HARRISBURG — Harrisburg School District officials said they made an honest mistake when they approved a property-tax increase that was higher than allowed by a 2006 law aimed at cutting homeowners' property taxes.

But they still received a scolding from members from the Senate Education Committee on Tuesday for violating the law, which requires school districts to keep tax increases within an inflationary index unless they receive permission to exceed it.

"You guys slipped up. I'm getting blamed," said Sen. James Rhoades, R-Schuylkill, the committee's chairman.

The state Education Department last week ordered the district to correct the problem by refunding roughly $60,000 in excess taxes, or about $2 to each homeowner.

The taxing restrictions, which vary by district, took effect for the first time with 2007-08 school budgets.

Harrisburg was required to limit its rate increase to 5.1 percent, but the $140 million budget it approved in June raised taxes by 5.28 percent.

Districts were required to place larger increases on the May 15 primary election ballot, unless school boards could convince the Education Department or a county judge that increases were justified by factors beyond their control, such as the costs of special education, health insurance or pensions. Twenty-five percent of Pennsylvania's 501 school districts took advantage of the referendum exception.