The Riverview School Board approved a resolution limiting the impact of a real estate tax increase while welcoming four new members.
During the board’s Dec. 4 reorganization meeting, election winners Leanne Jacobs-Rohan, Roger Pogoda, Erin Shuetz and Bridget Seery were sworn in, as were incumbents Jennifer Chaparro and Antonio Paris. The board reappointed Chaparro as president and Paris as vice president.
Board action during the subsequent business meeting placed a 5.3% cap on a Riverview real estate tax increase for 2024-25. The figure represents the index established for the district by the state Department of Education under legislation adopted as Act 1 of 2006.
Act 1 calls for a statewide base index that takes into account each year’s changes in wages throughout Pennsylvania and in school employee compensation costs nationally. From there, the index is adjusted for individual school districts based on relative wealth.
Riverview’s real estate tax rate is 24.1409 mills. An increase to the maximum would boost it to slightly over 25.42 mills.
Any determination in that regard, though, has quite a while to go. A final 2024-25 budget isn’t due for adoption until June 30.
Meanwhile, Jan. 4 is the deadline for school districts to file not-to-exceed resolutions with the state, but under the conditions of Act 1, such measures basically are formalities. The typical Pennsylvania school district is unable to raise the tax rate by an amount higher than its index unless voters approve the measure by referendum.
As part of Riverview’s reorganization, members received committee assignments including: Seery, education and legislative; incumbents Brian Hawk and Wendy Wilton, finance; Pogoda, student life; Jacobs-Rohan, safety; Chaparro, communications and marketing; and incumbent Stefani Garibay, delegate to Forbes Road Career & Technology Center.
