PANAMA — The Panama Central School Board held its annual budget hearing during a recent meeting.

Treasurer Amanda Kolstee presented the budget that includes a 2.93% spending increase. Administrative expenditures are increasing by 13.4%; program expenditures by $155,309; and capital expenditures by $21,983. The projected revenue is increasing $237,191, which all together leads to the 2.93% increase. There will be no increase in the tax levy.

Board of Education members up for election are Robert Delahoy and Gregory Hudson. The annual budget vote and board election will be today from noon to 8 p.m.

During the regularly scheduled meeting that followed, board president Gregory Hudson encouraged board members to come out and vote and thanked Kolstee for her presentation.

Other discussion included bringing back the mock DWI crash — a demonstration held on the day before prom to show students the dangers of distracted driving — which the school has not held since 2017, and an update from the Building Safety Committee.

Scott Constantini, high school principal and head of the committee, thanked the community for the help in making the changes to student pickup in the afternoon on School Street, which has been a cause for concern.

“The changes went well, and I’m very happy with the community support,” Constantini said. “We know change is never easy but we are very thankful and grateful for how easy it did go and how much better we feel about the situation and how much safer we feel in regards to getting our students picked up safely.”

Personnel approvals included that of a new lifeguard for the school, something that Superintendent Aaron Wolfe called “a tough journey” to find.

“It’s been a journey but we feel very good about it,” Wolfe said.

In other news:

¯ The board approved staff for summer school and substitute teachers and drivers.

¯ Numbers of kids being signed up for the UPK program have so far reached 16.

¯ Chorus and band concerts are coming up as the school year begins to wind down.

¯ The board agreed on dates for meetings next year. The decision was made to continue to have meetings on the third Monday of the month, but the time was moved up to 6 p.m.