Downingtown district outlines $301.7M proposed budget, 3.9% tax increase and staffing plans to start full-day kindergarten

Downingtown Area School District administrators presented a proposed 2025-26 general fund budget of $301,682,672 and a proposed 3.9% millage increase to the board; the increase would translate to about a $223 rise in a typical tax bill, according to the district's presentation.

Business officer Mr. Mattis (presenter) told the board the district began the budget process with an estimated $2.1 million deficit and, after staff reallocations and planned savings, has reduced the shortfall to approximately $900,000. "We're looking at about a $2,100,000 deficit," Mattis said, and later outlined savings from reassignments, unfilled positions and retirements that have reduced the gap.

A major driver of next year's spending is the district's rollout of full-day kindergarten. Mattis said the district budget currently includes up to 14 new teachers and up to 14 paraprofessionals to staff additional kindergarten sections, while noting a baseline need of at least five teachers and five paraprofessionals based on current registrations. "We're going to need at least 5 teachers, 5 paraprofessionals based on the number of families that have enrolled for kindergarten already next year," he said.

Enrollment figures were cited during discussion: Dr. Chance reported 641 students registered for kindergarten as of the meeting date, up from 457 earlier in April. "By last year, about the May, things were fairly stable," Dr. Chance said; administrators said May is typically when district kindergarten registration stabilizes for planning. Mattis said the district will know more by October and will monitor enrollment closely through summer and into the fall.

Mattis reviewed other budget factors: declines in real estate transfer taxes and real estate growth compared with prior years; recurring losses from assessment appeals (three appeals on the agenda were projected to reduce revenue by about $77,970 per year); upward pressure from special education costs and transportation inflation; and a planned staffing package that seeks to be budget-neutral by eliminating certain administrative roles while adding others (for example, a proposed assistant principal at Marsh Creek Sixth Grade Center funded by eliminating a dean of students and an academic advisor position).

He also said the district has about $24 million in its general fund rainy-day balance and that some one-time costs such as the estimated $150,000 GAC filtration for Brandywine Wallace would be candidates to use that fund.

Timelines: the board was told it will vote on a proposed budget at a meeting in the coming week to start the 30-day public-notice period required by state law; the district tentatively scheduled final budget adoption for May 14. Mattis said the district will continue seeking reallocations and savings to further reduce the deficit before final adoption.

Board members pressed administrators on whether all possible expense reductions have been considered and whether the district can limit the millage increase; administrators reiterated the budget is iterative, that assumptions about real-estate growth and enrollment could change, and that the proposed budget incorporates conservative staffing and revenue assumptions to ensure readiness for September operations.