Taxes up in proposed school budget

Directors of the Unionville-Chadds Ford School Board Monday night voted to approve the proposed preliminary budget for the 2020-2021 academic year. The budget does include tax increases.

District Business Manager Bob Cochran called the proposed preliminary budget “very preliminary” during Monday night’s meeting, saying it reflects the maximum that the board would consider.

The proposed preliminary budget shows an estimated $93.7 million in revenue and expenditures. With an estimated fund balance from this year, the district would have $102.9 million available for appropriation. Real estate taxes account for $73.2 million of the anticipated revenue.

Millage rates are proposed to be 30.47mils for Chester County property owners and 27.73 mils for Chadds Ford Township property owners. Chadds Ford is the only Delaware County municipality in the U-CF district. A mil is a tax of $1 for every $1,000 in assessed property value. The reason for the differing millage rates is based on how the two counties assess property values.

The tax increases are 4.5 percent in Chester County and 5.59 percent in Delaware County. For the 2019-2020 budget, millage rates have been 29.16 mils in Chester County and 25.71 in Chadds Ford Township.

The complete document for the proposed preliminary budget can be found here.

The budget-adopting process happens in several stages. The next step comes in January when the board will vote on the actual preliminary budget, followed by more discussion and tweaking based on what the district can expect from the state and federal governments. After that, there will be a proposed final budget followed by a vote on the actual final budget in June.

The board also voted to spend more than $2.8 million to renovate the cafeteria and kitchen at Patton Middle School.

About Rich Schwartzman

Rich Schwartzman has been reporting on events in the greater Chadds Ford area since September 2001 when he became the founding editor of The Chadds Ford Post. In April 2009 he became managing editor of ChaddsFordLive. He is also an award-winning photographer.

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This Post Has 2 Comments

  1. ksdillon

    As for school taxes,you’re blaming the wrong group. Years ago the legislature voted to fund state education at a certain percentage. Year by year, the state decreased that percentage, forcing districts to make up the shortfall. That is through the main source of revenue,property taxes. Your anger is misplaced. As for curriculum and instruction not being a priority, you are mistaken. That is at the forefront and the budget indicates that. If you haven’t been in a classroom for a while or know a student who is, you may not be as informed as you think you may be.

  2. ksdillon

    And as for the middle school cafeteria, it is out of date equipment wise and does not have the space to adequately serve the students. Perhaps you should attend district meetings to ask these questions or make a phone call to the appropriate person. District cant answer stakeholders questions if they’re not asked.

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