Central York SD finances show short-term gains but multi‑year gap; board to consider final 2025‑26 budget next week

Miss Martin, staff member, presented the Central York School District proposed 2025‑26 general fund budget Tuesday, saying the district expects $118,174,314 in total revenue and $115,000,005.25 in expenses and plans to ask the board to approve a proposed final budget next Monday for a 30‑day public inspection before final adoption on June 16.

The budget presentation outlined why the proposal matters: projected stronger-than-expected local receipts and interest income would raise the district’s fund balance to roughly $12 million at the end of 2024‑25, creating room to commit funds for capital and curriculum needs while proposing a 3% property tax increase that would generate about $2 million in local revenue.

Miss Martin said the district’s projected 2024‑25 revenue is about $115.79 million, driven by unanticipated state aid, better real estate transfer taxes and higher interest earnings. She described projected 2024‑25 expenses of about $111.8 million and an expected increase to fund balance of roughly $4 million, bringing the projected ending fund balance to about $12 million. For 2025‑26 she proposed local revenue of $83,540,000 (about 71 percent of total revenue), state revenue of $33,649,000 (about 28 percent) and federal revenue under 1 percent.

The proposal includes a 3 percent tax increase—0.6823 mills—on top of a county assessment growth of about 1 percent. Miss Martin said the average residential property tax bill would rise by about $110.47 per year under the proposal; homestead/farmstead relief…