Charleroi budget has tax increase
By TAYLOR BROWN
tbrown@yourmvi.com
The Charleroi Area School Board unanimously approved a preliminary 2020-21 spending plan Tuesday that includes a tax increase which would give the district Washington County’s highest tax index.
Directors approved the $25,801,077 budget — an increase of 3% over the 2019-20 school year — with a .64 mill rise in taxes.
The increase would generate about $240,000 for the district, and property owners with a home valued at $50,000 would pay roughly $32 more next year.
The budget is largely influenced by mandated and uncontrollable expenses, such as charter school tuition and retirement costs.
According to Business Manager Joseph Gudac, the district will budget roughly $2.4 million for retirement and $798,082 for cyber/charter school tuition in 2020-21.
“Right now those are the big drivers in the budget, and they will continue to be,” Gudac said.
There are concerns that those costs will continue to rise because of impacts to the market and school closures as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Because of the unknowns about what could happen next year, if schools don’t resume as they have in the past, there is a chance parents may choose to use cyber options,” he said.
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