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Lancaster Countyâs three poorest schools are set to get an extra boost in the 2021-22 state budget to prop up low-income districts following the COVID-19 pandemic, as part of a more than $6.5 billion investment in K-12 education.
The Ephrata Area School District, Columbia School District and School District of Lancaster are among the stateâs 100 poorest school districts slated to receive a piece of a $100 million âLevel Upâ supplement using federal COVID-19 relief dollars.Â
In addition to this increase, all county districts will each receive an increase as part of a $200 million increase in education spending. This is nowhere near the $1 billion Gov. Tom Wolf pitched in his February 2021-22 budget proposal, though House Republicans say they have received Wolfâs agreement on the full budget package.
When: Ephrata Area School District board meeting, May 3, in person.
What happened: Property owners in the district may face up to a 3.7% tax increase to fund the $76.12 million spending plan in 2021-22, the board announced during a committee meeting in the Ephrata Middle Schoolâs media center. As more data from the state and federal resources becomes available in the next 30 days, the board will determine how much of a tax hike, if any, is necessary.
What this means: The maximum tax levy allowed by the state would be 17.88 mills. That means the owner of a property assessed at $173,718, the district average, would face a $109 increase and a tax obligation of $3,106. Last year the district had no tax increase.
What happened: The board approved an agreement with KIT Network Cabling for an upgraded access control system.
Background: The system is for the hardware and the background software for the control system for all door access. The current system is more than 20 years old, and the upgrade would bring it up to date.
What it means: Using swipe cards, the new system will give the district the ability to track which access doors are being used and who has been going in and out. The district will be using Openpath Cloud Access Control System at an initial cost of $55,949, with an annual cost of $5,950 for subsequent years.