Town hall planned for anticipated tax hikes for York Suburban building improvements

Residents in the York Suburban School District have been invited to a town hall to discuss what some are saying will result in significant tax hikes if the district moves forward with roughly $118 million in building improvements.

The town hall, set for 5 p.m. Tuesday at Wisehaven Event Center, will highlight financial concerns with the district's planned facilities projects, which include building a new intermediate school and renovating the high school. Indian Rock and East York elementary schools would be closed.

Some residents have been going door-to-door with flyers that outline the fiscal impact from the planned construction and what residents can do. Joel Sears, a former school board director and treasurer, will provide a presentation on the potential tax hikes during the town hall. The school board, along with Supt. Scott Krauser, have been invited, a news release states.

How much property owners would have to pay

The district has shared its renovation and construction plans on its website, and it has provided a tax impact calculator to help property owners determine how much they would have to pay.

However, the calculator can be misleading, Sears said in an interview. The owner of a home assessed at $150,000 would have to pay a projected increase of $88.50 for the 2024/2025 school year. The spreadsheet highlights the projected costs in green for each school year but indicates that it involves incremental annual increases. Over a four-year period, the homeowner would pay a total of $886.50.

The school board "is misleading the public," he said. "The impact is the total amount of tax paid."

The increases that residents would have to pay is not trivial to people living on small incomes, Sears said.

The buildings have been well-maintained for the years they have been in business, he said.

Sears said he hopes to see citizens get involved, receive accurate and thorough information and help to make a decision based on that.

Superintendent says information that has been shared is inaccurate

Krauser, meanwhile, posted a letter this week on the district's website addressing a postcard that was mailed to residents, urging them to speak out against the planned projects.

"We have very carefully considered how to maintain and improve our aging facilities in a fiscally responsible way and that will also allow us to strengthen our programming and use our staff more efficiently and effectively," he wrote. "Ultimately, we believe these changes will help to save the district money as well as strengthen the education we provide to students."

Krauser said the district respects the concerns of residents about the tax increases that will come with the improvements.

"However, the information that has been shared with residents via that postcard is simply not accurate," he said. "It dramatically overestimates the impact of tax increases that would be needed to support these construction and renovation projects."

His letter states that a taxpayer with a home assessed at $165,000 would pay about $97 per year for the comprehensive projects. That would be in addition to any annual tax increase to support the district's operational costs.

School districts are limited in how much they can increase taxes annually, Krauser stated in the letter. He also noted the new proposed state budget "would mean millions more in funding" for the district and "could help lessen the burden on taxpayers."

Upcoming meetings about the improvements

York Suburban residents can attend three meetings next week about the planned improvements.

They are:

Monday, Feb. 26: School board meeting at 7 p.m. in the board room of the Ronald Provard Education Center.

Tuesday, Feb. 27: Town hall at 5 p.m. at Wisehaven Event Center, 2985 East Prospect Road, Windsor Township

Wednesday, Feb. 28: Intermediate Center Project Public Meeting at 7 p.m. at East York Elementary School, 701 Erlen Drive

This article originally appeared on York Daily Record: Town hall set on tax implications for York Suburban improvements