<p>In a last ditch effort before heading to court, Olympus America Inc. agreed to a property assessment of $43.25 million, a compromise of about $10 million, it was announced Monday night at the school board meeting.</p><p>Olympus had appealed a $53 million assessment levied in 2012 after Lehigh County's first reassessment in 20 years. The Japanese company with North American headquarters in Upper Saucon Township had previously been assessed at $16.82 million when properties were assessed at 50 percent of value.</p><p>Southern Lehigh Business Manager Jeremy Melber said in an email Tuesday that Olympus' own appraisal of its 54-acre campus came in at $30 million and the district's separate appraisal was $50 million. The two sides agreed on $43.25 million Monday morning, "minutes before" a scheduled trial, Melber said.</p><p>Based on the 2013-14 millage rate of 15.37 mills, Olympus would pay $664,752 in property tax to the district.</p><p><a href="http://www.mcall.com/news/local/southernlehigh/mc-southern-lehigh-school-board-0827-20130827,0,2693389.story">Keep reading...</a></p>