Lori Diefenderfer, director of business administration for the Coatesville Area School District, recommended the board pass a 3.5% tax increase to balance the 2025-2026 budget. The proposed spending plan in the preliminary budget shows $242 million in expenditures and $230.1 million in revenue. Diefenderfer said the $11.9 million gap between income and expenses will be made up by a tax increase, money from the fund balance and any spending cuts that can be found. There was no real estate millage rate projection at the time the preliminary budget was approved, but the state’s adjusted Act 1 index for the district limits the tax increase to a maximum of 5.1%. The current property tax rate is 42.864 mills. A 3.5% increase for a property assessed at $100,000 would add about 1.5 mills or roughly $150 to the tax bill. The budget will come to the full board for final adoption on Tuesday, June 10.
Source: Lancaster Online; 5/15/2025