ADAMS TWP — Members of Mars Area’s school board unanimously approved Butler Area Vocational-Technical School’s 2026-27 budget Tuesday following a presentation on the proposal.

Regina Hiler, the vo-tech school’s executive director, said the draft operating budget sits at $7,471,155, about 3% higher than last year’s $7,253,631 budget.

Out of the seven county school districts that send students to Butler Area Vocational-Technical School, Mars has consistently had the lowest average daily membership over the last three years.

Each school’s contribution is based on the number of students who attend the school. During the 2025-26 school year, that number for Mars was estimated to be at 52 students.

Mars would contribute $265,637 to the school for the 2026-27 school year, a slight $893 increase from 2025-26.

“We thought it was a very fair budget,” superintendent Mark Gross said.

Despite Mars having the lowest attendance, Gross complimented the school for its diverse offerings.

“We don’t have a high number of students that go there,” he said. “It is frustrating at some points because those things that they’re learning at vo-tech — a lot of those are in very high demand.”

Butler Area School District has far and away sent the most students to vo-tech over the last three years, including 2025-26 when they averaged 447 students. As a result, its contribution for 2026-27 is projected to be nearly $2.2 million.