Decision day is approaching for the Gettysburg Area School District Board of Directors. The elected body must decide next month whether to propose raising taxes for the 2026-27 budget year.
Business Manager Belinda Wallen told the board last week that administrators recommend a 3.5% tax increase to help close the $1.8 million deficit. Pennsylvania law states the district could raise taxes up to 4.2%, but administrators are not comfortable recommending that the board do so.
The proposal includes adding two social workers to replace family navigator positions, as well as two special education supervisors, three special education positions, and a technology position. Wallen added that contractually-mandated salary and benefits increases, as well as higher costs for service contracts, transportation, hardware, software, and cameras are also adding strain to the budget.
Deficit Still Looms
If the board follows the administrator’s recommendation, the district will still have to determine how to close a $577,647 deficit. Annual expenses are predicted to total $83,076,709. The board cannot follow the past practice of tapping into the unassigned fund balance since it is currently funded at the lowest amount possible by policy, 6% of the total budget.
The board could eliminate the deficit by reducing funding for the capital plan. Administrators are currently planning to set aside $1.2 million for capital projects.
Board Comments
Director Dave Sites, who joined the board in December, asked Wallen how much they would need to raise taxes to correct what he believes is “negligence” by past boards that decided not to raise taxes to cover increasing costs.
“We would never be able to catch up with being underneath the index to fund us appropriately,” Wallen said.
Kathleen Pratt asked how reducing the capital project funding would affect projects. Wallen said the board would need to review the capital plan and decide which projects will not be funded. Board member Michael Dickerson, who joined the board in 2019, said reducing capital project funding does not necessarily mean projects will be canceled.
“It’s not permanently robbing that money; it is just using it at a different time in a different manner,” he said.
Sites requested an additional meeting on April 20, beginning at 6 p.m., to make “critical decisions” on the budget. No one supported his motion. Board President Alice Broadway said the final budget vote is scheduled for June 1, so the board and public can ask questions and comment at the April 20, May 4, and May 18 meetings.
All meetings begin at 7 p.m. at the District Administration Building on Biglerville Road.
