We’ve done plenty of work on school tax millage rates, particularly in Allegheny County among the 41 districts that operate on a July-June fiscal year with a single tax rate on buildings and land (that leaves out Pittsburgh Public Schools and the Clairton School District). This year (the 2016-17 fiscal year) the average school millage rose 2.1% over the previous year. Twenty two of the 41 districts increased millage.
Thus far there are a few districts that have had news coverage on their final millage rate. Baldwin-Whitehall School District increased its rate 1.12 mills; their millage rate was cut 2 mills in 2014-15 and has risen each year since then. Brentwood School District taxpayers won’t see an increase; the board wanted to give them a break. Since 2013-14, the year when millage rates were reset to comply with the County reassessment, Brentwood’s millage has increased 19%, from 24.8 mills to the current 29.5322 that was held and adopted for 2017-18.
Deer Lakes and Highlands are holding millage rates steady; neither district has increased tax rates since the 2013-14 adjustment. As mentioned in Monday’s blog, North Hills increased its millage, and Plum School District boosted its millage by 0.8 mill, giving the District back to back increases. Qualified homesteads receive school property tax relief from slot machine gaming–but all types of property see any millage increase on their tax bill.
More coverage should come this week, and a comprehensive list should be available in the near future.
