Mars Area School Board approved the district's $55 million 2021-22 budget Tuesday night with no increase in taxes.

The budget passed by an 8-1 vote, with Megan Lenz voting no.

Jill Swaney, the district's business manager, said the biggest obstacle in the budget was the increase in cyber charter scores. The board allocated $1.4 million toward this schooling.

“We were conservative with the budget this year because we didn't know how to plan with COVID-19,” Swaney said.

The spending plan incorporates $1.1 million in Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funds, but only utilizes $132,000 to fund the Extended School Year (ESY), a summer program for special-needs children.

Per President Joe Biden and his administration, 20% of the ESSER funds must go toward learning loss.

The rest of the money from the ESSER funds, $81,000, will be left for the 2023-24 school year.

During the 2021-22 school year, there have been at least 18 open positions within the district, and the allotted money in the budget to retain and support staff was encouraged between the board and community members.However, without the increase in real estate tax, the school district needs 37% of students to return from cyber school to make up the nonrecurring revenue.“We didn't increase real estate tax because it would be unfair to taxpayers if students came back for the school year,” Swaney explained.She is hopeful this will happen, as there already have been enrollments placed in June.However, starting this upcoming school year, livestreamed interactive learning only will be an option for students who are quarantined or may have a medical emergency, unlike the previous school year during COVID-19. For students beginning the 2021-22 school year, their options for learning will be either in-person learning or cyberschool.To prepare for the upcoming school year, special needs students who may need additional help over the summer can enroll in an ESY.

However, the money from the ESSER funds being used for the ESY did not sit well with some community members.Considering that not all of the money allotted from ESSER is being used for the 2021-22 school year, there is a surplus of money in the school system.Community members such as Julia Konitzky, of Mars, said she didn't like the term “surplus of money” as it made her think it was extra that couldn't be used.“(Use it to) invest in the kids' futures,” Konitzky said. “With tax increases, there are programs we can add, and the money can go toward programs that can help special-ed students who are cyber.”At the moment, there aren't certain music education classes being offered or language classes before the ninth grade.Not only was the lack of programs an issue among some in attendance, but the idea of ESY being limited only to special-ed students also raised objections.Amber Rush, of Mars, believes that all students should have access to the ESY because all experienced learning loss during COVID-19.Also incorporated in the 2021-22 budget was $530,000 for the district to retain staff and $348,000 for technology.