BUTLER TWP — After increasing its budget by over 7.5% for the 2025-26 school year, the Butler Area Vocational-Technical School is aiming to keep increases lower in 2026-27.

The school’s joint operating committee voted unanimously Thursday, Feb. 5, to begin the budget process for the upcoming school year by forwarding ballots to participating school board members.

Regina Hiler, the school’s executive director, said the proposed operating budget was currently set for $7,471,155 — a 3% increase to last fiscal year’s budget of $7,253,631. She said the increases came from naturally rising costs since the last budgetary process.

“We’re not expanding but we’re also not diminishing or closing anything,” she said.

The process of approving the vo-tech’s budget involves two significant steps: an approval by at least five of the seven participating school boards and approval by a majority of all school board members from participating districts. The latter vote is done by anonymous ballot collected and tallied at a later meeting.

Hiler said she will be going to the districts’ school board meetings in February and March to present the budget and answer any questions members have. She said she will be starting with Karns City and Butler area school districts on Feb. 9.

The topic will also come up at Knoch School District on Feb. 11, but district superintendent David Foley remarked at Wednesday’s board work session the district is “pleased” by the lesser increase.

Hiler said the vo-tech articles of agreement require a budget be passed by the April committee meeting.