$70.3M Budget, 2.69% Tax Increase Approved

The Marple Newtown Board of School Directors unanimously approved the 2013-2014 general fund budget at its Thursday meeting.

Board director John McDevitt, who was absent from the meeting, called in to cast his budget vote. 

The $70,350,000 final budget will bring a tax increase of 2.69 percent for a millage rate of 17.6839, according to District Business Administrator Joe Driscoll.

The 2.69 percent increase equates to an annual increase of $115.40 for the average assessed property of $248,726.

The 2.69 percent tax increase is a decrease from the original 2.88 percent increase which was proposed in May.

Driscoll said even though there was a very slight tax decrease from what was proposed in May, the total budget remained the same. 

He said there was "slightly better revenue" and the district was about to move a few things around to bring the tax increase to 2.69 percent.

No major academic programs were cut in the 2013-2014 budget. 

The board did approve an Act 1 exception earlier in the year, which allowed them to go over the 1.7 percent Act 1 index.

How Does it Compare to Last Year?

Last year, residents saw a zero percent tax increase in the approval of the $68.1 million 2012-2013 budget. That budget was approved 7-1 with Nancy Galbraith casting the lone nay vote, saying the zero increase would create potential problems in the future and they would be "slicing and dicing" the next year if they did not plan for the future.