Northern Lehigh School District won’t exceed the tax rate index in the event it decides to increase property taxes for the 2021-22 school year.

The school board unanimously approved the Act 1 Tax Levy resolution on Monday, which states that if the board raises the property tax rate, it will not go above its tax rate index of 4%.

In June, the board on a 6-2 vote agreed to adopt the general fund final budget in the amount of $33,763,390 for the 2020-21 school year with a 2% increase in next year’s property tax rate.

As part of that budget, the board adopted a bond resolution presented by bound counsel, Eckert Seamans Cherin & Mellott LLC, authorizing a 2020 general obligation bond issue up to $8 million to restructure the district’s 2012 and 2015 bonds to achieve short-term debt service reductions. Bond refinancing will take $2 million out of the 2020-21 payment, and $2 million out in 2021-22.

Also as part of that budget, the board agreed to eliminate two positions through attrition: A secondary social studies position and a music position at the secondary level.

With the 2% increase, Lehigh County’s millage rate is 23.0944, while Northampton County’s millage rate is 65.4917.

Lehigh County’s median assessed value on a $149,000 tax bill was $3,441, or an $86.50 increase. Northampton County’s assessed value on a $45,850 tax bill was $3,003, or a $24 decrease.