The proposed budget for the 2024-25 term at Minersville Area School District calls for a hike in property taxes.
Last week, Minersville Area school board members approved a tentative $24.5 million budget with a 1.5-mill increase in property taxes.
If property taxes are proposed to be 1.5 mills higher, it means that for every $1,000 of your property’s assessed value, you will pay an additional $1.50 in taxes.
Here is a table showing what the new tax rates might be in Minersville for property valued at $10,000, $25,000, $50,000, and $100,000.
| Assessed Property Value ($) | 2023-24 Millage Rate (45.79) | Proposed 2024-25 Millage Rate (47.29) |
|---|---|---|
| 10,000 | $457.90 | $472.90 |
| 25,000 | $1,144.75 | $1,182.25 |
| 50,000 | $2,289.50 | $2,364.50 |
| 100,000 | $4,579.00 | $4,729.00 |
How to Calculate the Tax Rate on Your Property
To calculate the tax rate for your Minersville Area School District property, multiply the assessed value by 47.29 and then divide by 1,000.
For example, for a property assessed at $45,500:
- Proposed 2024-25 Millage Rate: (45,500/1,000) ∗ 47.29 = $2,150.70
Why the Proposed Property Tax Hike in Minersville?
The reason Minersville Area is looking to raise taxes for the next school term is simple, according to Business Manager Brittany Doyle.
Doyle explained to The Canary last week that expenditures are expected to rise 3% over the 2023-24 term. However, revenues are only expected to increase – through the property property tax hike – by 1%.
“That’s operating on a lean budget,” Doyle told The Canary last week.
The biggest jump in cost for the district is employee health insurance. Doyle said that’s gone up by 16% in a year. Salaries and benefits are the biggest part of the budget, she added.
Another factor is cyber schooling costs, Doyle said. Last school term (2022-23), the cost to the district was $1.75 million. She expects the cost for the 2023-24 term to be more than $2 million by June.
The district is hoping it can reduce this expense for 2024-25 by bringing students back to in-person learning or have them enroll in Minersville’s own virtual academy.
“I’m hoping we can have more students report to the school next year and have in-person or, if not, try our virtual academy here,” Doyle said.
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Coalregion12
May 29, 2024 at 11:16 am
It’s time for the state to seriously think about merging the school districts. This would help to lessen Administrative costs. Also, building and maintenance costs would be lower if instead of having 2 to 3 schools in a district(elementary thru high school) there would be just 2 schools for 2 to 3 merged districts.
PA did this in the 60s. With enrollment dropping at most of these local school districts, this is the only solution.
dd
July 15, 2024 at 11:46 am
Spot-on.
There are over a dozen school districts in Schuylkill County — over 500 in the state.
On the other hand, Maryland has only 17 school districts — one for each County. Granted, Maryland has half the population; but 17 is still a far cry from 500.
Additionally, graduating classes in Schuylkill County, with a few exceptions, are in the double digits. Compare this to the “baby boom” years, when graduating classes approached 200 kids.
Put it this way. Not too long after “the kids are gone”, couples realize that they an empty house to maintain; and they start thinking about downsizing. It’s the same thing with schools — when you don’t have kids to teach, it’s time to downsize.
It worked in the 60s; and it needs to work again.