May 16, 2008 3 min read

When it comes to school district property tax relief, every little bit helps. Thus, most homeowners will probably be happy now that the state has released long-awaited numbers on how much relief they can expect based on current gaming revenues. A preliminary glance at those numbers, though, shows that according to the distribution formula, which is based on the amount of taxable property and the average income of taxpayers in a school district, most area school districts fall below the state average of $190 per homeowner.

This is particularly true in Fayette County, where only the Uniontown Area School District, at $209, exceeds the state average. The others – Albert Gallatin at $134, Brownsville at $96, Connellsville at $157, Frazier at $123 and Laurel Highlands at $164 – fall below the average.

Greene County school districts fare much better under the formula, with only one – West Greene at $105 – falling below the average. The others get significantly more than the average: Carmichaels at $273, Central Greene at $362, Jefferson-Morgan at $295 and Southeastern Greene at $348.

In Washington County, Bethlehem-Center at $162 and California Area at $178 also fall below the average.

While the school districts in Fayette and Greene counties are considered among the state’s poorest, when it comes to the distribution formula, that doesn’t appear to be the case. In the Chester-Upland district near Philadelphia, each homeowner will get $623; the Allentown City School District number is $537; the York School District subsidy is $522.

Although it’s hard to envision school districts elsewhere getting three and four times what some local school districts will receive – at a glance, Brownsville’s paltry $96 is particularly hard to digest – it seems to prove that for the most part, our districts have more taxable property (or higher tax rates) and/or higher incomes than commonly believed.

If the “poorest of the poor” is indeed a misperception, it’s worth clearing up, even if that means we don’t get as much state money. No one should want the bragging rights of being at the bottom of any list, and after all, isn’t escaping that stigma what everyone’s been working toward for decades?

But if the formula is somehow flawed, and local school districts aren’t getting the tax relief that’s truly deserved, that needs explored as well.

Is it possible, for example, that some school boards have set millage rates so high that residents are penalized in the distribution of gaming revenue?

In any case, the only way for property owners to realize any long-term relief is for school boards to keep spending in check.