Proposal Aims To Permit Districts To Determine How Schools Are Funded
Legislation would allow districts to cut property taxes and increase others
August 14, 2023
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Legislation would allow districts to cut property taxes and increase others
Should school districts be allowed to determine how its schools are funded?
Rep. Jason Ortitay (R-Allegheny/Washington) says yes.
He plans to introduce a package of bills known as the Property Tax Freedom Act that could address the issue of over 500 school districts that rely heavily on funding from property taxes.
Local tax revenue provides more than half of the funding school districts depend upon and property taxes account for the bulk of that local revenue. The dependence on local property tax has been widely criticized for contributing to increased home unaffordability and aggravating the funding inequities that led state courts to determine that the state’s system of school funding is unconstitutionally short-changing students in poor districts. School boards in more wealthy areas can generate more revenue more easily by raising local property taxes than school boards in poorer areas.
In his cosponsorship memo, Ortitay says, “solving the property tax issue has been a priority for many years. A recent report from the Tax Foundation graded Pennsylvania as having the sixth highest property taxes in the country.”
His package would allow local school boards to cut property taxes by increasing other taxes including earned income taxes, occupation taxes, per capita taxes, local share taxes or business privilege and mercantile taxes.
“This legislation will allow school districts to determine how they fund their schools at the local level; maintain local control; make it illegal for the state to take your house if you do not pay property taxes; require a voter referendum if additional funds are requested by the school board; and require every school board to take action within the first year to help lessen the burden of property taxes,” he wrote.
The House passed legislation (House Bill 788) in June that would have allowed Allegheny County, but not the rest of the state, to implement a program offering tax breaks to long-time homeowners. That bill was championed by former state Rep. Sara Innamorato (D-Allegheny) who has since resigned to run for Allegheny County executive and HB 788 has not moved at all in the Senate.
Should school districts be allowed to determine how its schools are funded?
Rep. Jason Ortitay (R-Allegheny/Washington) says yes.
He plans to introduce a package of bills known as the Property Tax Freedom Act that could address the issue of over 500 school districts that rely heavily on funding from property taxes.
Local tax revenue provides more than half of the funding school districts depend upon and property taxes account for the bulk of that local revenue. The dependence on local property tax has been widely criticized for contributing to increased home unaffordability and aggravating the funding inequities that led state courts to determine that the state’s system of school funding is unconstitutionally short-changing students in poor districts. School boards in more wealthy areas can generate more revenue more easily by raising local property taxes than school boards in poorer areas.
In his cosponsorship memo, Ortitay says, “solving the property tax issue has been a priority for many years. A recent report from the Tax Foundation graded Pennsylvania as having the sixth highest property taxes in the country.”
His package would allow local school boards to cut property taxes by increasing other taxes including earned income taxes, occupation taxes, per capita taxes, local share taxes or business privilege and mercantile taxes.
“This legislation will allow school districts to determine how they fund their schools at the local level; maintain local control; make it illegal for the state to take your house if you do not pay property taxes; require a voter referendum if additional funds are requested by the school board; and require every school board to take action within the first year to help lessen the burden of property taxes,” he wrote.
The House passed legislation (House Bill 788) in June that would have allowed Allegheny County, but not the rest of the state, to implement a program offering tax breaks to long-time homeowners. That bill was championed by former state Rep. Sara Innamorato (D-Allegheny) who has since resigned to run for Allegheny County executive and HB 788 has not moved at all in the Senate.
Should school districts be allowed to determine how its schools are funded?
Rep. Jason Ortitay (R-Allegheny/Washington) says yes.
He plans to introduce a package of bills known as the Property Tax Freedom Act that could address the issue of over 500 school districts that rely heavily on funding from property taxes.
Local tax revenue provides more than half of the funding school districts depend upon and property taxes account for the bulk of that local revenue. The dependence on local property tax has been widely criticized for contributing to increased home unaffordability and aggravating the funding inequities that led state courts to determine that the state’s system of school funding is unconstitutionally short-changing students in poor districts. School boards in more wealthy areas can generate more revenue more easily by raising local property taxes than school boards in poorer areas.
In his cosponsorship memo, Ortitay says, “solving the property tax issue has been a priority for many years. A recent report from the Tax Foundation graded Pennsylvania as having the sixth highest property taxes in the country.”
His package would allow local school boards to cut property taxes by increasing other taxes including earned income taxes, occupation taxes, per capita taxes, local share taxes or business privilege and mercantile taxes.
“This legislation will allow school districts to determine how they fund their schools at the local level; maintain local control; make it illegal for the state to take your house if you do not pay property taxes; require a voter referendum if additional funds are requested by the school board; and require every school board to take action within the first year to help lessen the burden of property taxes,” he wrote.
The House passed legislation (House Bill 788) in June that would have allowed Allegheny County, but not the rest of the state, to implement a program offering tax breaks to long-time homeowners. That bill was championed by former state Rep. Sara Innamorato (D-Allegheny) who has since resigned to run for Allegheny County executive and HB 788 has not moved at all in the Senate.
Should school districts be allowed to determine how its schools are funded?
Rep. Jason Ortitay (R-Allegheny/Washington) says yes.
He plans to introduce a package of bills known as the Property Tax Freedom Act that could address the issue of over 500 school districts that rely heavily on funding from property taxes.
Local tax revenue provides more than half of the funding school districts depend upon and property taxes account for the bulk of that local revenue. The dependence on local property tax has been widely criticized for contributing to increased home unaffordability and aggravating the funding inequities that led state courts to determine that the state’s system of school funding is unconstitutionally short-changing students in poor districts. School boards in more wealthy areas can generate more revenue more easily by raising local property taxes than school boards in poorer areas.
In his cosponsorship memo, Ortitay says, “solving the property tax issue has been a priority for many years. A recent report from the Tax Foundation graded Pennsylvania as having the sixth highest property taxes in the country.”
His package would allow local school boards to cut property taxes by increasing other taxes including earned income taxes, occupation taxes, per capita taxes, local share taxes or business privilege and mercantile taxes.
“This legislation will allow school districts to determine how they fund their schools at the local level; maintain local control; make it illegal for the state to take your house if you do not pay property taxes; require a voter referendum if additional funds are requested by the school board; and require every school board to take action within the first year to help lessen the burden of property taxes,” he wrote.
The House passed legislation (House Bill 788) in June that would have allowed Allegheny County, but not the rest of the state, to implement a program offering tax breaks to long-time homeowners. That bill was championed by former state Rep. Sara Innamorato (D-Allegheny) who has since resigned to run for Allegheny County executive and HB 788 has not moved at all in the Senate.
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