Jun 8, 2017 2 min read

Property owners in financially struggling Monessen School District face a proposed 8-mill tax increase next year as the district expects a rising debt payment and little additional state funding.

The $15.9 million 2017-18 district preliminary budget calls for the real estate tax to rise to 80.41 mills, which would mean an additional $120 on the tax bill for a house assessed at the district average of $15,000. A mill generates $58,919.

The proposed spending plan for the schools serving the low-income Westmoreland County city would be about $908,000 larger than this year’s, with a shortfall of more than $345,000 the district would have to cover with reserve funds.

“The largest increase is in our debt service payments,” business manager Jeff Festor said. Those payments are set to increase by more than $700,000.

He said the current proposal also includes furloughs, most of which would target teaching positions.

“I believe there are up to 10 potential furloughs,” he said. “They’re all tentative … We’re hoping to get additional clarification over the next few weeks and determine the exact amount.”

Festor said the roughly $6.25 million in projected state basic education funds for next year represents a “slight increase” from $6.2 million this year, but said that figure depends on the final state budget.

“To know exactly where that that will end up is kind of difficult,” he said. The final budget is scheduled for adoption at a June 26 school board meeting.