The Eastern York school board voted 5-3 to approve a final budget for the 2012-13 school year that uses about $1.3 million in fund balances and includes a 1.7 percent tax increase.

Board members Darvin Shelley, Robert Abel, and Lorine Kellner voted against the budget.

Shelley said he didn't feel enough cuts were made.

"We need to cut it down to the bare bone," said Shelley, "Give it back to our taxpayers. People are hurting."

The property tax rate will increase from 19.05 to 19.35 mills -- a $30 increase for a home assessed at $100,000, a $45 increase for a home assessed at $150,000.

Eastern could have raised taxes by as much as 2.2 percent this year without voter approval of a special exception from the state Department of Education.

It marks the third straight year the school board has approved a tax increase, but the third straight year that tax increase has been below the state-assigned cap.

The district raised taxes 1.06 percent this school year when the cap was 1.8 percent. For 2010-11, the board authorized a 2.8 percent tax hike when the cap was 3.7 percent.

As part of this year's budget process, the district cut about $814,000 by reducing the technology budget, reducing the buildings and grounds budget, cutting utility costs, eliminating an elementary librarian position, eliminating a career counselor at the high school, eliminating one special education teacher at the high school and reducing summer help.

While the little things add up, board member Richard Zepp said the only real way to cut the budget is to focus on the largest expense.

"Labor is the only thing we can cut that is going to have any impact on our budget," said Zepp, "We are going to need to take a hard look at it next year."