Tax Increase Proposed In 2018-2019 Neshaminy School District Budget

The Neshaminy School District’s proposed budget for 2018-2019 includes a tax increase.

The roughly $180.6 million spending plan includes a 3.7 mill tax increase, averaging $102 for the average property owner, district officials said recently.

The increase in taxes is estimated to bring in more than $2.8 million next year and will fill the budget deficit.

Under the proposed budget, the district will pull $2 million from their Public School Employees’ Retirement System (PSERS) account to help cover the district’s increasing pension obligation. This will be the third budget Neshaminy has pulled from their PSERS account and will leave about $8 million in the fund.

District business administrator Barbara Markowitz said the proposed budget will move Neshaminy toward a balanced budget while maintaining programs in the schools. About $169,000 has been set aside for improvements to Neshaminy High School.

Neshaminy instituted their first tax increase in seven years in 2017 to help keep up with rising costs.

This year’s proposed tax increase uses the full 2.4 percent Act 1 limit allowed this year by the state.

The school board will vote on the proposed budget at the meeting at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, June 19 in the school district offices at Maple Point Middle School in Middletown.