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Keystone Oaks board adopts 2025–26 budget with 4% tax increase to cover $1.8M shortfall
Summary
The Keystone Oaks School District board approved the final 2025–26 budget, levying $21,944,200 and a 4% tax increase to address a projected $1.8 million deficit; officials said the plan relies on fund balance and tighter spending while promising community outreach on the changes.
The Keystone Oaks School District Board of School Directors voted on and approved the district’s final 2025–26 budget, adopting a 4% tax increase — the maximum permitted by the index — and levying $21,944,200 to address a projected $1,800,000 shortfall.
Superintendent (identified in the meeting as ‘Superintendent’) and finance staff told the board the district begins the year with an investment value loss of about $449,000 and that the proposed budget depends in part on using fund balance while leaders pursue expenditure reductions. The business officer described the deficit, the 4% tax adjustment and the levy figure during the finance presentation and asked the board for approval.
Board members asked questions about the timeline and triggers for reopening the local budget if the Pennsylvania legislature changes state funding rules; administrators warned that reopening a local budget mid-year requires specific legislative or statutory authority and is rare. The superintendent said the district would prepare public-facing materials explaining why the tax increase was needed, where cuts and savings would be made, and how the district plans to monitor staffing and expenditures through the coming year.
During discussion a board member noted the district’s investment loss and urged careful monitoring. The board approved the budget by roll-call-style confirmations that recorded members’ yes responses. Administrators said they will hold additional meetings with administrators and present detailed plans to the public and staff as budget implementation begins.
The board also approved routine finance items alongside the budget, including accounts-payable for the month ending May 31, 2025, and authorizations for investments, banking and insurance arrangements; administrators emphasized that mandated school-meal price increases were not discretionary.
The board’s next procedural step is to share the finalized budget details with the community and to convene administrator-level meetings to identify spending adjustments. The district’s finance staff said they will continue monitoring expenditures, staffing needs and revenue fluctuations and will report back to the board as conditions change.
