Area school districts are not only looking ahead to the fast-approaching end of the academic year, but the months until the end of the fiscal year will also be filled with figuring out and introducing budgets and meeting deadlines established by the state’s Department of Education for filing those budgets.

The Williamsport Area School District approved a proposed final 2026-27 budget which showed a real estate millage of 18.10 mills which is an increase of .86 from the current rate of 17.24 mills. That would mean homeowners would pay $86 more per $100,000 of a property’s assessed value on next year’s tax bill if that rate stands.

Both Brandy Smith, business administrator, and Dr. Timothy S. Bowers, superintendent, indicated that the numbers could change before final approval.

School districts are required by the Department of Education to introduce and post budgets for a 30-day period before final action can be taken. Smith said that the final vote on the general fund budget will be at the board meeting on June 9.

In his comments to the board, Bowers noted that the administration is fully in “budget prep.”

“We keep looking at those numbers and hoping those numbers continue to improve…we are seeing some improvements and hope to stay on track,” Bowers said.

He added that there will be more details on the budget after next month’s Finance Committee meeting which will be held an hour before the board meeting which is scheduled for 6 p.m. May 12 at the district board room at the District Center, 2780 West Fourth St.

In another tax-related item, the board approved a tax collector appointment resolution which places the responsibility for the collection of school taxes for Old Lycoming and Lycoming township with the district’s business administrator.

The school district will collect the real estate school taxes for those municipalities through the district’s business office. The business administrator is appointed as tax collector for those municipalities.

All school taxes collected will be payable directly to the school district.

In passing the resolution, the board stated that it “believes the following action allows for efficient and cost-effective tax collection.”

The agreement runs through June 30, 2030.

In conjunction with the resolution, the board approved agreements with the tax collectors for the two municipalities and the district, deputizing the district to collect real estate taxes levied by the district.