Norwin raises taxes, taps fund balance to cover $7.8M deficit

Norwin property owners will see a 6.8% increase in their property taxes for the 2024-25 school year to help balance the school district’s $91.42 million budget.

The school board Monday approved the final budget on a 5-4 vote. Directors Bill Bojalad, Tim Kotch Sr., Heath Shrum, Matt Thomas and Nina Totin voted to approve the budget, while Christine Baverso, Alex Detschelt, Shawna Ilagan and Ray Kocak opposed it.

School taxes in the North Huntingdon, North Irwin and Irwin portion of the district will increase from 85.8 mills to 91.63 mills. The tax levy includes revenue from 1.2 mills that is allocated to the Norwin Public Library, as required by a voter referendum.

The new millage rate means the owner of property with an assessed value of about $22,640, which is the median in the district’s three Westmoreland municipalities, will pay an additional $132 a year in taxes, equal to $11 a month.

In the Allegheny County portion of the school district — about 18 properties in White Oak and South Versailles — the new tax levy will raise the taxes from 12.78 mills to 13.3 mills, which is $1.33 on each $100 of assessed valuation of property. The tax rates vary in the two counties because of the different assessment rates of properties. A formula used by the state tax equalization board determines equitable tax rates.

In addition to raising taxes to generate revenue, the district will take about $4.8 million of its $9.7 million reserves to balance the budget.

The school board members argued over the merits of cutting costs by not filling a family and consumer science teaching position and hiring two teachers for full-time kindergarten classes, but the board’s new majority decided to keep all three positions in the budget.

Thomas, board president, said he did not know where the district could responsibly cut the budget. He contended Norwin is either adequately staffed or understaffed with the current level of teachers.

Ilagan, who argued for spending cuts, said the district already has five full-time kindergarten classes and questioned the need for two more full-day classes.

Assistant Superintendent Natalie McCracken argued for hiring the teachers for full-day kindergarten classes, saying the district has had a lot of success with students in the full-day classes and additional time in class may help students get the assistance they need to become familiar with the routine and procedures of school.

“Kindergarten is very beneficial for a large group of our students,” McCracken said, noting about 70% of the families with young children want full-day kindergarten.

The proposal to hire two kindergarten teachers was approved by a 5-4 vote, with those who favored the budget voting for the hiring.

Ilagan, who said the board was not given options for cutting costs, also could not win support to scrap a plan to hire a family and consumer science teacher for the high school to replace a teacher who left the district.

Students have already registered for that class in the new school year, and it would not be fair for them to have to rearrange their schedule, Baverso said.

Detschelt raised the option of avoiding a property tax hike by using the money in the reserve fund balance to cover the deficit, but he did not get a majority to support that method of covering the deficit. He said he did not see a tax hike of any type as being responsible and respectful to the taxpayers.

People move into Norwin from neighboring Allegheny County because taxes are lower, Detschelt said, but with the school district raising taxes, “we’re going to turn Norwin into Allegheny County.”