Quaker Valley School District officials to keep possible real estate tax hike within state limits

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Quaker Valley School District officials to keep possible real estate tax hike within state limits

Quaker Valley School District
officials have pledged to keep any possible real estate take hike in the 2025-26 school year budget to 4% or less.

School board members unanimously voted on Jan. 22 to pass a resolution to hold the line on taxes to the Act 1 index — a state formula based on the inflation rate that limits property tax hikes without requiring voters’ approval.

The current millage rate is 21.2362 mills. The district’s index restriction is 4%.

A hike to the index would raise the tax rate to 22.0856 mills, which would be a 0.8494-mill jump.

Owners of a $100,000 assessed home would pay $2,208.56, about $85 more in taxes should a max hike be approved.

In September 2023, former finance director Scott Antoline outlined a funding plan for district operations as well as a proposed new high school. It included tax hikes for the next five years.

The district raised taxes 2.9% as part of its 2023-24 school year and current school year budgets.

The projected tax hike in those financing plans for the coming year is 3.4%.

That proposal would bump the tax rate to 21.9667 mills, a 0.7305-mill hike.

Owners of a $100,000 assessed home would pay, $2,196.67, which is about $73 more in taxes should that increase be approved.

Current district director of finance and operations Brooke Baker said it’s too early in the budget process to determine what tax increase would be in next school year’s budget.

She has not yet received proposed budgets from the schools and department heads.

Geoff Barnes, board member and finance committee chairman, said passing the Act 1 resolution was the right call.

“If the district planned to raise taxes above the index, then a preliminary budget would need to be submitted (this month) to (Pennsylvania Department of Education),” Barnes said. “The district does not plan to raise taxes above the 4%, therefore the process is to approve the resolution.

“This cap helps districts plan their budgets by offering clear revenue expectations and encourages fiscal responsibility by controlling tax hikes. It also ensures transparency and accountability. Overall, the Act 1 Resolution supports responsible budgeting while keeping tax increases manageable for taxpayers. … Our goal is to keep taxes as low as possible and still operate the district well.”

He cautioned property owners that holding the line on taxes next year was not an option.

“I don’t see that,” Barnes said

The next phase in this year’s financial timeline is to present a proposed budget in April and the final 2025-26 plan in May.

State law requires school districts to pass a budget by the end of June.

“I don’t think we want to push things to the last minute,” Barnes said of the state’s deadline. “We’re really proactive with our fiscal planning and able, by May, to have a final budget that we can adhere to.

“The schedule of when our meetings happen versus when are the deadlines to have the final budget done and filed gives us a little bit of leeway to work with. I think if we waited till our June meeting, it may be cutting it kind of close to the state deadline.”

Michael DiVittorio is a TribLive reporter covering general news in Western Pennsylvania, with a penchant for festivals and food. He can be reached at [email protected].

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