Berwick Area SD board approves tax-index resolution and cafeteria fund spend-down plan

The Berwick Area School District board voted Dec. 1 to limit any tax increase for fiscal year 2026–27 to the Pennsylvania Department of Education index of 4.8%, meaning the district may raise taxes up to that index but will not seek exceptions above it.

Administrators explained the motion is procedural and does not by itself set an exact levy; the board will still decide a final tax rate during budget season. During discussion, members described the motion as allowing a tax increase “from 0% to 4.8%” but not above the index. A roll-call list of members voting in favor was recorded in the meeting transcript and the motion passed.

Separately, the board reviewed a proposed spend-down plan for the cafeteria fund (operated by Nutrition Inc.), which administrators said is running in the black. The district staff presented a spreadsheet showing roughly $450,000 in available cafeteria-related funds and said the district could receive an additional approximately $300,000 by the end of the year. They noted that cafeteria funds are restricted to cafeteria uses and that an audit-mandated spend-down plan must be followed.

Administrators said high-school kitchen equipment was updated recently and that the proposed spending focuses on cafeteria-related improvements; they described the chosen vendor as the lowest of three quotes and acceptable in quality. Board members voted to approve the recommended cafeteria expenditures as presented.

The board also approved routine bills and a transportation petition during the meeting and accepted a resignation for a JV assistant boys basketball coach, which administrators said was effective immediately.

The district will finalize tax and budget amounts during the official budget process this winter.