North Allegheny School Board approves 2023-2024 budget

The North Allegheny School Board on June 13 unanimously adopted the district’s $193 million general fund budget for the 2023-2024 school year with no increase in the district’s property tax.

Property taxes will stay at 19.74 mills. The budget takes effect July 1.

School Board Vice President Marcie Crow said she’s pleased there is no tax increase for the coming school year.

“This is something that doesn’t just happen. It’s a concerted effort on everyone’s part,” said Crow.

The school board had adopted the 2022-2023 budget on a 5-4 vote, and the spending package raised property taxes from 19.14 mills to 19.74 mills.

School Board Member Elizabeth Warner commented at the June 13 meeting that a lawsuit which set up a special process giving property owners a second chance to appeal their 2022 assessments could affect the budget in future.

During the appeal process, Allegheny County was using a common level ratio of 81.1% — meaning that a property seeing an appeal would have its assessment changed to about 81% of its fair market value.

A ruling by Common Pleas Judge Alan Hertzberg in 2022 reduced the common level ratio from 81.1% to 63.5%, which should reduce the property tax bills on appealed properties and could result in property tax refunds on some properties.

“Hopefully, the negative effects on the revenue will be minimal but is something the district needs to be aware of for long-term planning and future budgets,” Warner said.