The Council Rock School Board has unveiled a preliminary spending plan for the 2024-2025 school year.
The proposed budget includes a 2.64 percent tax increase to support a $279 million spending plan.
If approved, the tax increase would mean an additional $166 annually for the average assessed home.
The proposed budget aims to address several key educational enhancements and operational needs within the district. Notably, it includes funding for a school resource officer at each middle school and maintains current health insurance rates for staff. Additionally, the plan would convert technology integration specialists into permanent roles and allocate $500,000 for reserve purposes.
One inclusion in the budget is a $72,800 grant specifically earmarked for English language development for Ukrainian students.
Tony Rapp, the business administrator for the Council Rock School District, highlighted the strategic additions to the district’s staffing, including the recruitment of English-language specialists, a STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) teacher, a math specialist, and a human resources supervisor among others.
“These are very kids-centered positions,” Rapp said.
The district anticipates a rise in tax revenue for the upcoming fiscal year and expects an increase in state basic education funding.
Despite these increases, the district projects a need to utilize approximately $1.6 million from its fund balance to bridge a gap between projected revenues and expenditures.
Rapp noted that the district employs conservative budgeting practices, which have previously resulted in performance better than anticipated.
The business administrator encouraged eligible residents to apply for existing tax rebate programs to mitigate the impact of the proposed tax increase.
The school board will vote on the final budget in the coming weeks.
