West Jefferson Hills School District budget hikes taxes nearly 4%

Property owners in the West Jefferson Hills School District will be paying more in real estate taxes next year. Officials raised rates to combat rising pension, salary and health insurance costs, as well as pandemic-related expenses.

The board voted 5-4 on June 24 to adopt its 2021-22 budget with a 3.9% tax hike.

Board president Brian Fernandes, second vice president Kristin Shoemaker, Jill Bertini, David Dominick and Christopher Zacur voted in favor.

First vice president Suzanne Downer, John Hosmer, Kimberley Finnerty and Denise Kahler dissented.

The new millage rate was set at 22.283 mills, a 0.836-mill increase. It is projected to generate $800,000 for the district.

District median property values are listed at $141,000.

The hike equates to a $118 increase to a $3,027 tax bill.

Projected revenues and expenses were listed at about $59.2 million, an increase of about 4.18% from 2020-21.

Financial plans also show a use of $441,000 from the district’s $3.4 million reserve fund to help balance the budget.

District documents indicate a 5% increase in health insurance costs, a near $527,000 increase in pension costs and an estimated $1.22 million increase in salaries all helped necessitate the tax hike.

Director of finance Tracy Harris said there are no staffing or program cuts in the budget.

“Nothing was eliminated,” Harris said. “We had plans to add a few programs, but that was put on hold. This plan is projecting that we will be 100% in school and maintaining the cleaning and sanitizing of the schools.”

Students last year were given a hybrid model with three days in-person instruction and two days remote. They were allowed back to full-time instruction the last few months.

Enrollment is listed at about 3,200 students. All have access to either Chromebooks or iPads as part of the district’s 1-1 technology plan.

Spending for next school year includes the replacement of about 300 devices. The budget planning process began in October.

The district also has about $14 million in reserve for capital projects and debt service. An elementary school expansion project is expected to use about all of it.

Harris said that project has not gone out for bid yet.

School board members could not be reached for comment at press time.

The budget was posted on the district’s online agenda. It can be found under the “School Board” tab on the district’s website, wjhsd.net.