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Altoona Area School District board rejects advertised 3% tax increase, approves 0% and adopts 2025–26 general fund budget
Summary
The Altoona Area School District Board of Education voted down an advertised 3% tax increase and approved a motion to adopt the district’s 2025–26 general fund budget with no tax increase. The approved budget lists expenditures of about $125.8 million and uses part of the district’s roughly $34 million fund balance.
The Altoona Area School District Board of Education on Monday rejected the district’s advertised 3% tax increase and instead approved the 2025–26 general fund budget with a 0% tax increase.
Administration presented a final general fund budget in Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) format showing expenditures of $125,791,510 and revenues and other sources reported in the meeting materials as approximately $124,000,040 (the agenda contained a formatting/misprint that board members pointed out). Board members also noted the district’s unassigned fund balance of approximately $34,000,000 while debating the tax rate.
The board first took a roll-call vote on a motion to approve the budget as proposed — which included the 3% tax increase advertised in the agenda — and the motion failed. A subsequent motion to adopt the budget at a 0% tax increase carried on roll call.
At the 0% rate, administration said the homestead/farmstead exclusion allowance per approved homesteaded property would be $256.88. The board also approved, by voice vote, two related resolutions: the Homestead and Farmstead exclusion resolution for 2025–26 (applied at the 0% rate) and a resolution to commit unassigned fund balance in excess of 8%.
Board members who cast recorded yes and no votes were placed on the public record during roll calls. The initial motion that included the advertised 3% increase received a majority of “no” votes and failed; the 0% motion later received sufficient votes to pass. The meeting transcript shows the roll-call sequence and the chair declaring the second motion carried.
Why it matters: The board’s choice to forgo the advertised increase keeps local property tax rates unchanged for the coming fiscal year while adopting a budget that relies in part on the district’s fund balance. Board discussion referenced last year’s unanticipated additional state funding of roughly $3,000,000 and used that context in arguments for no tax increase.
Votes and next steps: The board adopted the 2025–26 general fund budget as presented to the board at a 0% tax increase. The homestead/farmstead exclusion and the commitment of unassigned fund balance were approved at the same meeting. Administration will proceed with the adopted budget and follow any statutorily required filings with PDE.
Provenance: Meeting transcript contains the budget presentation, roll-call votes and the homestead/farmstead resolution discussion and vote (discussion begins in the transcript at the administration presentation of the final general fund budget and concludes where the chair says "Motion carries.").
