Allegheny Valley School District's proposed budget holds line on taxes

Property owners in the Allegheny Valley School District can expect no increase in their property taxes.

The district is eyeing a budget of $24.6 million for next school year, which is an increase of 3.5% compared to the school year that just ended.

The district’s school board approved the preliminary budget at its May meeting. The final budget must be approved by the end of the month.

“The budget is student-focused, providing for a balance of student experiences in academics, athletics and the arts,” said Hamsini Rajgopal, the district’s director of finance and operations. “It is the culmination of many meetings, both administratively and publicly, to maintain current instructional programs and activities.”

Rajgopal said the budget allots for new English Language Arts textbooks and professional development for teachers. There are no program cuts, she said.

It also accounts for two math intervention teachers — one at Acmetonia Elementary and the other at the Springdale High School — to provide after-school and summer school programs. This was created to address learning loss from the covid-19 pandemic, she said.

Local revenue keeps the millage rate at 20.8377 mills. Other local revenue sources are a 0.5% earned income tax, 0.5% real estate transfer tax and one-half of the $10 occupation privilege tax.

That local revenues accounts for 69% of the budget.

Other major revenue — state and federal subsidies — reflect the balance of district’s income, Rajgopal said. She said the district anticipates increased funding from the state for basic and special education.

The instructional budget, which totals about $12.9 million, represents about half of the district’s spending.

Rajgopal attributed increases in the budget to rising costs of health insurance, staffing, special education, tuition cyber charter or other schools, transportation and debt service.

Specific expenditures in the budget, Rajgopal said, are about $9.3 million for staffing, $3.3 million for special education, $2.9 million for health insurance,$2.3 million for debt service, $1.4 million for tuition, and $1.4 million for transportation.

“We tried to maintain the programs and staffing to best meet the students’ needs,” she said.

The school board will consider passing the proposed final budget at its meeting at 7 p.m. June 20.

The budget can be viewed on the district’s website at avsdweb.org/district-information/finance/proposed-final-budget. Printed copies can be obtained by emailing Rajgopal at hrajgopal@avsd.k12.pa.us.