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2026-2027 Budget

West Chester Area School District School Board Approves Final Budget for 2026-27 School Year

West Chester, PA – The West Chester Area School District (WCASD) School Board of Directors approved a final general fund budget of $344,989,797 for the 2026-27 school year. This reflects an $11.1 million, or 3.33 percent, increase over the 2025-26 budget, supporting the district’s ongoing commitment to high-quality learning, responsible fiscal management, and student-centered growth.

The largest portion of the budget, staff salaries and benefits totaling more than $222 million, represents targeted investments in the student learning experience, a core district priority. Staffing additions in key instructional and support areas reflect WCASD’s 2025-2028 comprehensive plan’s goal of providing students with access to caring, committed adults and tailored supports that result in an increase in their engagement, agency, and achievement. The budget includes more than $550,000 in new staffing to help personalize instruction, expand access to student services, and enhance wellness efforts.

“This budget represents an investment in our students, our staff, and the future of our community,” said WCASD Superintendent Dr. David Christopher. “At the same time, we remain focused on balancing our financial responsibilities with the educational opportunities and supports our students need to thrive. This budget allows us to continue providing meaningful learning experiences while maintaining long-term financial stability for our district.”

The budget also includes increased funding for student programming beyond core academics, which aligns with the district’s goal to increase students’ sense of belonging and build deeper engagement across all grade levels.

Other budget drivers include increases such as:

  • A $2.2 increase in contracted special education services and alternative education tuitions
  • A $450,000 increase in instructional books, supplies, and materials that support curriculum updates and student assessment tools
  • A $1.0 million increase in debt service to support our capital building renovations

While costs continue to rise, the district was able to maintain a balanced budget through careful planning and revenue analysis. The administration actively looks to identify alternative revenue sources to reduce the need for tax increases, part of a broader commitment to sustainable financial operations.

To balance the 2026-27 budget, the district has approved a 3.3 percent tax increase for Chester County and 7.6 percent increase for Delaware County residents. The variance in tax increases between counties is due to the change in market values that the PA State Equalization Board (STEB) reported to WCASD. Based on the latest STEB valuations, which the district is required to use as the basis for taxation, Chester County saw an increase in market value of 8.2 percent while Delaware County saw an increase in market value of 12.9 percent over the previous year. This change in market value shifts a larger portion of the tax burden to our residents of Delaware County. The property tax millage rates for West Chester Area School District remain the lowest in both Chester County and Delaware County. The district utilized savings from the 2025-26 operations to help offset the need for millage increases for the 2026-27 budget. The district’s undesignated fund balance is approximately $21.2 million.

2026-27 District Tax Rates

Based on the final budget, the real estate tax rate for Chester County will be 24.16 a 3.3 percent increase, the Delaware County tax rate will be 12.22, an increase of 7.6 percent over 2025-26. The average assessed home value in Chester County portion of the district is $189,850, which is approximately 35 percent of the home's market value. The average assessed home value in the Delaware County portion of the district is $502,336, which approximates represents 85 percent of the market value. At the final rate, Chester County residents will see a $148.00 increase in their annual taxes and Delaware County residents will see an average increase of $433.00.


Approved 5.28.26 2026-27 PDE 2028 – Final Budget
Approved 4.27.26 Resolution Adopting 2026-27 Proposed Final Budget
Approved 4.27.26 2026-27 PDE 2028 - Proposed Final Budget
Approved 12.15.25 2026-27 Resolution in lieu of Preliminary Budget