Credit: Souderton Area School District
All board members voted in favor of the budget with the exception of Kim Wheeler, who expressed opposition to the tax increase
The Souderton Area School Board Thursday, June 19 adopted the district’s 2025-2026 budget with a near-maximum property tax increase.
The balanced budget, totaling 159,785,442, includes a 3.95% tax increase, just shy of the 4% maximum permitted by state law. The increase will amount to an extra $216.23 for the average property owner with a taxable assessed property value of $158,840.
The move follows two consecutive years of maximum property tax increases. Board members attributed the hike to soaring special education costs and charter school tuition amidst insufficient state funding.
“It’s getting more and more challenging. The cost of services is going up,” said board member Ken Keith. “But I’m happy to say we didn’t cut programs. We didn’t lay off our teachers. Those were some of our goals this year, and I’m happy to say we did that with a balanced budget.”
Other board members placed the tax increase’s blame squarely on the shoulders of the state legislature for providing inadequate funding.
“People want to blame the board, but the problem is Harrisburg,” said board member Bill Brong. “They did not give us the funding we need.”
“We need to do something, because next year, it’s gonna be worse,” added board member Mike Barnacz. “Let’s do everything as a community to make Harrisburg understand it can’t continue to be like this.”
All board members voted in favor of the budget with the exception of Kim Wheeler, who expressed opposition to the tax increase.
District solicitor
The board retained Fox Rothschild and Sweet Stevens Katz & Williams as the district’s solicitor and special education counsel, respectively, for the 2025-2026 school year.
The board also recognized several students for their participation and achievements in the Montgomery County Intermediate Unit Math Challenge 24 Competition, including Christian Houser, Lillian Moelius, Piper Escenbach, Ezekiel Gehret, Megan Kolesar and Maxwell Scherffel.
The next SASD school board meeting is on August 28 at 7 p.m. For more information, visit soudertonsd.org
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