Sugarcreek Elementary School students arrive at school on Friday morning, May 24, 2024. (Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle)

By Abigail Hakas and Feixu Chen, Next Generation Newsroom

A wave of property tax hikes is set to sweep school districts across Southwestern Pennsylvania as costs rise and COVID-19 relief funds run out.  

As school boards adopt new budgets this month, several already have announced tax increases: Freeport in Butler and Armstrong counties, New Kensington-Arnold in Westmoreland County, and Upper St. Clair in Allegheny County, among others.

And for others, the clock is ticking on crucial budget decisions — and some say tax hikes seem inevitable in coming years.

“I don’t want to raise taxes, but I don’t know what else to do,” said Gregg Paladina, superintendent for New Castle Area School District.

For many, costs are rising without a substantial increase in revenue. To fill that gap, districts are considering furloughs, program cuts, and tax increases.

It’s a growing set of challenges: rising health care costs, cyber charter school tuition, rising everyday expenses,  and planning for the first fiscal year without the ability to use COVID-19 relief funds.

Indiana Area School District is dealing with all of the above, prompting the administration to recommend a tax hike. The school board is expected to vote on increasing taxes by 5.2% on June 23, which would bring in around $1.8 million.

For the owner of a $150,000 home, that is $2,607 in taxes, compared to $2,479 last year.

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Feixu Chen is a recent graduate of Emerson College and one of 10 Pittsburgh Media Partnership summer interns.