Hempfield Area to vote on 5-mill tax hike, elimination of 2 librarian and 4 teacher positions

Two librarian positions, one special education teacher position, and three teacher positions are up for elimination at Hempfield Area School District as part of a proposed budget that includes a 5-mill tax hike.

The district is set to vote on its nearly $109.6 million budget for 2024-2025 on June 24. The district’s revenues without the tax increase amount to $106.6 million, which using $810,000 of the district’s reserves, which total nearly $8.4 million. The proposed increase would bring the district’s millage up to 90.76 mills

For a property with an assessed value of $22,610, the annual tax increase would be about $113 — about $9 per month.

The three teacher positions — one math, one English and one reading teacher — were funded using federal pandemic relief funds.

The math and English teacher positions were in the high school, and the reading teacher position was at the elementary.

The other three positions were to be eliminated as part of the 2024-2025 budgeting process.

Superintendent Kimberlie Rieffannacht said no one is being furloughed and the individuals will be reassigned to positions within their certifications.

“None of these decisions were easy,” Rieffannacht said.

The district is restructuring its secondary-level library program, between the middle school, Harrold, and senior high school buildings, according to Rieffannacht. At that level, librarians will be sharing buildings, she said.

Also up for a vote is the addition of two positions — a dean of students at Harrold and a gifted teacher at the elementary level.