Despite pleas for tax relief from property owners who say taxes are killing the housing market in an area already swamped with record foreclosures, the Stroudsburg Area School board Wednesday night approved a 5.9 mill tax increase in its $ 104 million budget for 2016-17 to help plug a $ 5.6 million deficit. In addition to passing the budget, framed by Superintendent Cosmas Curry as part of a two to three year fix of the district's financial problems, the school board approved 13 demotions in eight departments, affecting one teacher each in English, social studies and mathematics; two in science, three in reading, one each in physical ed, special ed, and two permanent substitutes.
