The 2023-24 Butler Area School District preliminary budget put forward by district administrators does include a tax increase.
Board members approved the proposed budget of just over $110 million during their Monday night meeting. This represents an increase of about $4 million over the current year budget.
Local real-estate tax rates would increase by 2.95 mils to just under 107 mils. This would be the first time Butler Area School District has raised taxes in the last four years. This increase would allow the district to collect approximately $1.25 million in new revenue.
Fuel and utility costs have increased along with health care but Superintendent Dr. Brian White says most of this additional funding will be used to implement school safety and security measures.
“We ask the state police to come and assessed our buildings. Those reports had a lot of reports for school safety,” White said. “I don’t typically talk about school safety items in public, but in the context of asking for a tax increase I’m going to because I don’t think I’m asking for exotic things.”
These items include door locks, bollard posts, window coverings, security cameras, and weapons detection systems.
“The state police have not requested exotic things to be considered for our schools,” White said.
The revenue total from the state has not yet been determined so it is possible that the board could decrease the proposed milage but they cannot increase beyond the 2.95 mils proposed.
The budget will now be posted for 30 days before school board members will vote on final approval in June.
