I am writing to express serious concern over the Quaker Valley School Board’s unanimous 8-0 vote approving a 3.9% real estate tax increase for the 2025–2026 fiscal year.
Since 2018-2019, district enrollment has declined by approximately 6%, yet staffing, particularly non-teaching support staff, has grown significantly. The number of support staff per 100 students has increased by 27%, even as the student population has fallen.
While the total district budget has roughly kept pace with inflation over the past five years, increasing by just 0.67% in real terms, how funds are internally allocated is troubling. Instead of adjusting staffing to enrollment trends, the district has expanded personnel, shifting a greater financial burden onto taxpayers.
Compounding 3.9% tax increases will result in a 21% cumulative rise over five years, straining residents, retirees and working families. This trend risks undermining the community’s economic diversity and long-term vitality.
Most concerning, however, is the board’s complete unanimity. Not one member questioned these dynamics or proposed an alternative. Our community deserves leaders who exercise independent judgment and demand fiscal discipline, not rubber-stamp approval of tax hikes without public debate.
Benny Weksler
Edgeworth