BUFFALO TWP — Despite some slight changes to the numbers, the Freeport Area school board is expected to vote on a final budget for the 2026-27 school year which will be accompanied by an increase in taxes for Butler County residents by 5.6 mills.

The proposed final budget, which was presented at a special school board meeting on Wednesday night, June 3, would raise the millage rate for Butler County residents from 185.91 mills to 191.5 — a 3.01% increase. However, for Armstrong County residents, taxes would be lowered from 65.1 mills to 61.54.

According to school district business manager Brad Walker, this would amount to a 1% increase in total local tax revenue from the prior year.

With the tax increase, the proposed final budget anticipates a surplus of $566,296, with projected expenses of $40,911,569. This represents a slight change from the preliminary budget that was approved in May, which anticipated a surplus of $805,630. Since then, projected expenditures have increased by $153,833, while expected revenues have decreased by $80,501.

According to Walker, these changes accounted for additional calculations that took place in the month since the approval of the preliminary budget, which include expenditures for funding for out-of-district student placement.

The new budget comes amid a series of major capital projects for the school district, including an ongoing renovation for Freeport Area High School which is estimated to cost $55 million.

The proposal for a 1% increase was divisive among board members. One member, Christine Davies, argued the proposed increase wasn’t enough and an increase of 2% would safeguard against unexpected expenses.

“I don’t think 1% is enough,” Davies said. “We have so many unfunded mandates for our students.”

Other board members, such as Gary Risch, Jr., argued the district was in a good enough financial position to only go with a 1% increase.

“We’ve put ourselves in a good financial place through the money we’ve saved on some of the projects that we’ve done,” Risch said. “I’m not for raising taxes more than we need.”

The school board is expected to vote on the final budget at their regularly-scheduled meeting Wednesday.

The deadline for school districts in Pennsylvania to adopt a general fund budget for the next school year is June 30.