Quaker Valley School District officials promise to keep any potential real estate tax hike to 4.1% or less
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Quaker Valley School District officials have pledged to keep any tax hike for next school year to 4.1% or less.
That percentage is the highest the district can push for under the inflation-based state limit known as the Act 1 index.
Act 1, passed in 2006 to provide property tax relief, sets a tax cap for school districts to cover normal inflationary costs and still pass a balanced budget.
Board members unanimously passed a resolution at its Jan. 17 meeting to make that pledge.
Jeffrey Watters, school director and board treasurer, said “inflationary pressures” as well as salaries and benefits for staffers are driving factors for a tax increase. This is a preliminary step in crafting the 2023-24 spending plan.
A proposed budget is expected to be presented in April and passed in May.
“Lots of work ahead, a lot of meetings ahead to really get in to all the (details),” Watters said of the budgeting process.
The current millage rate is 20.0367 mills. The district’s median property value is $235,000.
District finance director Scott Antoline said a 4.1% hike would equate to a 0.825-mill increase, which would have the aforementioned property owner paying about $193 more in real estate taxes next school year.
Watters said his committee and administrators are confident the actual tax increase necessary would be around 3.4% with the possibility of being less should some costs go down.
“That’s frankly going to be a function of not only Mr. Antoline (turning) over every rock, but really good coordination that is happening from the central office and with the help of each one of the building heads,” Watters said.
“It’s a full team effort to ensure we’re managing all the control-ables, all the discretionary spending as best as we possibly can. Challenging every assumption, kicking every tire with an expectation that we do our very best. Every one of us is a taxpayer that lives in this community, and none of us want to see any tax increase. Unfortunately, we find ourselves in an inflationary market. We’re sympathetic and sensitive to what this means for everybody.”
A 3.4% hike would increase the millage rate by 0.6912 mills.
A median home owner would pay about $162 more in taxes.
State law requires school districts to adopt their budgets by June 30.
Antoline said Quaker Valley routinely approves its a month ahead of time to “have flexibility” if last minute changes are needed.
The district raised taxes by 2.9% for the current school year.
There were no programming or staffing cuts.