slew of policy changes.

The district's preliminary budget was unanimously approved by the A-C Valley School Board, showing revenue projected at $14,951,753 and expenditures estimated at $16,458,934, leaving the district $1,507,181 short of a balanced budget.

According to the preliminary budget, the revenue has been adjusted for the state-mandated rebalancing of millage that happens every year. In multi-county districts, the state sets base millage rates for each county, after which the district may increase taxes up to their index limit.

Emmy Foust, the district's business manager, said the state's base millage for Butler and Venango counties both increased.

“We tried to keep it as close to the rebalance as we could,” Foust said. “We're not trying to go any higher than what we had for last year.”

Due to the pandemic, the school's preliminary budget will be available to the public on its website for 30 days.

Foust said there are a lot of unknowns yet to be factored into the budget relating the coronavirus and the legislature's response to the pandemic. She referenced a few state House bills that would alter, freeze or extend property taxes. She said if these changes occurred, the district would be given a reasonable amount of time to adjust to the new guidelines.

The board also formed two committees, finance and athletics, that could help oversee some of its budgetary uses.

“As information comes in, we will possibly be making more changes,” Foust said.

While the board eyed a budget, members unanimously approved the hiring of Anna Beech as school psychologist. Beech fills a vacancy that was created in the fall.

“I think she'll fit right in,” said district Superintendent David McDeavitt.

Beech attended the virtual board meeting Monday and introduced herself. She interned at Slippery Rock Area School District before taking a job at a “small school district” in Youngstown, Ohio.

“It was a really challenging, but rewarding, experience, so I'm thankful for that,” she said. “I'm extremely passionate about what I do as a school psychologist.”

Beech said her expertise could be significant as districts return to school in the fall. State Education Secretary Pedro Rivera announced last week that he expects students to be back in school in the fall.

“Given the situation we're in now, social-emotional learning is something we're going to have to dive into,” Beech said.

In addition to money, the board also talked policy and a lot of it. The board's agenda contained changes to 10 policies to bring the wording up to date with standardized policies, ranging from topics of tobacco and vaping products to suspension and expulsion, among others.

According to McDeavitt, the school has two audits coming this year. One is its school audit and the other is a special education audit. Both of these audits occur on a cyclical basis.

“We just know that our audit time will be up this summer, and we're preparing for both of those,” McDeavitt said.