CRESSON — The Penn Cambria School Board indicated they will not exceed the state’s Act 1 Index of 5% should the board decide to raise tax rates in May.

During Tuesday’s regular session meeting, the board passed a resolution in accordance with the Taxpayer Relief Act of 2006, which limits tax increases to the level set by an inflation index.

Should the board raise property taxes by 5% for the 2026-27 preliminary budget, the district’s tax millage rates will increase from 68.6 mills to 72.04 mills in Cambria County and from 9.55 mills to 9.73 mills in Blair County.

The school district serves multiple municipalities in Cambria County, including Tunnelhill Borough — a portion of which is in Blair County, making Penn Cambria a multi-county district with distinct tax millage rates.

With a 5% increase, the average taxpayer would see an increase of about $39.37 in Cambria County and $13.15 in Blair County, according to business administrator Jill Francisco.

Because district officials don’t know how much they’ll receive from the Homestead/Farmstead property tax exclusion, those figures are preliminary, Francisco said.

The board will decide whether to raise tax millage rates in May when the preliminary budget is passed, Francisco said.

State law requires school districts to pass a final budget by June 30 each year.

In other business, the board accepted a variety of donations that Superintendent Jamie Hartline said would provide “significant improvements” for the district. They include a side-by-side with an estimated fair market value of $18,000 from an anonymous donor and a scoreboard and concession stand from the Penn Cambria Softball Boosters.

The scoreboard has an estimated fair market value of $6,000, while the concession stand is worth about $2,260. The funding for each was provided by several businesses, which were recognized by Hartline during the meeting.

High school Principal Benjamin Watt also provided an administrator’s report to the board.

In his report, Watt said the high school has addressed new challenges this school year, mainly the transition from a block schedule to a traditional schedule and the inclusion of seventh and eighth graders at the high school.

Watt said the increased enrollment allowed teachers and administrators to better utilize classroom space within the building. Classrooms that were previously utilized for storage were now being used again, he said.

As a result, the school brought in more faculty and staff and welcomed Dane Harrold to the administrative team.

The biggest challenge, Watt said, was adjusting the students’ schedule to a traditional method after years of utilizing a block-schedule format.

Early on, there were a lot of concerns from parents, but the school’s staff made adjustments and took steps to improve other operations, Watt said.

Those steps involved reducing waste and improving access to student handbooks and report cards, which are being sent home electronically this year, he said.

Board Vice President Rudy McCarthy commended Watt and his team for adjusting to the challenges.

“It’s been a challenge, but you guys have been hitting it head on,” McCarthy said.

Mirror Staff Writer Matt Churella is at 814-946-7520.