Sharon School District Business Manager James Wolf said the school board is not eyeing an 8è-mill tax increase as The Herald reported Thursday.

It would take 8è mills to close an $830,000 gap between expenditures and revenue only if programs, staffing and the current tax rate remain unchanged. Wolf said the board is trying to find a combination of those three to close the gap.

"Nobody ever said the tax would be 52è mills. We never even insinuated the tax hike would be 8èmills," Wolf said.

He said the figures provided at Wednesday night's school board work session show the property levy at its current rate -- 44 mills.

A mill is $1 for every $1,000 of assessed property value; assessments are the 1970 market value. District officials say the average home in Sharon is assessed at $15,000 and a mill generates $96,000 for the district.

Wolf reiterated the $830,000 gap would exist only if programs, staffing and taxes remain at the same level and board President Melvin Bandzak made it clear that wouldn't happen when he said: "Programs will be cut, staff will be cut, and taxes will increase. ... There's no way around it."