The Littlestown Area School Board approved a 2% property tax increase for the 2026-27 school year Monday night following a discussion about the district’s financial outlook, reserve fund balance, and long-term planning.
A recording of the meeting is available on YouTube: Littlestown Area School Board June 22, 2026 Meeting
The board approved the final budget by a 5-4 vote after considering two options: a budget with no tax increase and a budget with a 2% increase. Voting in favor were Steven Yerger, Eric Arnold, Joseph Yelps, Ally MacCall, and Janell Ressler. Opposing the measure were Board President Nick Lovell, Board Vice President Jeanne Ewen, Duane Sullivan, and Donna Baylis. The increase is expected to generate approximately $363,000 in additional revenue for the district.
Acting Superintendent Dr. Alan Moyer defended the budget strategy, saying the district is already taking steps to improve its financial position. “The combination of that 2% increase along with the administrative team making some fairly significant cuts that we anticipate in the very near future will put us on a trajectory to bring revenue and expenses into balance,” Moyer said. “It’s not going to happen overnight, but it will happen over a period of time.”
Business Manager Thomas Showvaker added that district officials regularly review and refine their financial plan through finance committee meetings, although some discussions involve personnel matters that must be handled in executive session.
Maple Avenue Health Technician Lisa Rummel urged the board to reconsider plans to eliminate an LPN position at Alloway Creek Elementary School. Speaking on behalf of herself and another district nurse, Rummel said the district has struggled for more than a year to fill nursing positions and has a limited pool of substitute nurses available.
Rummel said the district currently serves nine diabetic students in grades 6 through 12 and numerous students with other medical needs. She warned that continued staffing shortages could affect medication administration, field trips, and student health services. She also noted that if additional nursing vacancies occur, the district could face significant challenges providing adequate coverage across its buildings.
A major portion of the meeting focused on the future of the Adams County Technical Institute (ACTI). Executive Director Sean Eckenrode and Conewago Valley Superintendent Dr. Sharon Perry provided an update on plans to purchase a 67-acre property that could serve as the site of a future expanded ACTI campus.
Eckenrode said the proposed land purchase is the result of approximately three years of site evaluations and would preserve a $500,000 Adams County grant that expires at the end of 2026. He emphasized that purchasing the property does not commit participating school districts to constructing a building.
“The purchase of this real estate really has no direct connection to a potential building project,” Eckenrode said. “The building project has not really been thoroughly discussed.”
Board members questioned ACTI officials about future operating costs, alternative locations, transportation logistics, wetlands on the property, and whether satellite campuses might be a more affordable option than a centralized facility.
Perry said multiple studies over several years concluded that a centralized technical school would be more cost-effective and operationally efficient than spreading programs across multiple districts. ACTI officials said no final decisions have been made regarding the size of a future building, the number of programs that would be offered, or a construction timeline.
The board also approved a four-year contract for Dr. Judith Berryman, who will serve as superintendent from July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2030. The starting salary for Berryman was listed in her contract as $170,000.
Other actions included approval of the district’s Homestead/Farmstead Exclusion, annual nursing standing orders, student handbooks for the 2026-27 school year, legal services agreements, insurance providers, facility use requests, staff hires and resignations, and volunteers. The board also approved “Into Reading” as the new elementary English language arts curriculum resource beginning July 1.
