Bellefonte Area School District could see tax hike

Residents in the Bellefonte Area School District could see a tax increase of up to 2.1 percent for the 2017-18 school year.

But that number is not yet set in stone, district Director of Fiscal Affairs Ken Bean said.

“We’re still analyzing numbers,” Bean said.

In order to have no tax increase, Bean said the district would need an extra $474,869.

According to a document from Bean, the proposed final budget, so far, calls for $50.25 million in expenditures.

That includes funding for four new positions; $19 million that could go toward salaries; health insurance estimated at at $6 million; Rogers Stadium future ADA project at $250,000; future capital projects at $250,000; $2.3 million in charter school funding — a $400,000 increase from the current school year; $1.82 million in tuition for Central Pennsylvania Institute of Science and Technology; and bond payments of more than $3 million.

The proposed final budget will be in the hands of the nine-member school board at the next board meeting May 9. By state law, a final budget must be adopted by June 30.

The current year’s budget is $48.825 million.

This story was originally published April 25, 2017 at 11:27 PM with the headline "Bellefonte Area School District could see tax hike."