Lehighton Area School District’s board of directors plans to write a letter to the Carbon County Commissioners asking them to consider a countywide reassessment.

LASD Board President Joy Beers said a full reassessment would be the “only equitable way” to make sure all property owners are being taxed appropriately.

“We have older people in the district who have owned their home for maybe 50 years and it wouldn’t sell on the market for a great amount, but they are paying the same amount in taxes for someone who might be in a $600,000 home because the assessed value is not changing after a property sale,” Beers said.

The request comes as Lehighton is considering a policy that would have it challenging the assessment of properties that have recently sold when there is a wide disparity between the sale price and assessed value. The district is also in the midst of budget talks that could have it facing a $2.6 million deficit if it chooses not to raise property taxes.

District Business Manager Ed Rarick said in March that Lehighton is working on the policy in conjunction with its law firm, Fox Rothschild LLP.

“For example, if you have a property that sold for $500,000, but is assessed at $60,000, that is under assessed based on the sales price,” Rarick said. “We would get a report every month and go through it, after which Fox Rothschild would enter the process and go for a reassessment to make it equitable to other neighboring households.”

Beers said while those spot assessments may be successful, they are “just a band aid” in the overall picture.

“The fairest solution would be a countywide reassessment,” she said. “Maybe if we write this letter and send it to other school districts, they will join with us in this request.”

Director Barbara Bowes said while she’s not against asking the county to consider a reassessment, the likelihood of success is small.

“It would cost millions to do,” Bowes said. “But it can’t hurt to ask.”

The last countywide reassessment, which was court ordered, was completed in 2000 and cost just over $2 million. Before that, it had been 31 years in between reassessments.

Schuylkill County is undergoing a reassessment and Monroe County just conducted one in 2019.