The Pennsbury School District addressed community questions and rumors about the approved $269 million high school project last at the school board meeting last Thursday.
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Superintendent Dr. Thomas Smith said the Pennsbury High School project will be financed through a series of bonds issued from 2024 to 2029, resulting in an estimated 14.6 mill increase in taxes over those years.
The district is monitoring the market for lower interest rates, Smith said.
Smith provided examples to illustrate the tax impact, noting that for a Levittown home with an assessed value of $21,600, the net tax increase from the 2025-2026 to the 2026-2027 fiscal year would be $130.56. The high school project portion would account for $78 of that increase.
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Addressing what he termed “rumor control” regarding tax increases, Smith responded to claims that some residents’ taxes would increase by $3,000 annually due to the high school project.
“The projected tax increase, the maximum the school district is allowed to increase our school taxes in one year is 4.4 percent,” Smith said. “Simple math is if their taxes were going up $3,000 in one year basically means they’re paying $68,000 in school property taxes.”
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The district projects mill rates will increase from the current 20.4 to 21.2 the following year, then to 22.1.
Smith stressed the rates are the maximum allowable increases under Pennsylvania’s Act 1 index and not targets.
Under Act 1, school districts can apply for exceptions to raise the rate higher to cover debt service, special education, and rising pension costs. Pennsbury has not indicated it has plans to apply for exceptions.
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For a median assessed value home of $32,000 (estimated market value of about $500,000), taxes would increase from $6,118 in 2025-2026 to $6,660 two years later. A home with a $50,000 assessed value (estimated market value of $850,000) would see taxes increase from $9,790 to $10,665 over the same period, Smith explained.
The superintendent noted the Pennsbury School District continues to offer senior citizen property tax rebate programs and homestead exclusions to help offset costs. Smith also highlighted that homestead rebates have increased over the past 10 years and expressed hope they will continue to rise.
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The proposed high school would be a 497,000-square-foot building constructed on the south side of the current campus along Hood Boulevard.
The district plans to continue using the existing East and West buildings until the new school is completed, after which they will be demolished.
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District documents state officials concluded that building a new high school was the “most cost-effective solution” after considering several options, including renovating the existing buildings or adding an addition to the West building while demolishing the East building.
Smith previously said that the district needs to build a new high school because its existing facilities—two separate buildings and a natatorium—are old, outdated, and not in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
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The disconnected buildings also create “physical and security issues,” he added.
The school board has approved a maximum project cost of $269,546,944, with a maximum building construction cost of $212,409,380.
Former Pennsbury Chief Financial Officer Chris Berdnik previously estimated the total principal and interest payments for the project’s bonds would total $569.4 million and they will be paid back by the early 2060s.
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While some residents have voiced concerns about the need for the new school and associated costs, others have expressed support at public meetings. The school board will not put the plan up for a referendum despite some residents’ recommendations.
The district has created a hub on its website with information on the project planned for the high school campus in Falls Township.
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