Kennett School Board gets a first look at next year’s budget

By Chris Barber

Contributing Writer

The Kennett School Board members got a first look at the 2023-24 preliminary budget at its meeting on Monday. They were pleased to report that, as it is projected now, the tax increase for property owners will probably be less than 1 percent.

Next year’s budget was prepared by CFO Mark Tracy and presented by treasurer and board member Mike Finnegan.

The future total operating budget as shown this month is $98.1 million, with $76 million to be paid by local taxes and $22.1 million coming from state and local taxes. The increase in the bill for property owners in the district is anticipated to be .93 percent over the current year. The rate of taxation for the district is estimated to be 32.7372 mills, and the average property owner will at this rate pay $55 more than last year. An average taxpayer who last year paid $5,914 at that rate will pay $5,969 this year. A mill is a tax of $1 for every $1,000 of assessed property value.

There is still time to find additional revenues or cost savings.

“That’s the good news,” Finnegan said, adding that significant real estate growth in the district has contributed $1.4 million to the overall assessment, keeping the need for an increase lower.

The presentation of the preliminary budget in

Kennett Square Borough honors Police Officer of the Year, Employee of the Year

Kennett Square Borough recognized its 2022 Employee of the Year and the 2022 Police Officer of the Year during a ceremony on Wednesday, Feb. 8.

Steven “Monk” Melton was named the Employee of the Year. He was appointed as the foreman in the borough’s Public Works Department in 2022, and his performance in that role earned him the honor of Employee of the Year.

Jeremiah “JD” Boyer was named Police Officer of the Year because of his dedication, hard work and continuous efforts in his role as the department’s School Resource Officer at Kennett High School.

Boyer was a unanimous selection for the Police Officer of the Year honor.

Kennett Square Police Chief Bill Holdsworth also issued merit, life-saving, and appreciation certificates to police personnel for actions they took in various incidents throughout 2022.

February is only the first public presentation of the spending plan. The final approval does not come until June, Finnegan said.

Between now and the final vote, the district will be receiving information about the state education budget and what the effect

Community stakeholders

on school funding a current lawsuit that questions the fairness of distribution of state funds will have.

To date, $156,000 distributed to