Leechburg property owners can expect no tax increase in their school property taxes for the coming school year.
The Leechburg Area School Board unanimously passed its $15.6 million preliminary budget for 2023-24.
“Folks have been hit hard with inflation and need a break,” board President Anthony Shea said. “Also, the business office and board are looking at options to cut cyber school costs.”
The allotment for cyber school is about $750,000.
“As long as residents of Leechburg send their kids to cyber school, we will have to pay it. It’s just a high cost. … It costs more to educate a cyber student than a student on campus,” said Neill Brady, school board vice president.
Leechburg Area business manager Teresa Edinger said about 31 to 41 students were enrolled in cyber school during the 2022-23 school year.
The cost for a student’s education is $16,884 annually, and the cost for a special education student is $37,015 per year.
“The big picture is it’s money going to the cyber school and not into the brick-and-mortar budget,” Shea said.
Projected revenues for the 2023-24 school year will be about $14.9 million, and total expenses will be about $15.6 million, according to Edinger.
The budget will be balanced with funds taken from the capital reserve, Shea said.
Shea added there may be adjustments to school taxes based on State Tax Equalization Board equalization between Armstrong and Westmoreland counties. Leechburg Area teaches students from West Leechburg (Westmoreland), and Leechburg and Gilpin (Armstrong).
“These are out of the control of the school board,” Shea said.
Without such an adjustment, the millage rate will remain at 141.88 mills for West Leechburg and 71.50 mills for Leechburg and Gilpin, Shea said.
“We didn’t cut any programs, and we have one elementary full-time teacher that retired, but we don’t know if we will replace them or not. That will be decided based on class enrollment,” Brady said.
The school board is set to pass its final budget June 28.
The budget can be viewed on the district’s website at leechburg.k12.pa.us.
