Taxes Rising In PA's 2nd-Largest School District

The county was the first out of the gate with a big hike, pushing its millage rate up by 36% effective this year. Its 2026 budget does not include a tax hike.PITTSBURGH, PA — The good news is that there will not be a 4 percent tax hike that originally was announced for Pennsylvania's second-largest school district.

The bad news is that taxes still will be increasing in the Pittsburgh Public Schools.

School directors on Wednesday approved a $731.3 million 2026 budget that includes a two percent tax hike. The district’s tax rate is going up from 10.25 mills to 10.457 mills.

What that means is this: The median property assessed value in the school district is about $73,000. Someone who owns a property with that value will pay about $13 more in real estate taxes next year.

The tax increase was approved after the board last month rejected a plan to close nine school buildings for financial and enrollment reasons.

Though the tax hike is minimal, it adds to the financial burden of city residents after Allegheny County last year approved a whopping 36 percent tax increase. The county's 2026 budget does not include a millage increase.

Pittsburgh city council member Barb Warwick has proposed a 30 percent property tax increasefor city residents in 2026. That’s around $20 more a month, per $100,000 of property value.