Unionville-Chadds Ford School District directors once again passed a budget with a tax increase levied on property owners in the district. Unlike most years, however, the vote wasn’t unanimous. The lone “no” vote came from Director Brian Schartz who motioned to approve the 2024-2025 academic year budget.
The budget calls for revenues of $105,838,802, with real estate taxes of 32.61 mils for Chester County property owners — an increase of 2.07 percent — and 18.57 mils in Chadds Ford, the only Delaware County municipality in the district. The tax increase for Chadds Ford property owners is 11.06 percent. (A mil is a tax of $1 for every $1,000 of assessed property value.)
Schartz, who lives in Chadds Ford and represents Region C, said: “As everyone knows, I voted against this final budget last month. Because this is the same budget that is presented today, I’m going to vote the same way, the same conflicted way.”
Schartz went on to explain the total expenditure is appropriate to meet the educational needs but “the disparate tax impact on different members of our community is just too much for me to bear.”
Jody Allen, also from Chadds Ford, said he agreed with Schartz about the high increase for Chadds Ford property owners but voted in favor of the budget.
“I agree wholeheartedly. The current disparity in taxation between Chester and Delaware County does not sit well with me,” Allen said, “but while I agree the overall budget is a solid budget and upholds our commitment to all-day kindergarten of the ’25-’26 school year… All that being said, and even though I’m elected from Region C and I represent Chadds Ford and Pennsbury, I also represent the entire school district and, even though it’s not in my own best interest to have a tax increase this high in Chadds Ford, I have to think about the entire district and I do think overall budget is a fair and solid one, I will vote yes,” he said during the discussion before the vote.
Erin Talbert, from Pennsbury, also said she agreed the taxation differential is a problem but voted in favor of the budget despite the increase for Chadds Ford property owners.
The final vote was 8-1 and the new budget and tax levies go into effect on July 1.
Other business
Directors voted to spend some money on facility upgrades and improvements at Pocopson and Chadds Ford Elementary Schools. The exterior of Pocopson Elementary School will be cleaned, painted and have joints repaired for $73,640. The job was awarded to PR Painting.
Chadds Ford Elementary School will get a new underground water line for public water for $49,700. That work will be done by MGK Industries of Pottstown.
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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I attended the School Board meeting on Monday night and I presented comments on the tax increases passed by the school board which were not reported in this article. I live in Chadds Ford Township, Delco, a small portion of the UCFSD, and wanted to represent my neighbors and their concerns about these continued increases in our taxes. Not only are the rates of tax increases always skewed inequitably in favor of Chesco residents, but Delco residents are also burdened with Delco Council (also tax and spend Democrats) enormous increases in taxes! CF Township residents are looking at an 11% increase in school taxes and a 20% increase in Delco taxes!! Many of our residents do not know how they are going to live and pay these astronomical taxes. Fixed incomes and the horrible economy have left them afraid and angry that our “Leaders” are callous and indifferent to these conditions. It’s not as if our school district were doing well – UCF rankings have continued to drop every year since 2020 and so has enrollment – less than 3800 students district wide. And after this next increase, residents will be paying nearly $30,000/student. Is it so difficult for this school board to be fiscally responsible and find ways to cut the budget and give some relief to tax payers?? The Directors that ran last year, all ran on being FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE but many of us think they have no idea what that means! Chadds Ford Township representatives, Erin Talbert and Jody Allen ran on fiscal responsibility but I see no evidence of that. At Least Brian Schartz, also a CF Township rep, had the good conscience to vote against the budget and increases.