A preliminary 2025-26 budget approved by Jeannette City school directors Monday calls for a 2-mill property tax increase.

Superintendent Matt Jones said the biggest challenge in balancing the budget is the amount the district has to pay for students who live within the district but attend cyber or charter schools. That amount has been increasing steadily over the past few years, he said.

“Right now, that’s probably the biggest driver of any deficit we would see in our budget,” he said.

Additional costs include health care increases and pension obligations. Under the $25 million budget proposal, the district will take $186,000 from its reserves in addition to the proposed property tax increase to balance the spending plan, Jones said.

The hike — from 89 to 91 mills — would equal an additional $25 annually for an average property owner. It would bring in an additional $93,600 in revenue.

School district millage rates in Westmoreland County range from 85.90 mills in municipalities covered by Ligonier Valley to 158.61 in West Leechburg, where students attend Leechburg Area in Armstrong County, according to information compiled by the Westmoreland tax office. Jeannette City is among the lowest in the county.

The property tax rate was last raised in the 2022-23 school year, when a 1-mill increase was passed.

The costs for students who attend cyber or charter schools has been an issue in past budgets. In the 2023-24 school year, the district paid $1.5 million in enrollment for those students, Jones said. Officials are projecting that cost at $2.175 million for 2025-26, about 9% of the total budget.

“Until we fix the cyber-charter issue, we’re still going to be facing these deficits every year,” he said.

Jeannette school directors are expected to vote on adoption of a final budget June 16.

Gov. Josh Shapiro’s proposed state budget sets a flat cyber tuition rate of $8,000 per student annually, capping the cost districts have to pay for students in their area to attend such schools. That would save Jeannette City $822,000 annually, Jones said.

Annual cyberschool tuition rates statewide range from about $7,600 per student to nearly $29,000 per student, according to a spokesperson in the governor’s office. The rate is projected to increase 4.6% by the 2032-33 school year — a contribution of 38.5%.

Copyright ©2025— Trib Total Media, LLC (TribLIVE.com)