(6/25) Fairfield Area School District residents will realize a 2% property tax increase when they receive their bills this summer. The board approved the hike during their June meeting as part of the 2025-26 district budget.
The action puts Fairfield’s millage at 12.2357, the second lowest in Adams County. A mil equals one dollar for every $1,000 of the assessed value of a property.
The district’s expected expenditures, according to the agenda for the June 23 meeting, total $23,349,181. School leaders expect revenues to equate to $22,812,181. The remaining $537,000 will be allocated from the assigned fund balance and dedicated to the following capital projects: high school auditorium stage curtains, elementary school gym floor, maintenance building roof, utility vehicle, stadium scoreboard, stadium lights, and library refresh.
Business Manager Scott Wilt told the board he expects the federal government to cut Fairfield’s funding by $14,113. In 2024-25, the district received $175,398 from the federal government.
However, state funding is expected to increase $647,289 for a total income of $8,650,003.
The district is placing $100,000 of its expenditures into a special account for the future expansion of Adams County Technical Institute. The school–which is a partnership between Fairfield, Littlestown, Gettysburg, Conewago Valley, Bermudian Springs–hopes to have a new facility in the coming years so it can expand its offerings. This is the second year Fairfield and other districts have saved money for the anticipated expense.
Salaries remain the district’s largest expense, totaling $8,657,671, a 4.80% increase over the current year. The district expects to spend $5,077,634 on employee benefits, a 5.15% increase. Wilt attributes the increases to a planned rate increase of 4.5%, a new middle school autism class, hiring for all coaching positions, and a new staff accountant generalist position.
The board also unanimously approved a 3% salary increase for District Superintendent Thomas Haupt.
In other news, Haupt announced that the high school field hockey season is in jeopardy. The superintendent asked board members and the public to spread the word that a head coach is needed. Haupt said Athletic Director Keith Bruck has been advertising the position to no avail. Haupt said he remains hopeful that a qualified candidate will emerge within the next month so the board can approve their hiring when they return from summer break in August.
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