Taxpayers in the Northern Lehigh School District will see a 2% increase in their property tax rates.

By an 8-1 margin, the school board at a special meeting on Monday adopted the general fund balance of $40,324,052 for 2024-2025. Director Chad Christman was opposed.

It calls for a millage rate of 25.3731 in Lehigh County (per $100 assessed valuation,), and a millage rate of 75.6628 in Northampton County (per $100 assessed valuation).

Before the vote, district business manager Sherri Molitoris said the estimated fund balance as of June 30 would be at $16,871,542.

Molitoris said they would use $871,139 out of the district’s assigned fund balance for the balancing of this year’s budget.

She said expenses are $40,324,052, while revenues without fund balance use are $38,786,129. Estimated ending fund balance would be $16,000,403, with utilization of $871,139 for one-time purchases and future planned district needs. One-time purchases and assigned fund balance future needs include:

• Technology upgrades, $110,000

• Debt service payments, $200,000

• Curriculum needs (ELA program), $45,000

• Feasibility study, $20,000

• PSERS increases, $45,000

• High school dishwasher plus installation $10,250 (offset $67,028)

• Middle school steamer plus installation $23,299

• Peters school dishwasher plus installation, $63,808

• Sound system upgrades, $53,782

• Stage rigging replacement, $200,000

• Peters Elementary School digital marquee, $50,000

• Slatington Elementary School digital marquee, $50,000

A total of $871,139 is going to come off for those one-time fund balance purchases.

Superintendent Dr. Matthew J. Link discussed new budget recurring costs.

New expenditures include an additional full-time ELDP teacher ($126,280), new theater program budget ($35,000), and new music program budget ($10,000), for a total of $171,280

New revenues include theater program ($20,000).

The vote

Initially, Christman made a motion for no tax increase and said he voted no for the administrator just for monetary purposes.

“Because I think we are in a position where we can afford to pay for the things that we need to out of fund (balance) while not putting ourselves in a problematic situation, and also helping out our homeowner/taxpayer base which we are 95% funded by so I think we owe them one,” Christman said.

But, that motion failed on a 5-4 vote, with directors Gary Fedorcha, Gale Husack, Robert Kern, Rhonda Frantz and board President Mathias Green opposed. Directors Donna Kulp, Natalie Snyder, Angela Williams and Christman were in favor.

Afterward, Kulp explained the reason for her vote.

“I still think that the state’s going to come through with money like it did this past year, we got a fair amount that we were not expecting,” Kulp said. “Not saying we can’t, we shouldn’t increase the taxes, but we shouldn’t think we have to, it’s a need versus a want, at least from my perspective.”

Fedorcha then suggested a 2% increase, which passed by a 7-2 margin. Christman and Williams were opposed.

Last month, the board adopted the proposed final budget of $39,756,355 for 2024-2025, which called for a 5.12% increase.