EMMAUS, Pa. – The East Penn School District Board of Directors on Monday heard an update on its preliminary 2026-27 budget that would reduce a proposed tax increase from 4.1% to 3.9%.

For an average home value of $216,367, a 3.9% increase means a $184 increase; down $10 from the $194 associated with the larger tax increase.

“No one wants to increase tax dollars; it affects everyone, including myself as a homeowner,” said board President Shonta Ford. “We’re always trying to find the right balance — not losing services for our students, maintaining great teachers and staff and administration.”

“It’s a juggling act, and we want to find the right balance,” she said. “I’m grateful for the work that’s got us to the 3.9%.”

Board member Joshua Levinson echoed Ford’s appreciation.

“I appreciate continued efforts to streamline the budget and find ways to provide some relief for our taxpayers in terms of what the next increase will be,” Levinson said.

He also thanked the administration for “looking for things our operations can absorb without compromising the quality and breadth of our academics here in East Penn.”

During the informational budget update, district Business Administrator Robert Saul gave an overview of how the district got to those savings, citing accounting measures related to grant expenditures as well as revised estimates for miscellaneous small grants and building-level revenues.

According to Saul, the district will also see staffing-related attritional savings through retirements and resignations of professional and custodial maintenance staff when the current school year ends.

Budget revisions have also allowed for $450,000 of previously reduced capital reserve funds to be restored, meaning that there would only need to be a $1.15 million reduction in capital funds transfer under the revised spending plan to balance the budget.

Under the previous plan with the 4.1% increase, the budget was balanced in part by reducing the district’s capital reserve contribution by $1.5 million, officials said.

Additionally, Saul said the district is entitled to $250,000 in additional tax revenue according to assessment reports from the Lehigh County Assessment Office.

He recommended that the district use the funds to further offset the transfer to the capital fund.

The final budget will be adopted in June.

Call for increased state funding

In related news, the board approved a resolution calling on Pennsylvania lawmakers to increase state funding for public education, arguing that rising mandated costs are placing a growing burden on local taxpayers.

The resolution states that Pennsylvania ranks sixth nationally in the percentage of local revenue used to fund public schools, with local taxpayers covering more than 52% of education costs. It also says mandated special education costs have increased by $3.6 billion, or 104%, since the 2009-10 school year, while state and federal special education funding increased by only $280 million, or 21%, during that period.

According to the resolution, mandated costs for pensions, special education and charter school tuition have risen by more than $6.1 billion over the past decade, while state revenue intended to offset those expenses increased by only $2 billion, leaving districts responsible for the remaining costs.

The measure also states that the state’s share of career and technical education funding has fallen to 11%, leaving school districts to cover 89% of those expenses.

The board urged the General Assembly to continue increasing basic education funding through the state’s fair funding formula, provide additional special education funding, support school infrastructure improvements and ensure adequate resources for career and technical education. The resolution will be sent to state lawmakers representing the district and to Gov. Josh Shapiro.