Lewisburg Area School Board approves 1.5% tax increase for 2026-27

Lewisburg Area homeowners will see a 1.5% school tax increase in the 2026-27 budget after the school board approved the plan Thursday night. The final vote came with no discussion at the moment of approval, closing out a budget process that had already been worked through in earlier public meetings.

For a homeowner with a $200,000 assessed property, earlier budget projections put the added cost at about $60 a year, although the exact hit will vary with assessment and tax structure. The increase now becomes part of household budgeting across Lewisburg Area School District, where property taxes remain a major source of operating revenue in Union County.

Earlier budget figures showed why administrators pressed for the increase. The district’s preliminary 2026-27 general fund budget was placed at about $46.9 million to $47 million, with a projected gap of roughly $460,691 to about $500,000 before final adjustments. The spending plan also carried a 5.3% increase in expenses, driven by salaries, benefits, roofing needs and technology choices.

District staff also discussed moving about $500,000 to $750,000 into capital funds or capital projects, part of an effort to keep maintenance and infrastructure spending moving while preserving classroom services. In earlier budget talks, board members narrowed tax increase options to about 1.19% before settling on the 1.5% figure that was approved.

Kyle Winton, the district business manager and board secretary, presented the preliminary budget during the planning process. The district serves about 1,784 students in four public schools, so the spending plan affects staffing, maintenance, classroom needs and contracted services across a relatively small system with a concentrated tax base.

The lack of discussion at the final vote stood out because it suggested the board had already settled the central tradeoffs before Thursday night. What remained was the formal adoption of a budget that now locks in the revenue side for the coming school year and sets the tax rate residents will see reflected in their bills.