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Abington previews 2025–26 budget and staffing: 4% tax increase proposed, modest staffing reductions via attrition
Summary
District staff presented projected enrollment and a draft 2025–26 general fund budget that would raise real estate taxes 4% (millage to 38.55) and reduce staff counts primarily through retirements. The board was told the allocated fund balance needed would fall to $7.9 million under the draft budget.
At the May 27 meeting, Abington School District administrators presented projected enrollment and a draft general fund budget for fiscal year 2025–26 that includes a proposed 4% real-estate tax increase, staffing adjustments and a lower draw on fund balance.
“Revenue was at $195,100,000. Expenses were at $204,900,000, and the allocated fund balance needed was $9,700,000,” business staff said when summarizing the earlier May 13 presentation. Budget managers reduced proposed expenses by $2,000,000, trimming the projected expense line to $202,800,000 and lowering the allocated fund-balance need to $7,900,000, the presentation said.
The updated budget would raise real estate taxes by the maximum allowable 4%, increasing the millage to 38.55 and generating about $4.1 million in additional real estate tax revenue, staff said. State revenue was projected to rise about 6.08% based on the governor's recommendations for basic education, special education and PSR subsidies; federal revenue declined by about $687,000 chiefly because ESSER pandemic funds have ended.
On the expense side, salaries were projected to increase 2.54% (about $2.4 million) and mandated benefits rose roughly $1.3 million (a 3.38% increase) because of changes in retirement contribution percentages. Non-salary, non-benefit expenses were decreased about $1.2 million. The presentation showed an estimated end-of-year fund balance for 2024–25 of $16.6 million under current projections and $8.6 million for the updated 2025–26 budget scenario.
Administrators also presented enrollment projections that show a small net decrease in K–12 enrollment (from 8,402 reported Oct. 1 to a projected 8,358) and school-by-school projections used to recommend staffing adjustments. Based on projected enrollments, the district recommended a net decrease of five general-education teachers at the elementary level, four at the middle level and a net minus-two at the high school level; district leaders said most reductions would be achieved through attrition and retirements and that no layoffs were planned.
The presentation included an explicit staffing addition: the senior high school would move from 1.5 to 2 full-time librarians. Administrators also recommended a net decrease of two elementary special-education staff positions while flagging a “gray box” — a placeholder — for possible additional senior-high special-education staffing to serve an 18–22 age cohort depending on parent decisions and enrollment.
Board members praised budget managers for finding $2 million in savings. One board member asked for confirmation that the staffing reductions would come from retirements rather than layoffs; administrators said that was correct. The board is scheduled to be asked to adopt the final 2025–26 general fund budget at its June 24 meeting and to consider a resolution to implement the homestead exclusion if the state property-tax relief fund provides sufficient funds, staff said.
No formal votes on the budget were taken at the May 27 meeting; the presentation was given for information and to allow board members to ask questions ahead of the June 24 adoption vote.
