Taxpayers in the Bethel Park School District will be getting a bit of a break on their 2019-20 school taxes as the school board voted 6-3 on an $89 million budget that decreases the district’s millage rate from 22.8763 mills to 21 mills.

Board members David Amaditz, Donna Cook, Connie Ruhl, Cynthia Buckley, Ron Werkmeister and Jim Means voted for the decrease at the board’s June 25 meeting. Board members Ken Nagel, Pamela Dobos and Barry Christenson voted no.

At a previous meeting, the board approved the millage rate to stay at 22.8763, but at the June 25 meeting, Mr. Werkmeister made a motion to amend the agenda to decrease the millage rate.

The new millage rate of 21, which nets a reduction 1.87 mills, will mean that taxpayers will pay about $2,100 per every $100,000 of assessed property value instead of the $2,287 per every $100,000 for the 2018-19 school year.

To make up for the millage reduction, the district will be using between $4.5 million and $5 million in fund balance to balance the budget, leaving Bethel Park with a fund balance of about $15 million.

The union representing Bethel Park teachers was sharply critical of the decision to decrease the tax rate, calling it “short-sighted” and “irresponsible.” The Bethel Park Federation of Teachers said in a statement issued Thursday that the decision went against the recommendation of the superintendent and took action without any public discussion.

“They knew the administration had not hired any teachers for three years and planned to use some of the reserves to hire staff that provides direct services to our students,” said a statement from William Wells, the union president. “While cutting taxes might make the outgoing directors popular now, it forces incoming school directors to take the heat for raising taxes in the future to continue to provide children a high-quality, rigorous and well-rounded education.” 

Deana Carpenter, freelance writer: suburbanliving@post-gazette.com.

First Published: June 26, 2019, 4:09 p.m.