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Delaware Valley board opens public hearing on $981,000 levy increase to cover surging health‑benefit costs
Summary
Board presenters outlined a proposed $981,000 (5.49%) tax‑levy increase for 2026–27, citing a 21.3% jump in district health‑benefit costs and the use of a $510,900 healthcare levy adjustment plus $112,666 in banked cap to balance the budget.
The Delaware Valley Regional Board of Education opened the public hearing on the 2026–27 budget and presented a plan that would raise the district tax levy by $981,000, a 5.49% increase, to cover rising mandated costs.
Presenters said health‑benefit costs are the primary driver of the change: "We are faced with a 21.3% increase in this budget and nearly 47% increase since 22–23," the budget presenter said, and the district is using the full healthcare levy adjustment of $510,900 and $112,666 in available banked cap toward the budget.
Why it matters: officials told the board that state aid has declined as a share of the budget over time and that the combination of rising out‑of‑district tuition, energy costs and health benefits left the administration with limited options other than tax‑levy adjustments and additional efficiencies. The presentation noted the district will pursue other cost‑containment measures, including staff attrition, shared services and energy savings from the district's 1 MW solar array.
Municipal impacts: the administration provided examples of how the levy change could affect homeowners in the district's constituent municipalities. Using illustrative calculations, the presenters said the change would equate to roughly $47 per $100,000 of assessed value in Alexandria Township, $35 per $100,000 in Frenchtown Borough and $40 per $100,000 in Holland Township; they also explained that reassessments in Kingwood and Milford produced different per‑home impacts.
Device transition and other items: the presentation reiterated a planned district transition from iPads to MacBook Neo laptops. "We are planning on selling our current devices back to a third party and therefore iPads will not be available for seniors to purchase this year," the superintendent said. The administration said the device replacement is budgeted without increasing the student‑device line in the budget by financing purchases over multiple years and by offsetting proceeds from selling existing devices.
Board action and next steps: board members thanked the administration and finance committee for the work on the budget and discussed the risks of future cycles if state policy (including the healthcare waiver described in the presentation) changes. The board moved consent agenda items related to the budget (items A3 and A4) and approved them by roll call; the public hearing remains open for the formal adoption process and public comment segment that follows the presentation.
What to watch: presenters noted an $844,000 projected gap in a later forecast under conservative assumptions and flagged a pending sunset of a state chapter referenced in the presentation that could influence future levy options. The board also asked administration to continue exploring shared services and other efficiencies.
