Fairfield Area School District directors moved forward Monday with a proposed $24.8 million budget for 2026-27 that includes a 1 percent property tax increase, while residents pressed the board to focus on academic performance and student safety.
The proposed spending plan calls for $24,793,807 in expenditures, with revenues of $24,094,807 generated through a millage increase from 12.2357 to 12.3581. The remaining gap would be covered through the district’s assigned fund balance. Final adoption is expected at the board’s June 22 meeting after the required public inspection period.
A resident who addressed the board during public comment said he appreciated efforts to limit the tax increase but urged directors to place greater emphasis on academic achievement. He said Fairfield has slipped in county academic rankings and argued that stronger reading performance should be a district priority. “I hear people saying, what are we going to do to lift student academic performance?” he told the board. “Knowledge is power.”
Another resident, a firefighter and parent, raised concerns about access to automated external defibrillators at athletic facilities, saying emergency response times to some practice fields are too slow. He said a round trip to retrieve the nearest AED from the boys soccer practice field took six minutes, a potentially dangerous delay in a cardiac emergency.
“To me it’s super important,” he said, urging the district to consider adding AEDs closer to athletic venues. He cited Pennsylvania’s newly enacted Greg Moyer Act, which will require AEDs to be readily accessible at athletic events and practices by 2029.
The board also approved a wide-ranging consent agenda that included nearly $791,400 in expenditures, a one-year LIU 12 services agreement, a contract with The PIMS People for state reporting support at up to $18,000 annually, and Fairfield’s $117,480 contribution toward an Adams County Technical Institute land purchase.
Personnel actions included the hiring of Zachary Koons as full-time athletic director at an annual salary of $64,500, Robert Phelps as maintenance staff at $17 per hour, and Jessica Allen as a fifth-grade teacher. The board also approved elimination of an elementary personal care assistant position because of changes in a student’s individualized education program.
Administrators also provided year-end updates, highlighting academic growth in elementary benchmark testing, spring arts performances, student transition activities, and career exploration trips. Superintendent Thomas Haupt congratulated the district baseball team on its recent playoff success.
The district also acknowledged a $200 donation from Karen Weddle to assist single mothers.