Credit: Tom Sofield/LevittownNow.com
Taxes will again go up in the Bristol Township School District, but the increase won’t be as high as it could have been.
The school board Wednesday evening approved a 2 percent increase that will have the average homeowners tax bill go up $73.
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The tax increase appears to keep the Bristol Township as the highest taxed school district (based on millage) in Bucks County.
The district’s Act 1 limit let the district raise taxes as high as 3.1 percent. However, the school board decided not to raise taxes that much.
The $141.2 million spending plan for the district keeps staffing levels the same as they are now and meets increase wage costs and Public School Employees’ Retirement System (PSERS) obligations, according to Josh Sweigard, the district’s business manager.
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Over the years, the district has cut costs and there is little room for more cuts outside of staffing reductions, Sweigard said.
Last year, the district received $1.5 million in PlanCon reimbursements from the state and plans to get another $500,000 windfall this year, Sweigard explained.
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The district has grown its fund balance to $13 million. The growth comes several years after there were serious concerns the district might draw the balance to a dangerously low level.
The school board also approved several expenditures, including $5,500 for the Odyssey learning platform, continuation of a public relations contract with the Communications Solutions Group, changing all copiers over to Canon as part of a $260,269 deal, and the purchase of new equipment and uniforms.
