Homeowners in the Mars Area School District may not be facing a tax increase this year.

The school board Tuesday approved a preliminary budget that holds taxes at 132 mills. The $35.32 million budget -- up $2 million from 2007-08 -- has an $810,000 deficit which will be covered by the district's surplus, said business manager Jill Swaney. The ending fund balance will be $2.03 million.

The budget "adds a lot of staff, but no new programs," Ms. Swaney said.

New staff include one additional teacher each for third, fourth, fifth and sixth grades because of increased enrollment; an elementary art teacher; elementary reading teacher; technology administrative assistant; paraprofessional at the Primary Center for reading skills; an additional lunchroom monitor at the elementary school; and one high school teacher, although the subject area won't be known until later. The district will also add another psychologist through its contract with Intermediate Unit 4, Ms. Swaney said.

Most of the line items remained the same as this year's spending plan, she said, except for an increase in special education. "There are a lot of preschool children in special needs schools," she said. "That's a scary thing. We know they're coming, and we're budgeting for them."

The preliminary budget was passed 5-0 with J. Dayle Ferguson, Christian Ola, Christine Stroup, Marjorie Vincent and board President Kim Geyer voting in favor. Rebecca Brown, Gordon Marburger, Ross McConnell and Bonnie Weaver were absent.

The final budget will be on the agenda for the board's June 10 meeting.

In other action, the board revised its fees for residents and non-residents to rent the high school stadium or a school gym. Class C rates are for non-profit groups and Class D rates are for for-profit groups:

• Class C residents -- $50 an hour or $250 a day for the stadium or $30 an hour or $190 a day for a gym if the group charges participants to attend the event; $35 an hour or $175 a day for the stadium or $25 an hour or $170 per day for a gym if they do not.

• Class C non-residents -- $100 an hour or $500 per day for the stadium or $60 an hour or $380 per day for a gym if charging fees; $75 an hour or $350 per day for the stadium or $50 an hour or $340 a day for a gym if not charging.

• Class D residents -- $100 an hour or $450 per day for the stadium and $40 an hour or $230 a day for a gym if charging fees; $75 an hour or $350 a day for the stadium and $35 an hour or $210 a day for a gym if not charging fees.

• Class D non-residents -- $200 an hour or $900 a day for the stadium or $80 an hour or $390 a day for a gym if charging fees; $150 an hour or $700 a day for the stadium or $70 an hour or $350 a day for a gym if not charging fees.

Other fees, such as for the stadium scoreboard, security and custodians, may also apply. There is also a provision in the policy for a group to lose its rental privileges for misrepresenting itself, such as if a resident "fronts" the application for a group he or she is not involved with, said Superintendent William Pettigrew.

Bill Wesley, a science teacher at the high school and coordinator of the Mars Area School District Water Protection Program, told the board that students have been volunteering to test water in Adams and Valencia to help those municipalities comply with state requirements.

Under state law, municipalities must seek volunteers to test drainage into creeks every two years.

The students will present their findings from Adams to township supervisors tomorrow at 8 p.m., he said.

"The data is real-life data," Mr. Wesley said. "They walked the streams and looked at the condition and location of outflow pipes."

Students located about 400 drainage outflows using GPS technology and used computers to log the type of drain pipe, its condition and what it is draining. They also tested the drainage for nitrates, ammonia, pH and chloroform bacteria, he said.

A baseline will be set up so they can monitor whether the discharges are getting better or worse over time.

Mr. Wesley said they found three "trouble spots."

"There is a lot of construction in Adams Ridge. I don't know what they're putting in, but it's not good," he said.

The board also approved a policy prohibiting students from riding home on different buses except for emergencies. The policy will take effect July 1.

Currently, students may ride buses home with friends they want to play with after school. But many of the buses are filled to capacity, and adding temporary riders causes problems, Ms. Swaney said.

Children can still have "play dates" after school, but the host parents must pick them up, Mrs. Ferguson said.