Bethlehem Area School District votes to approve 2024-25 budget with first property tax hike in 6 years

The Bethlehem Area School District voted Monday night to approve a $353,274,258 budget for the 2024-25 academic year that includes a 3% property tax hike, the first since 2018.

“What’s being presented tonight for the board’s final approval is a budget that really maintains all our academic programming, asks for some additional revenue from our local taxpayers and manages our fund balance at the policy level of where it should be,” said Jack Silva, the district superintendent.

The motion to approve the budget passed 5-0, with four members absent. Revenue is projected to be $346.7 million, with the additional $6.4 million appropriated from the district’s fund balance.

Northampton County residents in the district will pay on average $53.29 more in taxes next year, while Lehigh County residents in the district will pay an average of $16.29 more.

“For the average person, the effect of money out of their pocket will be very minimal,” Harry Aristakesian, the district chief financial officer, said at a May 13 meeting when the budget was first revealed.

Slight tweaks were made to the preliminary budget introduced last month, with the district notably adding $75,000 in revenue.

“Overall, it was a very constructive and well-done budget season,” Silva said. The budget process began in December 2023 and involved multiple meetings that worked to close a projected budget gap.

Less funds will be allocated for community services events, system-wide tech services and psychological services in the 2024-25 budget, compared to the previous academic year’s budget. The 2024-25 budget meanwhile includes a 69% increase in funds for social work services and a 23% increase in funds for life skills support funds.

The budget also includes a 1.3% yearly increase in funds for teacher salaries, with a 9.8% increase in funds toward salaries for special education teachers.

Budget revisions could occur depending on the state’s spending plan vote, slated to occur by June 30. The 2024-25 budget assumes that the district will get 50% of the amount that Gov. Josh Shapiro has proposed for basic education and special education funding. The budget is also based on assumptions that cyber charter school tuition rates stay the same; the district estimated paying at least $40 million to charter schools next year.

“Unfortunately there’s still quite a bit of unknowns out there, so it might be a longer road still to go,” Aristakesian said.