Brentwood property owners will not pay more in school taxes next year.
The school board Monday approved the district’s $33.3 million budget, said spokesman Jeff Nelson. The millage rate will remain 39.1977 mills.
A property owner with Brentwood’s median assessed value of $86,400 will continue to pay $3,387 per year.
“While our district continues to face rising costs, declining real estate values and new operational expenses associated with maintaining our facilities, we are grateful for the significant support provided through the Commonwealth’s Ready to Learn Grant and adjustments to Pennsylvania’s Fair Funding formula,” said Superintendent Amy Burch.
A $145,470 deficit will be covered from the district’s assigned fund balance for increases in salaries and benefits ($127,433) and the committed fund balance for some technology needs ($18,037).
Impacting the budget is a downward trend in real estate values combined with a lower common level ratio, or the formula for reassessed real estate values, Brentwood officials said.
The district also realizes continued increases in school equipment costs, health insurance and salaries and benefits for staff, a new stormwater management fee in the borough and capital improvements at district buildings.
Brentwood will receive $2.3 million from the state’s Ready to Learn Grant in the upcoming year. That will fund an elementary life skills teacher, an elementary paraprofessional, a high school counselor, a Spanish teacher and a school psychologist.
The state funding boost will also increase salaries and benefits for kindergarten teachers, and add a fifth kindergarten teacher next year.
The district also will purchase new Chromebooks for sixth and ninth grade students, equipment for arts, music, physical education and media classes, new curriculum for middle and high school English teachers, and an Advanced Placement Summer Institute training.
Brentwood also was awarded a state school safety grant, which will fund new software for the security cameras located at district facilities.
“These investments are helping us strengthen educational opportunities for our students, expand critical staffing and student services, support the transition to our new Brentwood Elementary School and responsibly manage taxpayer resources,” Burch said.
The district will use about $475,500 of its grant funding on bond payments.
Officials project a real estate tax collection rate of 94.77% next year. Nelson said most of the $1.4 million collected in delinquent tax revenue will fund an exterior ramps project at the Middle-High School.