West Chester Area School District School Board Approves Final Budget for 2025-26 School Year

The West Chester Area School District (WCASD) School Board of Directors approved a final general fund budget of $333,897,499 for the 2025-26 school year. This reflects an $11.3 million, or 3.51 percent, increase over the 2024-25 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 $217 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 $1 million in new staffing to help personalize instruction, expand access to student services, and enhance wellness efforts.

“This budget ensures we can continue providing the essential programs, experiences, and supports that help all students grow and succeed,” said WCASD Superintendent Dr. David Christopher. “Sustaining these opportunities is key to delivering on our mission every day.”

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 mandated increases such as:

• A $2.76 million increase in state-mandated pension expenses (PSERS)
• A $1.1 million increase in transportation and contracted services
• A $1.3 million increase in instructional books, supplies, and materials that support curriculum updates and student assessment tools

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.

“As a board, our goal is to balance the educational needs of our students and staff with the interests of our community,” said School Board President, Karen Fleming. “This budget reflects thoughtful decisions to continue strong programming while keeping the tax increase well within state guidelines.”

To balance the 2025-26 budget, the district has approved a 2.9 percent tax increase for both Chester County and Delaware County residents. Both are below the state’s Act 1 index of 4.0 percent. 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 2024-25 operations to help offset the need for millage increases for the 2025-26 budget. The district’s undesignated fund balance is approximately $21.2 million.

"This budget reflects the board’s continued focus on fiscal responsibility while ensuring the district can meet its obligations to students and staff,” said Vice President Gary Bevilacqua, Chair of the Property and Finance Committee. “We’ve taken a careful approach to maintain strong educational programming and manage rising costs within reasonable limits.”

2025-26 District Tax Rates

Based on the final budget, the real estate tax rate for Chester County will be 23.38, a 2.9 percent increase, the Delaware County tax rate will be 11.36, an increase of 2.9 percent over 2024-25. 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 represents approximately 85 percent of the market value. At the final rate, Chester County residents will see a $123.00 increase in their annual taxes and Delaware County residents will see an average increase of $161.00.