Quaker Valley property owners will see their real estate tax bills go up 2.9% in the coming school year as part of the school district’s 2023-24 budget.

School directors voted 7-0 at the May 23 meeting to adopt the budget with a tax increase.

Board vice president Marna Blackmer and treasurer Jeffrey Watters were absent.

The increase equates to 0.591 mills. The new millage rate will be 20.6277 mills.

Owners of a $200,000 home would pay nearly $10 more per month in property taxes as a result of the increase.

The district could have raised real estate taxes as high as 4.1% under a state formula that limits tax increases called the Act 1 index.

The board in January voted to keep any tax hike within the inflation-based index limitation.

Retirements and resignations and lower health care and charter school costs, combined with strong tax collections, lessened the need for a maximum tax hike.

District finance director Scott Antoline said there are no program or staffing cuts in the budget, and the tax increase was necessary to fund operations and help pay for the proposed high school project in Leet.

Several budget presentations were made at previous board meetings prior to its adoption.

“Our final 2023-2024 budget completes our rigorous process that is part of a broader five-year strategic plan, which can also be viewed within the budget presentation,” Antoline said. “We understand the burden that the current state public school funding puts on our local taxpayers, and we continue to do what we can with our controllable spending to minimize that impact.

“We are fortunate to continue to provide our great programs and services while maintaining tax levels below the allowable cost of living increases and that rank in the lowest third of all Allegheny County schools.”

School board member Gianni Floro commented on the administration and its efforts in the budget process.

“They really sharpened their pencils on this,” Floro said at the board meeting.

Board president Jon Kuzma echoed those comments after the meeting.

“Overall, we are very pleased to be able to maintain our high-performing programs and services for our families while keeping all tax increases under the inflationary limits set by state law,” Kuzma said.

Projected revenues were listed at $58,252,161 and expenses at $58,254,014, creating a $1,853 deficit to be covered by the district’s reserve fund.

Income includes about $38.7 million in real estate taxes, $5.6 million in earned income tax, $892,000 in transfer taxes, $1.275 million in delinquent real estate taxes, $9.36 million in state revenues and $773,800 in federal and other monies.

Expenses include about $38.84 million in salaries and benefits for all district staff, $6.47 million in debt service, $2.324 million for transportation, $1.775 million in fund transfers for capital projects, $1.24 million for technology, including new laptops for staff and iPad devices for students, licensing, support and telecommunications services; $1.101 million for central administration/business operations including audit and legal services, insurances, tax collection, publications and financial systems; and $743,000 for supplies, services and equipment at the four schools combined.

Antoline previously laid out millage projections with proposed tax hikes of 3.4% or less over the next few years to cover rising operational costs and high school project payments.

He said those projections have not changed.

“Our strategic long-term planning ensures that we have sight to paying for the significant investment of a new high school without crowding out the funds necessary to maintain our existing buildings and great educational programs,” Antoline said. “All future tax increases for both operational and capital needs, including the new high school, are also projected to stay under the rates permitted by the law.”

District budgets are able to be viewed in the finance department tab of the district’s website, qvsd.org.

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