JACKSON TWP — Seneca Valley School District’s board will vote on its finalized 2024-25 budget with a 4% tax increase at a school board meeting next week, June 10.

After a workshop meeting Monday, June 3, business manager Dana Kirk said the 5.32-mill increase would equate to an annual increase of $138 for the average homeowner. The increase could be lower for some homestead and farmstead property owners based on the state’s homestead tax exemption.

If approved, the millage rate would climb from 133 to 138.32, bringing an additional $3.7 million in real estate tax revenue into the district, according to Kirk.

The district’s proposed budget discussed Monday evening includes revenue of $167,977,966 and total expenditures numbering $176,200,022. The budget would use $6 million from capital reserves.

Seneca Valley’s budget deficit — based on the district’s operating expenditures — is projected to be north of $2 million.

“Rather than propose a tax increase to fully fix that gap, we decided it would be prudent to pull a rate that is lower than that,” Kirk said after the meeting. “Our goal is to be fiscally responsible with all expenditures and really try and look at each individual line item as next year comes up.”

Expenditures in the district have risen this year by 6.32%, or more than $10 million. Health care costs have risen by $2.2 million, or 12.68%, Kirk said.

Summary notes from Seneca Valley’s May 6 meeting point to expenses including wage and salary increases, additional professional positions, and educational and security services.

The district’s upcoming construction projects also played a role in deciding to propose a tax increase, Kirk said.

“We're really just trying to be forward thinking and really look at our long-range facilities and really understand kind of what those construction projects will do and how that's going to affect our budget,” Kirk said after the meeting.

Last month, the district approved a $2 million parking lot expansion for its secondary campus, as well as routine maintenance projects, all to be completed this summer.

The district also is in the preliminary design stages of renovating its intermediate high school to accommodate student growth.

“We're seeing growth as well,” said board president Eric DiTullio. “Adding classrooms, buildings ... it's one of the things that we keep looking to the future of how to do responsibly.”