Upper Darby proposes 2025–26 budget with 3% tax increase, would use $7.8 million of reserves; board to vote May 13

Craig Rogers presented the proposed final 2025–26 general fund budget to the finance and operations committee and asked the committee to move the proposal forward for a vote at the May 13, 2025 board meeting.

"The budget we're presenting tonight presents a $7.776 million use of fund balance," Rogers said, describing a package that assumes a 3% tax increase (below the district’s Act 1 base index of 4% and adjusted index of 5.8%). He said the 3% scenario yields about $3.36 million in additional revenue and leaves a projected use of fund balance of roughly $7.776 million.

Rogers outlined revenue assumptions: the district is budgeting 100% of the governor’s proposed basic-education and special-education figures and is accounting for the state’s restructured "ready-to-learn" components (foundation, adequacy supplement and tax-equity pieces) at an approximately 40% net impact to expenditures. He said the district built about $3 million of grants into the budget, including a roughly $1.78 million school environmental repair grant (for asbestos-related work) and a $1 million life-safety grant that requires a 50% local match.

On federal funding, administration said all ESSER funds have expired and are not in the 2025–26 proposal; the district removed Title II professional development funds (about $583,000) from the revenue assumptions in recognition of uncertain federal allocations.

Rogers said administration is not recommending net new positions in the proposed budget and expects to reassign and reallocate vacancies and retirements to meet staffing needs. He presented a revenue/expenditure summary that shows local real-estate taxes contribute about 40% of district revenue and salaries/benefits account for roughly 72% of expenditures.

The committee voted to move the proposed final budget forward to the May 13 board meeting for formal consideration and to make the PD-2028 form available for public inspection; the committee did not adopt the final budget at this meeting.

Vice President Murphy Morrisy summarized the three agenda items before the committee and asked members to move the budget forward; the motion was made, seconded and the committee voiced assent.