The Penn Hills School Board, in a 5-4 vote, yesterday approved a $74.3 million budget for 2008-09 and increased property taxes by 1.42 mills.

The budget is $4.5 million higher than the current year's spending plan.

The district, which has had operating deficits ranging from $735,000 to $5.3 million over the past three years, faced a revenue shortfall in the 2008-09 budget. In recent weeks, the board has taken action to reduce expenses for the next school year, including furloughing teachers and other staff, closing two schools, and eliminating the high school vocational education program.