Boyertown Area SD previews 2026–27 budget with 2% proposed tax increase, phased market raises for support staff

Boyertown Area SD finance staff presented a preliminary 2026–27 budget that includes a proposed 2% property tax increase, planned market adjustments for support staff and several large interfund transfers.

The presenter said the district is "looking at a 2% property tax increase" and has realigned local revenue projections to recent trends, moving total projected revenue from about $148 million to roughly $158.3 million for the coming year. The presenter cautioned that any increases tied to the governor's proposed state budget are not guaranteed and would be adjusted as the legislative process proceeds.

The budget anticipates capacity to expand full-day kindergarten: two full-time equivalents (FTEs carried from the current budget and an assumption of five FTEs in 2026–27) so the district can add staff when it opts to expand without imposing a significant tax spike. The proposal also includes four full-time additions (an ELL position, a professional at the high school, two elementary intervention positions and a middle-school intervention position) and six coaching positions.

On compensation, nonprofessional staff would receive a 3% increase tied to satisfactory evaluations; the presentation also proposes phased market adjustments to align support-staff hourly rates with Berks County benchmarks. A finance analyst said some positions lag Montgomery County by about $10.50 per hour, while comparisons with Berks County showed smaller differences. The market-adjustment plan would cover 50% of the variance in 2025–26 and the remaining 50% in 2027–28. Presenter: "The market adjustments are $252,000 per year for these staff positions," and the two-year impact was presented as $505,000 already incorporated into the proposed 2026–27 budget.

Contractual costs were flagged as a major expense category; the presenter noted a projected 3% increase for a large contracted service (transcribed as "Kres") and said health-care rates were not yet finalized, so the budget currently includes a 10% trend assumption that could change. The district identified custodial vacancies of roughly 3.5–4 FTEs, a few part-time food-service openings, and remaining shortages in playground-aide roles, while most other positions are reported as filled.

Administrators outlined planned transfers and reserves: a capital reserve transfer of $2.7 million, a budgetary reserve of $1.5 million, a possible replenishment allocation tied to work at Bash and Bordertown Elementary noted as $7.5 million, technology-replacement funding (presented at $2.5 million, with $2.0 million planned to be spent across this year and next), and a proposed $5.0 million transfer to the debt service fund to help phase in future debt payments.

The presenter said the 2024–25 audit has been delayed by pending federal single-audit guidance but is otherwise nearly complete; local auditors are expected to deliver audit reports at the legislative meeting at the end of the month. The budget schedule calls for March adjustments as needed, a near-final review in April, required board approval of the proposed final budget in May 2026 (followed by public advertisement), and final approval at the June legislative meeting before submission to the Department of Education.

No members of the public signed up to comment during either public-comment period. A motion to adjourn was made and the meeting was closed.