New Ken-Arnold pledges to keep next school year's taxes within state-imposed inflation limit of 6.1%

The New Kensington-Arnold School Board has committed to not increasing the district’s property taxes for the 2023-24 school year by more than its state-imposed inflation limit.

New Kensington-Arnold’s limit for the 2023-24 school year is 6.1%, up from 5% for this school year. It’s the highest limit the district has had since the 2008-09 school year, when it was 6.4%.

The decision to increase property taxes by any amount will rest with the school board. Budgets and tax rates are normally approved in June.

In adopting the district’s $48.9 million budget for the current school year, the board approved a full 5% property tax increase, which increased the rate by 4.57 mills, from 91.57 mills to 96.14 mills.

A 6.1% increase next school budget year, which starts July 1, would take the rate to about 102 mills, an increase of 5.86 mills.

Districts are required to approve resolutions stating they will not raise any tax by more than their indexes or adopt a proposed version of preliminary budgets by Jan. 26.