Souderton, PA: SPED, insurance costs behind property tax increase
- 3 days ago
- 2 min read
District cites rising special education and insurance costs as board votes 6-3 to adopt 2026-27 spending plan
The Souderton Area School Board has approved a $165.51 million budget for the 2026-27 school year that includes a 4.35% property tax increase, citing continued growth in special education and insurance costs along with what district officials described as inadequate state funding.
The budget, approved by a 6-3 vote, keeps revenues and expenditures balanced at $165.51 million. For the owner of a home with the district’s average assessed value of $159,060, the increase amounts to about $248 annually. The increase exceeds Pennsylvania’s Act 1 property tax index of 3.5% after the district received approval from the Pennsylvania Department of Education for a special education funding exception.
Board President Ken Keith said directors were committed to preserving educational opportunities despite mounting financial pressures.
“We have a strong conviction on a few things,” Keith said, per The Reporter. “We honor our special education community. We’ve built a program that we feel is second to none. We believe in our programming and we’re not going to cut it. It’s easy to fix a budget by cutting programs, but it impacts our kids, and we’re not going to do it.”
Board member Rosemary Buetikofer acknowledged the impact on taxpayers but said maintaining educational services remained the priority.
“Raising taxes is a serious responsibility and it is for the students,” Buetikofer said. “We need to keep these programs going. They benefit our students.”
Board member Bill Brong said state funding has not kept pace with mandated educational costs, particularly in special education.
“[The funding] is mandated, but they don’t give it to us, and then we, as the board, have to raise your taxes. We look like the bad guys,” Brong said. “It breaks my heart because I have to sit up here and vote for an increase that I have to pay. I plead every year. Just give us the money that we’re entitled to.”
The budget was adopted as the district also prepares for the anticipated closure of the JBS meatpacking plant in Franconia. District officials said the closure is not expected to affect this year’s property tax revenue but could reduce the district’s earned income tax collections, estimated at roughly $32,000 from JBS employees, according to The Reporter.
Voting in favor of the budget were Keith, Buetikofer, Brong and three other board members. Directors Corinne DeGeiso, Andrew Souchet and Alex Wisser voted against the spending plan. No specific reasons for the dissenting votes were discussed before the board took action, per the report.
Comments