The Tamaqua Area School Board approved a $42.8 million budget for the 2025-26 school year with no tax increase.

The final budget numbers only changed slightly, with expenditures increasing from last month when the board approved the preliminary spending plan.

Business Manager Connie Ligenza explained the difference is the health insurance rates, which the district had been waiting on when the preliminary budget was approved last month.

“We had our final rates at our health and welfare trust meeting,” she told the board, “And based on our experience, and some pretty high claims that we have had this year, it was a nine and a half percent increase.

“They’re recommending that we move toward 11%, which I agree with, funding claims appropriately,” Ligenza said.

The revised final budget shows additional spending of $177,760, which is also reflected in the ending fund balance.

The spending plan now shows a beginning fund balance of $3,837,723, revenues of $41,755,213, expenditures of $42,756,201 and ending balance of $2,836,734.

The budget continues to have a deficit that was tied to future capital projects, maintenance and upgrades to technology and infrastructure.

Last year, the board set aside $1 million to fund some of the projects, and Ligenza had suggested that the board follow that same path again as the district chips away needed projects and upgrades.

The budget sets the following rates: millage at 44.93 mills, per capita-Section 679, $5; per capita-Act 511, $5; earned income tax, 1%; real estate transfer tax, 1%; EMS tax, $5; and assessed occupation, $225.

The board also established the 2025-26 Homestead/Farmstead Exclusion at a $242 reduction in assessed value of $5,399 for eligible property per information provided to the district by the Schuylkill County Assessment Office.

Rebate, face and penalty period for the per capita, assessed occupation and real estate tax for the 2025-26 fiscal year (2025 tax bills) were also approved as follows: rebate, July to August, 2%; face, September to October; and penalty, November to December, 10%.