Business office trims staffing requests and reports 4.1% modeled tax increase in 2025–26 forecast

The district’s Director of Business Affairs presented the 2025–26 budget forecast at the Feb. 18 committee meeting, reporting the administration removed four proposed new positions from the preliminary budget. That reduction yields estimated savings of roughly $942,000 in salary and benefits and a net gap improvement of approximately $744,000 after offsets, the business office said.

Under current assumptions the forecasted tax increase would be 4.1 percent — slightly above the state index of 4.0 percent — and the forecast incorporates modeled debt service for the proposed $30 million borrowing discussed by PFM earlier in the meeting. The business office also noted the district’s share of the governor’s proposed K–12 increases is modest: West Chester’s preliminary allocations cited a roughly $199,000 increase in basic education funding and $56,000 in special education; a projected $300,000 reduction tied to charter school subsidy changes roughly offsets those gains for a near-flat state position.

Administrators flagged federal revenue uncertainty as a risk area; the district records roughly $5 million per year in federal-program revenue (Title I, Title II, etc.) and said continued federal funding is not guaranteed. The district will continue to monitor revenue and expenditure assumptions and return to the board with updates as needed, the business office said.