May 11, 2026
— Jeff Ward, Lehigh Valley News Briefs
The Bethlehem Area School District will consider a 4% increase in property tax tonight.
The BASD board will meet at 6 p.m. at East Hills Middle School to consider the 2026-27 budget, and here’s the recommendation from the administration:
“That the Board of School Directors adopt the 2026-2027 Proposed General Fund Budget with expenditures of $390,540,233 and revenues of $384,501,798; this budget supports a 4.0% tax increase.”
The budget includes a $6 million transfer from the district’s fund balance. That’s one way to avoid a bigger tax increase, but it means less is put aside for the future.
Local revenue accounts for $252 million of the proposed 2027-27 spending, with Pennsylvania contributing about $125 million and almost $7 million in federal aid.
Below is a synopsis of the budget from the district website:
The 2026-27 budget includes $47.5 million for PSERS, which is the pension plan for Pennsylvania Public School Employees, and $50 million for charter schools, according to the middle column in the above graphic.
The Bethlehem Area School District Board of Directors will meet at 6 p.m. today, Monday, May 11, at East Hills Middle School to consider the budget. The board’s finance and human resources committees will also meet.
Let’s make this simple. For taxpayers, if this goes through, take last year’s tax bill, multiply by 1.04 and be ready to pay that this summer.
For more information on the BASD meetings, including agendas, see the district website.
Lehigh Valley News Briefs 