1st Tax Hike In 6 Years Approved By Bristol Twp. School Board

BRISTOL TOWNSHIP, PA — Township residents will see their first school tax hike in six years, officials said.

Residents with an average home assessment will pay $10.35 more monthly in taxes under the final 2025-2026 school budget, which the Bristol Township School Board of Directors unanimously approved at its June 24 meeting.

The new spending plan went into effect on July 1.

School officials said that all staffing levels and school district offerings are preserved in the budget.

Programs maintained in the final budget include full-day kindergarten, middle and high school athletics, gifted and honors education, K-12 music and art, and after-school activities and programs.

The final budget also supports a continued focus and training for students’ emotional and psychological health needs, professional development, and needed facility work, school officials said.

The 2025-26 spending plan includes a 3 percent increase in the millage rate, resulting in a tax increase, officials said.

“The goal of the board and administration in building the budget is to be fiscally prudent while also continuing to provide valued programs and opportunities for our students,” Board President James Morgan stated. “This small increase in the tax rate allows us to maintain all the programs and staffing that our community values, and provides innovative ways to move our schools forward and promote student achievement.”

Board President Morgan thanked Superintendent Michael Nitti, Business Manager John Scavelli, and his fellow school board members for their work on the budget.

“I would like to express my thanks to the administration, business department staff, and the board members for their considerable work in building the budget,” Morgan said. “With the uncertainty of state and federal funding, we really had no option but to put forward this small tax increase, and we appreciate the support of the community.”

“We are appreciative of the work of Mr. Scavelli, Assistant Business Manager Amber Kitchenman, and our business office throughout the budgetary process,” Nitti said. “Mr. Scavelli and Ms. Kitchenman are skilled financial managers who are able to work closely with all stakeholders to craft a budget that preserves the core values of the school community and is respectful to the taxpaying community.”