BUTLER TWP — The Butler County Area Vocational-Technical School’s budget for the 2016-17 budget of $5 million is a bit higher than this year’s budget of $4.9 milion.

The new budget was approved Thursday by the vo-tech joint operating committee.

The majority of the new budget, 76 percent, is for salary and benefit payments, according to Kurt Speicher, executive director of the vo-tech.

The budget is projected based off 2013-14 salaries because the vo-tech’s teachers are in the second year without a contract, Speicher said. There is no money set aside in the new budget for retroactive pay increases should the new contract require that.

The vo-tech serves seven school districts: Butler, Karns City, Mars, Moniteau, Seneca Valley, Slippery Rock and South Butler.

Six of the seven school districts approved the budget, with South Butler rejecting it.

The Butler district’s 2016-2017 contribution will be $1.7 million, a roughly nine percent increase from this year’s $1.5 million. Karns City’s contribution increased from $357,000 this year to almost $364,000. Mars will pay $174,000 in 2016-2017, having paid $146,000 this year.

Moniteau, Seneca Valley, Slippery Rock and South Butler all had decreases with these payments for 2016-2017, respectively: $232,000, $544,000, $197,000 and $446,000.

Each district’s contribution is determined on average daily attendance of their students over three years, Speicher said.