BELLWOOD — District officials and Bellwood-Antis School District board members started the 2025-26 budgeting process on a positive note, recognizing years of financial growth during their Tuesday evening meeting.

Business Manager Greg Gates said he is projecting $21,755,628 in total revenue to cover $21,879,638 in expenses, leaving a deficit of $124,010 that will be filled by the general fund balance.

According to data presented by Gates, this represents a 3.4% overall increase from the final 2024-25 budget.

Gates said that an anticipated growth in salary and technology costs — especially as the district is currently renegotiating the teachers’ union contract — are some of the largest line items driving the overall 3.4% increase.

This projection assumes unchanged state and federal funding and a full Act 1 index hike of 5.6%, which would amount to an extra $98.69 in annual taxes per household.

BASD passed a full Act 1 increase of 7.4% in the previous budget.

Gov. Josh Shapiro called for an increase in public education funding in his proposed state budget, which would amount to a $157,797 surplus for BASD if adopted unchanged.

“This is the best initial budget that I have seen since I was hired in January of 2022,” Gates said, thanking the school board and BASD administrators for their hard work getting to this point.

According to Gates, this is the lowest projected deficit for the district in the last decade.

In 2022-23, the deficit was about $1 million. The deficit was $600,000 in 2023-24 and $257,457 for 2024-25.

“We still have a way to go to build a healthy fund balance, but we have made enormous progress in the last three years,” Gates said.

Board member Seth Sager said that the district’s current financial situation is a “nice place to be,” although there is still a ways to go before reaching lasting budgetary stability.

The board is expected to approve the preliminary budget at its next meeting with final adoption in June.

In other business, the board approved two separate contracts for ongoing fire restoration work: a $147,500 quote from MPH Mechanical Contractor of Easton for the HVAC system replacement and a $30,395 quote from Freestate Baltimore of Owings Mills, Maryland, for partial roof repair and boiler work.

Director of Facilities Tom Kovak estimated that all work would be completed over the summer in time for the start of the 2025-26 school year.

Superintendent Edward DiSabato offered a “huge thank you” to the district security team, administration and building greeters for a successful security drill on March 21.

“The drill was an invaluable exercise that will better equip our staff to make difficult decisions in times of adversity,” he said.

Mirror Staff Writer Conner Goetz is at 814-946-7535.