The school board for the Pearl River County School District on Monday adopted an ad valorem millage request that it will forward to the county, which sets in motion the collection of taxes that will support the 2012-13 new $19.5 million operational school budget. The new budget took effect on July 1.

Last year, the school district applied a 54.12 mill ad valorem tax levy to support its budget, and district financial director T.J. Burleson said the millage rate this year won’t change. The school’s new fiscal year runs from July 1, 2012, to June 30, 2013.

That means school district residents who pay school taxes might see a slight decrease in the amount of money they pay in school taxes this year, because the school board maintained the same millage rate, and county property values have declined, which will produce less tax money when the same millage is applied.

The school board said, when it was hammering out its new budget in recent meetings, that it would absorb any shortfalls by dipping into its cash balance, which is substantial.

Burleson said the request will go to the county, which will collect the taxes and disperse them to the school board on a monthly basis. However, the bulk of the tax money arrives in January and February.

By comparison, Poplarville school district also dipped into its cash balance and maintained current millage rate levels, but the Picayune school board is asking the Picayune City Council for an additional 3 mills to close its budget gap, saying its cash balance would drop below a threshold of seven percent required by the state if the district dipped into it for additional funding.

PRC’s operational 2012-13 budget is $19.5 million.

On another matter, the board recognized Mark Glorioso, a Pearl River Central parent, who has been named the Fourth Congressional District’s Parent of the Year.

Although on the agenda for recognition by the board, Glorioso wasn’t present.

He called on Monday and said his daughter was having a baby, and he was at the hospital and wouldn’t be able to attend. Supt. Alan Lumpkin said the board will recognize him again when he can attend the session.

Glorioso is an engineer at Stennis. He is the father of Sam Glorioso, who attends Pearl River Central High School. Those who know Glorioso, said Lumpkin, say he is on a personal mission to help improve the science and math scores at PRC, as well as the ACT scores. Glorioso tutors middle and high school students, leads an ACT preparation workshop and judges science competitions.

Last year, he surrendered one day per week of his vacation for a period of five weeks to assist the 7th and 8th grade science students prepare for the University of Southern Mississippi science Olympiad. He is also a member of the band boosters.

In other matters, the school board:

— Congratulated Tanya Ray, ROTC instructor Col. Todd Ryder and Shawn Dennis for grants they obtained from the Lower Pearl River Valley Foundations for the current school year.

— Named five teachers to work outside their contract to assist in review and correction of IEPs: Sherra Allen, LaShebra Christopher, Valerie Easley, Darlene Mitchell and Gwen Smith.

— Approved the following personnel to tutor during 2012-13 school year: Jackie Vaughn, Beverly Fleming, Marta Cameron and Ro Paillot.

— Approved the following personnel to work as para-professionals within the Athletic Dept.: Billy Davis, football; Beverly Griffing, swimming; Marco Becerra, boys soccer; and Jack Honsinger, girls soccer.

— Approved the hiring of Ronnie Bowen as high school teacher and boys head basketball coach.

— Approved hiring Curtis Thaxton as middle school football coach.

— Approved a dual enrollment articulation agreement between the school and Pearl River Community College. That would allow PRC students to enroll and take courses at PRCC before they actually graduate from high school. — Approved a school bus turnaround at 168 McCastile Road.

— Took the following decisions on 16th section lands: Cancel lease for Donald and Wendy Robinson on two acres on 16-6-16; reclassified 16-6-16, two acres, to forestry; canceled a lease for the FAA on 16-4-16; reclassified on 16-6-16 7.72 acres to forestry; reclassified on 16-6-16 five acres to forestry; and changed legal description for Federal National Mortgage Assoc., 16-61-6, or 1.7 acres; and extended an agricultural lease to Mike Mitchell till Dec. 31, 2012.

— Went into an executive session to discuss a student matter and personnel.