(6/24) The Fairfield Area School Board unanimously approved the 2023-24 budget proposal in May, which includes a 3.63% tax increase. The proposed tax increase will cost the average homeowner $98 annually.
The $22.8 million spending plan focuses on tackling deferred maintenance, building a three-year capital plan, and saving money for a possible expansion of the Adams County Technical Institute (ACTI).
To meet demand and expand its programming, ACTI hopes to build a new campus. The school currently occupies a building on the Gettysburg Area High School campus. ACTI Administrative Director Sean Eckenrode said previously that 212 students applied for 147 spots last year.
ACTI currently plans to apply for a $10 million bond to support its expansion. Gettysburg, Bermudian Springs, Fairfield, Littlestown, and Conewago Valley school districts will be required to fund the payments.
The board has also pledged $8,000 towards a high school courtyard, a project proposed by 11th-grade students Delaney Gass, Bella Kozack, and Tristin Barnhart. The students have already raised $3,000 for the courtyard. The trio continues actively fundraising and applying for grants.
The district will not receive Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief funds in 2024 as the $374,533 allotment was intended to be a temporary award during the COVID-19 pandemic. The federal government advised schools in 2020 to not use the funds for ongoing costs. Fairfield administrators at the time ignored the warning and funded three intervention specialists, a curriculum administrator, outsourced nursing services, and a licensed practical nurse.
Since taking office in 2021, Superintendent Thomas Haupt has stressed the importance of not ignoring problems as he believes has been done in the past and instead planning for the future to ensure the district’s longterm success.
The proposed tax increase comes on the heels of last year’s 4% increase. Except for the 2022-23 school year, Fairfield Area School District property owners have experienced a tax increase every year since 2017. If it passes as planned, Fairfield will have the second lowest tax rate in Adams County. Gettysburg Area School District property taxes are currently the cheapest in the area while Conewago Valley is the most expensive.
The board also unanimously voted to eliminate student athletic participation fees. Haupt said the fee was originally instituted to pay for random drug testing. The district no longer tests students, Haupt said, and he suspects the fee may hinder some from participating in sports.
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