Coatesville Area SD projects $11.9 million budget gap for 2025–26; staff leaning to 3.5% tax increase

Laurie Dieffenreffer, the district's director of business administration, told the finance committee on May 20 that preliminary 2025'26 expense projections total about $242 million and preliminary revenue projections total about $230.1 million, leaving an estimated budget gap of $11.9 million.

Dieffenreffer said the single largest expense growth is salaries and benefits, which she estimated will increase by roughly $5.1 million as a result of collective bargaining settlements, healthcare cost increases, new positions and full absorption of positions previously partially funded by external sources. Purchase-of-service costs were projected to rise by about $9.3 million, including an estimated $4.7 million increase for charter-school tuition and roughly $2 million for transportation contract escalations and additional contracted services. Special-education services, technology and other departmental cost increases also…