Property owners in the Gateway School District will pay more in real estate taxes if the tentative 2025-26 budget is approved.

School directors Monday voted to move forward with a $98.6 million spending plan for next school year, a 4.8% increase over this year’s budget.

The tentative budget includes a 1.2 mill increase, from 24 mills to 25.2 mills, for next school year. If approved, property owners will pay $2,527.18 on each $100,000 of assessed value.

The vote to pass the tentative spending plan was 6-1, with director Valerie Warning voting no. Jack Bova and Robin Mungo were absent.

The district plans to use $836,094 from its fund balance to help pare down expenses.

Superintendent Guy Rossi said 348 Pennsylvania school districts received adequacy gap funding from the state. Gateway is among the 152 districts that did not.

The funding, first passed by the legislature last year, is earmarked to help underfunded, poor districts to provide the same level of instruction as more wealthy districts.

Rossi said that as state funds are used to find the adequacy gap, Gateway will receive less money for basic education.

“So we’re going to advocate for more money being placed in basic education. We also have to advocate for more special education funding (and) charter school funding as well,” Rossi said. “These are things that we continue to talk to our legislators about and try to get some movement there to help school districts, so it doesn’t fall on the taxpayers.”

The final spending plan will be adopted on May 27.

New college-level courses

At the next meeting on April 28, the board is expected to approve a new course, “Disability Studies: Understanding and Supporting Individuals with Disabilities.”

Assistant Superintendent Dennis Chakey said the class is an introduction to special education curriculum and pairs with Mark Spinola’s Teacher Academy. Disability Studies is a college-level course, and students can earn 3 college credits.

The board also is expected to approve an agreement with Point Park University. High school students will be able to take up to eight college-level classes — or a total of 24 credits — they can transfer to Point Park at no cost.

“It’s college in high school, but without the cost,” Rossi said.