Tax increases published

[Dredly]

http://www.poconorecord.com/apps/pbc...NEWS/906290328

Pocono school taxes are not created equal

By Dan Berrett
Pocono Record Writer
June 30, 2009

School budgets continue to be big part of the local economy, with the four local school districts closing in on nearly a half-billion dollars in combined annual spending, according to the 2009-10 budgets adopted during the past two weeks. The local budgets also contrast starkly in comparison to one another, with the average tax increase ranging widely — from $60 to more than $300 — depending on where you live.


District Total expenditures Students Tax increase Avg. tax bill* Avg. net inc.*
East Stroudsburg $123 million 8,100 8.8% (Monroe) $3,467 (Monroe) $315
(Monroe)

3.1% (Pike)

$2,845 (Pike) $100
(Pike)
Pleasant Valley $94 million 6,200 1.9% $2,778 $60
Pocono Mtn. $190 million 11,100 2.3% $2,666 $76
Stroudsburg $86.7 million 5,700 6% $3,493 $212

* Average tax bill and net tax increases are based on homesteads assessed at the median — the midpoint at which exactly half of all primary residences are valued higher and the other half lower — and once gaming-derived taxreductions are factored into the equation.


So why the big difference between districts?


East Stroudsburg
Why: A fund balance that stood at $16 million in 2005-06 was whittled down while spending exploded 35 percent over the same period. Weak financial controls within the district didn't help. The district also faces uncertainty, with the superintendent and business manager leaving.


Pleasant Valley
Why:PV tends to be frugal; when enrollment growth swelled schools earlier this decade, class sizes got bigger and little new building occurred. The district also gets 37 percent of its budget from the state, easily the highest in the area.


Pocono Mountain
Why: The district recognized that enrollment has started to fall off after years of gains, and furloughed 20 teachers, while also halting a $20 million renovation under community pressure.


Stroudsburg
Why: The district with the highest median tax bill in Monroe County also has the highest median assessed home value in the county, by about 10 percent. Renovation of the high school and upgrade of the special education department could continue to drive future increases.