During the public-comment period at the Dec. 15 West Chester Area School District board meeting, resident Susan Pemberlyn of West Elm Township asked the board to help resolve a tax-payment processing problem that left her facing a $532 penalty.

Pemberlyn said she paid her school tax on Aug. 21—10 days before the posted deadline—but later learned the district’s collector had not received or processed the payment. She said she contacted Berkheimer (the tax services vendor), which told her the vendor could not resolve the issue and directed her back to the school district. Pemberlyn said multiple other residents reported the same issue when they called Berkheimer. She asked district staff for assistance and said she lacked the funds to pay the penalty.

Board staff said they would collect Pemberlyn’s contact information and follow up. No formal board action was recorded during the meeting to reverse penalties; staff committed to follow-up outreach to the resident.