CRANBERRY TWP — The biggest challenges facing the Seneca Valley School District are finances and communication with residents.

That’s what Superintendent Tracy Vitale told about a dozen parents at Haine Elementary School on Friday as one in a series of forums to seek input and comments from the community.

The meeting was the third of seven forums hosted by Vitale to promote open communications.

In terms of finances, Vitale said the school board is facing a $4.8 million budget deficit for the 2012-13 school year, and must work in the coming months to find ways to close that deficit.

Next year’s budget is slated at $99.6 million with income of $94.8 million.

The superintendent contributed that deficit to several issues, including skyrocketing expenditures in retirement and special education costs.

Vitale also said that under state law, the district can’t raise its property tax rate by more than 2 percent this year, or 2.11 mills.

While no one wants to see any kind of tax increase, she said, being restrained to only a 2 percent increase is too low of a number to help keep pace with the constantly-increasing costs of running the school district.

She added that any property tax increase would only be implemented as a last resort to help close the deficit.

“If you know the members on our school board, they are a board that does not like to raises taxes, and I’m not a proponent of it either,” Vitale said.

The budget crisis and potential for a tax increase means there needs to be communication between district officials and residents, Vitale said, so residents can know how and why officials arrived at their decisions.

Vitale also told residents that she’s opened a “superintendent’s office” section on the district’s website, a page where residents can find a blog, her personal profile and various presentations concerning the activities of the district.

It’s all a part of the district’s plan of embracing social media as a way to open up communications.

To that end, Vitale asked one of her administrators to discuss how the district is increasing its use of computers and cyber programs

Assistant Superintendent Matt McKinley said the district’s cyber program is growing by “leaps and bounds,” and he explained how Seneca Valley now offers 135 online courses as well as five programs in the new performing arts cyber academy.

Assistant Superintendent Jeff Fuller said the district’s focus is shifting toward using technology in the classroom, and teachers are advocating more student involvement instead of teachers just “talking at” children.

Many of the parents talked one-on-one with the assembled administrators, and thanked them for taking time out to meet with them.

“It’s nice to get together in a smaller setting, for parents to be able to come together and ask questions,” said Seven Fields resident Katherine Williams. “It provides a great platform for parents to share their experience with district officials and other parents.”

The next forum will be at 9 a.m. Feb. 24 at the Seneca Valley Middle School.