BUTLER TWP — The Butler School Board Monday night approved the 2016-2017 budget for the Butler County Area Vocational-Technical School.

But that budget is clouded because the vo-tech teachers are without a contact and state funds for the vo-tech are unknown.

The total operating budget is $5 million, a 2.9 percent increase from this year’s budget, according to Kurt Speicher, executive director of the vo-tech. The majority of this budget, 76 percent, is salary and benefit payments, Speicher said.

However, the budget is based on 2013-2014 salaries figures since the votech’s teachers are in the second year without a contract, Speicher said.

The budget also does not account for those employees receiving retroactive pay increases should the new contract require that, Speicher said.

Board member Neil Convery took issue with how the retroactive pay was left out of the proposal.

“This budget does not have the variance to cover retroactive salaries,” he said.

However, Speicher stressed that without a state budget, much of the proposed budget is based off projections.

“We are really working off projections here,” he said.

Butler’s 2016-2017 contribution would be $1.7 million, a roughly nine percent increase from this year’s $1.5 million payments.

For the budget to pass, it must be approved by five of the nine school districts that send students to the vo-tech.

In addition, each of the nine members of the seven school boards will vote individually, a total of 63 votes. From those votes, a simple majority is required.

The school board also:

n Approved the district’s contribution of $90,000 to the Midwestern Intermediate Unit IV’s for the 2016-2017 school year. This is same amount the district paid this school year.

n Approved buying a valence and curtain for the middle school from Pittsburgh Stage Inc. for $11,964, which includes installation. They will be installed before the end of the school year.

n Scheduled the next meeting of the After-Action Review Committee, which reviews data related to the district consolidation, for 4:30 p.m., Feb. 23 at the Harriger Educational Services Center, 110 Campus Lane.