West Chester School Board Highlights

Assessment Appeal: The voted on Monday to notify the Pennsylvania State Equalization Board of the district’s objections to the 2010 market values assessed to the district.  The State Equalization board is responsible for setting market values on property within a school district.  Based on those values the Pennsylvania Department of Education determines how much financial aid to give a district.  West Chester is appealing the market value given to them by the Equalization Board in 2010 because it could lead to a reduction in funding from the state by $400,000 or more.  On Monday, the school board asked the Equalization Board to reconsider the district’s market value at a hearing to be determined at a later date.

Act 1 Exemptions: The School Board also voted to not appeal to the state for Act 1 tax exemptions.  Every district in the state is allowed to raise property taxes up to a certain level.  If a district needs to exceed that level, it can apply to the state for exemptions.  If the school board applies for exemptions and gets them, the district is not obligated to enact them.  Last year, the West Chester School District applied for exemptions, but did not take them.  This year, they won’t even apply.

Eminent Domain: The District passed a resolution that allows them to exercise its power of eminent domain in order to acquire an easement for sewer line for Rustin High School.  Basically, there is a sewer line running through two private properties next to Rustin High School.  The district needs to enact eminent domain on the sewer line so that it can fix the line should anything go wrong.

Farewell: This board meeting was the last for Jeff Seagraves, Terri Clark, Rick Swalm, Jim Davison and Jim Smith.  All five board members’ terms expire next month, and the winners of the November election will be sworn in on December 5.