February 7, 2018

Pennsylvania Department of Education Sets Property Tax Limits

November 29, 2017

(TRIBUNE-REVIEW) - Pennsylvania school districts will be able to increase property taxes by at least 2.4 percent in the 2018-19 school year, though a select few in the Pittsburgh region can go as high as 3.9 percent, if they choose.

The state Department of Education set the limits.

This chart shows the tax-increase limit for each district in Allegheny and Westmoreland counties and other select districts in the TribLIVE coverage area included:

Districts can exceed their limits only with approval from voters at a referendum or through referendum exceptions from the state. Exceptions are available only for school construction debt, special education spending and retirement contributions.

The statewide base is down slightly from 2.5 percent for the 2017-18 school year. Adjusted limits for most districts went down by the same amount.

The limits are set as part of the state's Taxpayer Relief Act, Act 1 of 2006. The statewide index is based on the statewide average weekly wage and the employment cost index. It is then adjusted for each school district, with poorer districts being able to increase property taxes more than wealthier ones.

The decision to increase property taxes, if at all, is up to each district's school board.

Since 2006, the statewide base has been as low as 1.7 percent in 2013-14 and 2011-12, and as high as 4.4 percent in 2008-09.

School boards must decide by Jan. 25 if their districts will not raise taxes by more than their indexes. If not, they have to make a proposed version of a preliminary 2018-19 budget available for public inspection.

Districts seeking referendum exceptions to raise taxes higher than their indexes have to seek approval from the Department of Education by March 1.

2 comments:

  1. William Miller · Penn State
    As long as the unions control the politicians, you will NEVER see meaningful property tax reform. Until people get off their butt's and raise hell about this nothing will change except your property tax bill. I can hear the refrain from the school boards now, we need to raise taxes to continue to provide all of these art, music, athletic and altruistic programs. They will then throw in the same old tired phrase "IT's FOR THE CHILDREN". They won't tell you that the teachers of these programs are costing us, with their benefit costs included, well in excess of $100K/year. Basically whatever their salary is you can double that when benefits are included.

    We are also continually inundated with this BS about how wonderful it is to reach an early bird contract renewal with the teachers and how appreciative the board is that the teachers accepted the new contract offer. Of course the teachers accept their offers, it gives them everything they want while the property owner gets to pick up the bill. The school boards never mention that not only do these contracts cause taxes to rise because of salary increases, but when the salary is increased the pension payment increases also. Then they have the nerve to ask for an exception to their annual property tax increase cap to pay for the pension cost increase. Do you believe it was just coincidence that pension cost increases were added to the list of exceptions to annual tax increase caps?

    How many of you are aware that some school districts no longer teach spelling or cursive? They also have adopted a math process that defies logic. Of course, memorization of things like the multiplication tables have also gone into the dustbin of history. Is it any wonder that when you run into young people operating a cash register that they can become completely befuddled at times. How many students can read a ruler or can read a clock or watch that is not a digital display? We have time to teach art, music, altruism and spend lavishly on athletic fields and programs, but we won't take the time to teach basic skills that can be used for a lifetime. Seems like the more we spend on the education industry the less our children learn that is really important.

    Donald Lentz · University of Delaware
    "Is it any wonder that when you run into young people operating a cash register that they can become completely befuddled at times."

    I have been stating this for years to deaf ears.....the 'children' just can't count change :-/

    Alana Birdy
    Also there is no drivers Ed, some schools have it , if you pay for it yourself, so most students opt out. Good luck on the roads guys!

    Kesha Garcia · Lancaster County Career & Technology Center
    Donald Lentz & William Miller...Agree with both of you, unless the child counting the change is Amish or Mennonite. They make change easily without a calculator or cash register. When they get older, they run farms or businesses, and generally have large families on low incomes (without government assistance). Most of them only have an 8th grade education and make public schooling in Lancaster County look like a complete joke.

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  2. Gisela Bise · HACC - Lancaster Campus
    How about those parents who rent pay school taxes? Why should I be punished for owning a home, while those who rent and have children pay zero?

    Jeffrey Brubaker · Chief Pilot at Chemtrail Pilot
    The property owner pays the tax. That tax is included in your rent.

    Steve Kendig
    The property owner pays school taxes on the property assessment, not the amount of rent collected.

    Donald Lentz · University of Delaware
    Jeffrey Brubaker ........I know of folks who drop off thier children for the day at grandma's house and those children to go to school in a school district to which they are not paying taxes. Please don't tell me to be the school tax cheater cop :-/

    Phil Lehman
    Steve Kendig, Do you think the property owner just takes a loss on the property taxes paid? Or like any other business, do you think the owner includes it in his costs (rent). Pick one.

    Marjorie Wertz
    The Department of Education setting the limits for school districts to raise property taxes is like the fox guarding the hen house.

    Jim Macdonald · Falls Church, Virginia
    It costs a lot to indoctrinate children. There's the revised history and Common Core math textbooks, teaching aids & speakers for gender-neutrality, anti-gun, gay lifestyle, muslim sensitvity, and black history programs. Then there's the flat screen TV's, the free lunches, free condoms, abortion counselors, the teaching assistants who do most of the work, the first rate sports programs, and the salary increases & pension plans.

    Jack Best · Works at Retired Equitable Gas Co
    Why are the school districts allowed to raise taxes at a percentage rate that is 3 or 4 times what inflation is, look at the SS raises

    Deborah Hall
    Things you will never hear them say: We're going to cut everyone's salary to make up for any shortfall.

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