Mahanoy Area approves final 2024-25 budget with tax increase
MAHANOY CITY – Taxpayers in the Mahanoy Area School District will see a tax increase for the 2024-25 school year.
The Mahanoy Area School Board approved their final budget at Thursday’s regular board meeting, which includes a 2.7 mill real estate tax increase.
According to a budget summary handed out at the meeting, the tax rate will now be 56.5 mills, or $56.50 for every $1,000 in assessed property value.
Business Administrator John Hurst said charter school costs have ballooned over the past ten years, 140%, or $1 Million. This year, an increase of $100,000 is expected.
“Quite frankly, we would not have had to have raised taxes in the last several years if we weren’t dealing with a $1 Million increase in charter school costs,” Hurst said.
The 2024-25 budget has expenses of $24,346,027 and revenue of $23,490,394. The deficit is expected to be made up using reserves.
Hurst provided an update on potential legislative relief, either through the state budget process or charter reform.
“The likelihood of the budget getting done by June 30 is unlikely,” he said.
Almost 70% of the district’s funding comes from the state.
“If they can’t do something with funding, then they could at least give us some relief from charter school costs,” Hurst said.
Hurst said state legislators are debating whether to use the state’s large surplus for education or for tax cuts. The 2024-25 budget assumes a 4% basic education funding increase and a 7% increase in special education funding.
The district will also be adding a transitional kindergarten and a secondary world language teacher.
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