Tag Archives: Marcia Stokes

Harrisburg School Board appoints Camp Curtin principal, reviews budget draft

May 13, 2026 | by Alexandra Jones

Camp Curtin Middle School sign

The Harrisburg School District has a hired a new principal for its flagship middle school campus.

Ryan Jones, formerly the principal at Marshall Math and Science Academy, will lead Camp Curtin next school year, following a 7-1 vote to approve his hire at a school board meeting Tuesday night.

“We have to have strong leaders to lead our children, and I think he’s done a great job at Marshall Math and Science,” said board president Rosyln Copeland.

Jones will begin his role effective July 1 with a salary of $131,648. He replaces Darnell Montgomery, Camp Curtin’s principal since 2023, who was tapped to serve as assistant principal at John Harris last month under new principal Roma Benjamin.

Chief Financial Officer Marcia Stokes

At the meeting, Chief Financial Officer Marcia Stokes presented an early draft of the district’s expected budget for the 2026-2027 school year in the amount of $227.7 million—not a final number as the draft uses estimates.

Stokes said that the district’s budget priorities include more support for special education and autistic support program instruction, math intervention, school clubs and tutoring programs.

The board will vote to approve the budget at a meeting later this month. The proposed budget will then be subject to a public comment period before it is ultimately adopted in June.

Stokes has recommended a 3% property tax increase this year. The district would generate roughly $37.7 million in property tax revenue with such an increase, roughly on par with the $37 million it generated in 2025-2026, per Stokes’ presentation.

“I don’t want to overtax, but I also want to make sure the board has solid financial footing,” Stokes said, noting the district’s assessed property values have been declining.

With a 3% hike, Stokes said that those with homes assessed around $54,000 (the median assessment in Harrisburg) would see an increase of approximately $31 on their property tax bills. For $100,000 assessed homes, owners would see an increase of about $73.

“Looking at whether we absolutely need it today might not be the question to ask,” Stokes said. “Do we need it five years out? Do we need it three years out? What is the cumulative impact of not doing it today?”

Harrisburg School Board hears budget presentation.

Board Vice President Autumn Anderson noted that raising local property taxes “crunches” the city’s limited tax pool, as 52% of properties in the city are tax-exempt. Just 48% of the city’s property owners pay property taxes, largely due to the massive impact of non-taxable state and nonprofit property holdings.

Over the last 10 years, the district has raised property taxes five times.

“As a school district, when we’re deciding whether or not to raise taxes, it’s difficult because we need to have a consistent source of revenue, which could be local taxes, but in doing that, we’re also putting more of a tax burden on our local residents,” Anderson said.

Board member Brian Carter joined the board in 2017, a year the district declined to raise taxes to not burden residents.

“We had accumulated a $20 million surplus, so we thought that we were a good standing where we didn’t have to raise taxes,” Carter told his fellow board members. “But here in 2018-2019, we were in the burden of possibly filing for bankruptcy.”

The district entered state receivership in June 2019. It exited state control last year, becoming the first district in the state to ever do so.

Stokes said that, if the district wants to increase student achievement and attendance, it must account for programs to do so in its budget.

“What do we need in place to be able to actually meet those goals?” she said.

Copeland noted that the district’s students are underfunded, and it affects their learning and their education.

More than two-thirds of the district’s budget (67%) typically comes from the state of Pennsylvania, as a result of Harrisburg’s high volume of tax-exempt government property and its high student poverty rates. While the state’s budget is officially due by June 30, it has been late in recent years. Last year, the state passed its budget in November.

The remaining third of the district’s money comes from local (27%) and federal (6%) sources.

Board member Danielle Robinson was absent from the meeting.

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Harrisburg school board hires acting principal for John Harris, reviews amended budget

December 3, 2025 | by Alexandra Jones

The Harrisburg School District gathered Tuesday, Dec. 2 for a reorganization and general meeting.

At its last meeting of the calendar year on Tuesday, the Harrisburg School District Board hired an acting principal for Harrisburg High School-John Harris Campus.

Beginning Wednesday, longtime school district employee Roma Benjamin will temporarily fill the post, which has seen significant turnover in recent years.

Former John Harris principal Christopher Sattele, who began in October 2024, is leaving the district for another position. Superintendent Benjamin Henry said the district will conduct a national search this February for a permanent principal.

“We want to have a little bit more time to go through the process of finding a more permanent person for this role, versus moving someone in immediately,” Henry said of the appointment.

The district approved Benjamin’s employment contract, including a $138,000 salary, with an 8-1 vote. School board member Danielle Robinson voted no. She did not note her reason.

Prior to this role, Benjamin had been working as a support supervisor within the district. She served as principal at Rowland Academy last year, but was placed on administrative leave in February after being accused of harassment for allegedly shoving a 13-year-old student. The case has since been closed.

Board member Jaime Johnsen noted that at a community meeting with board members and the John Harris community, community members reacted to the idea of Benjamin filling the acting role “very” positively.

Board member Brian Carter confirmed with the superintendent that the board would get quarterly updates from Benjamin on the state of John Harris and expressed concerns about whether the high school needs to implement additional student safety measures, as its last principal indicated.

“We will have to have some tough conversations around safety at the high school,” Henry acknowledged.

Board vice president Autumn Anderson echoed this.

“I do think that it’s time for us to revisit that and start building out a plan of what the safety and security looks like. And the sooner we can do that, the better,” she said.

The board also used its last meeting of the year to review its general budget for 2025-2026 with updated state funding numbers. The district had previously estimated what state subsidies it expected to receive due to Pennsylvania’s lengthy budget impasse, explained Chief Financial Officer Marcia Stokes in a presentation during the meeting.

“This is really as a result of the state’s delay,” she said of the budget amendment.

Stokes further explained that the state budget, which passed Nov. 12, had added an additional $3.2 million to the district’s general fund budget, bringing its total to $216.3 million.

For the 2025-26 school year, the state gave Harrisburg $88.1 million for basic education, $8.7 million for special education, and $18 million in grant funding.

“This presentation actually makes me a little happy,” said Robinson.

One negative Stokes noted, however, was that because the budget did not pass in June, the district lost out on more than $400,000 in interest on the state money.

“That is definitely money we will never be able to recoup,” Stokes said.

She added that the Pennsylvania Department of Education has yet to release tuition rates for cyber and charter schools, which will ultimately impact the budget as well.

Prior to the board’s general meeting, the board moved unanimously to retain Roslyn Copeland as board president and Anderson as vice president at its annual reorganization meeting. They will serve in these roles through 2026.

Magisterial District Judge Hanif Johnson also swore in Carter, Copeland, Johnsen and Robinson for additional four-year terms. Board member Annie Hughes was sworn in for an additional two-year term. All were reelected to the board in the November general election.

School board member Brian Carter was sworn in for another four-year term.

As the school district exited state receivership in June, this school year marks the first time since 2019 that board members have full voting power.

For more information about the Harrisburg School District Board of Directors, visit their website.

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Harrisburg School District passes 2024-25 budget with no tax hike

June 27, 2024 | by Maddie Gittens

Harrisburg School District’s Lincoln Administration Building

School property taxes will not increase for Harrisburg residents this year.

At a board meeting on Thursday, the Harrisburg School District passed its $211.7 million 2024-25 budget, a spending plan that does not include a tax increase.

Taxes will remain at 30.78 mills, as the school board voted to approve the tax structure. School property taxes are the only matter that the district’s board votes on while under receivership.

Dr. Marcia Stokes, the district’s chief financial officer, noted that, while the rate will stay the same, Harrisburg taxpayers who qualify for the Homestead Exemption may actually see a decrease on their tax bill in the coming year. This is due to an expected increase in state tax relief funds for the district.

The largest expenditures in the budget include salaries and benefits for employees, debt payments, charter school tuition costs and renovations and HVAC replacements.

This year’s budget is lower than the previous year’s budget of $222.8 million, mostly due to fewer federal COVID-relief funds available to the district this year. The 2024-25 budget includes $8.5 million total in federal Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funds, the last bit of that funding that the district has left.

Also on Thursday, receiver Dr. Lori Suski approved a contract with North Carolina-based Cross Safe to provide crossing guard services for the upcoming school year at a cost of $31.78 per hour. This contract includes hiring 12 school crossing guards at an estimated cost of $33,750 per month for 10 months, or $337,503 total.

In August 2023, Suski approved entering into an agreement with Harrisburg to employ school crossing guards, with the city funding 40% of the cost of their salaries and the district supporting 60%. However, the city has not offered funding again this year, and the district has struggled to recruit and hire crossing guards, district officials explained.

Suski also shared that the district’s Chief Recovery Officer Travis Waters’ two-year term with the district ends this month and that Yvonne Hollins would take over the role. The part-time position is appointed by the Pennsylvania secretary of education and contracted by the Department of Education for a set period of time.

Hollins was a teacher and later principal in the Harrisburg School District for many years, and served as the assistant superintendent for secondary schools for the Central Dauphin School District, among other positions.

For more information, visit the Harrisburg School District’s website.

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July News Digest

June 27, 2024 | by Lawrance Binda and Maddie Gittens

Harrisburg Names New Officials

Harrisburg has two new top officials, replacing recently departed city employees.

Gloria Martin-Roberts, a former City Council president, last month became the interim director of the Building and Housing Development and Economic Development Department, following the departure of former Director Dennise Hill.

Additionally, Harrisburg recently hired Joel Seiders as the city engineer, filling a position that was left vacant when former engineer Dan Snow departed in March.

Martin-Roberts will retain the interim position until Harrisburg hires a new director, she said. In her role, she will help administer federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding for affordable housing projects, as well as federal Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds.

She previously served as a Harrisburg council member for eight years and as council president for two years. She has also held positions as the director of prevention in the state’s Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs, the director of preventative health programs in the state’s Department of Health, the chief operating officer at Hamilton Health Center and as a workforce development and drug and alcohol consultant.

“Building and housing and economic development are things I’ve been consistently involved in,” Martin-Roberts told TheBurg. “These were major priorities for me.”

Seiders, a Perry County native, began as city engineer on May 20. He previously worked as a PA bridge manager for Camp Hill-based Volkert, Inc., as a civil engineer consultant for the state’s Department of Conservation and Natural Resources and as a civil engineer consultant for PennDOT, among other positions.

Seiders said that he took the position to help make a difference in the city and to bring together his various engineering experience and skills into one role. His priority is to continue ongoing road projects and promote additional safety improvements, he said.

Hill, the former housing department head, became the most recent Harrisburg official to resign in recent months, following the departure of Snow and of city Business Administrator Dan Hartman.

School District Seeks Superintendent

The Harrisburg School District last month named a temporary superintendent while it searches for a new top official.

Receiver Dr. Lori Suski appointed Dr. Marcia Stokes, the district’s chief financial officer, as acting superintendent, following former superintendent Eric Turman’s resignation.

Turman announced in May that he would step down and take a position as superintendent of Central Dauphin School District.

Stokes will fill in as acting superintendent starting July 1, until the district finds someone to fill the role.

The district shared that it will accept applications through July 8, expecting to appoint a new superintendent in August.

According to a statement, the district is looking for a candidate who has an aptitude for working in a culturally diverse environment and has skills in school finance and budgeting.

“Harrisburg School District appreciates Eric Turman’s leadership during his tenure with the district,” Suski said, in a statement. “We look forward to beginning our search for a well-rounded candidate who will work collaboratively with the receiver, elected school board and community and keep our students’ academic success at the forefront of their work.”

New Bicycles, Stations in Harrisburg

Harrisburg has some shiny new bikes, providing an inexpensive, accessible and healthy way to get around the city.

SusqueCycle, Harrisburg’s bike share program, announced that it has upgraded its bike inventory, replacing 60 bicycles with brand new ones and donating its old bikes to local nonprofit, Recycle Bicycle.

SusqueCycle, which is operated by Tandem Mobility and administered by Tri-County Regional Planning Commission, is in its second season, with 10 stations in Harrisburg and one in Hummelstown.

“The idea is to give people in and around Harrisburg an inexpensive and healthy way to get around,” said Steve Deck, executive director of the commission.

The organization recently upgraded bicycles to newer models with more comfortable seating and sleeker designs for a better, easier ride, Deck said.

SusqueCycle is also adding new stations, including one at the TransitPark lot at 10th and Market streets, with another one set to be installed near the state Capitol at Commonwealth and North streets.

Additionally, the new bikes include a GPS system that tracks riders’ routes to gain data for future planning and to see where bike lanes and bike facilities are most needed.

Recycle Bicycle will donate the old bikes that are in good condition to residents in need and use parts of the more worn bikes to build new ones.

“Harrisburg is a great biking city,” Recycle Bicycle founder Ross Willard said. “And a lot of people can’t afford a car, so we help them get an affordable, sustainable basic transportation method.”

Home Sales, Prices Higher

Harrisburg-area home sales and prices both popped higher in May, according to the latest report on the market for previously owned houses.

For the three-county region, 616 houses sold compared to 533 in May 2023, as the median sales price increased to $284,950 from $264,000, said the Greater Harrisburg Association of Realtors (GHAR).

In Dauphin County, 300 houses sold in May versus 258 in the year-ago period, as the median sales price jumped to $265,000 from $234,200, GHAR stated.

Cumberland County had 275 home sales, up from 240 a year ago, as the median price rose to $314,900 from $299,950, according to GHAR.

In Perry County, 33 houses sold, an increase of two homes compared to the prior May, as the median price increased to $285,000 from $217,841, GHAR said.

The pace of home sales was steady in May, as “average days on market” held at 25 days year-over-year, GHAR stated.

So Noted

Harrisburg has hired city-based Alexander Building Construction Co. to serve as construction manager for the rebuilding of the Broad Street Market’s brick building, which was partially destroyed in a fire last July. City Council narrowly reversed a prior vote in a move to support Alexander for the position.

Harristown Enterprises last month completed a streetscaping project for the SoMa (South of Market) district, the location of new retail shops and summer block parties. These improvements include permanent brick pavers, bike racks, planters, bollards, logos and, as a centerpiece, a massive, lighted “Welcome to SoMa” sign.

Imaginary Friends has debuted as the newest attraction in Strawberry Square in downtown Harrisburg. Two shows will run throughout the summer, thanks to owner and production designer Bill Kassay and a troupe of puppeteers and performers.

Julia Mallory last month cut the ribbon on her new studio, Ten Oh! Six, located at 1006 N. 3rd St. in Harrisburg. Her new studio will showcase some of her art and the apparel and paper goods that she creates and sells, as well as serve as a creative meeting place for the community, she said.

Karen Roland last month was named senior vice president of marketing for Members 1^st Federal Credit Union. Most recently, Roland served as an associate executive vice president with State Employees Credit Union (SECU) in North Carolina and, before that, held executive roles with both Members 1^st and PSECU.

Lidl last month debuted its newest area store, located at 5125 Jonestown Rd. in Lower Paxton Township. Lidl, which began as a small grocery store in Germany in the 1970s, now has around 12,000 stores in over 30 countries, including locations in York, Lancaster and Reading.

TheBurg won 26 total awards, including the Sweepstakes award, in the 2024 Keystone Media Awards, an annual contest sponsored by the Pennsylvania NewsMedia Association Foundation. TheBurg won awards in many categories, including for reporting, column writing, illustration, page design and photography. Assistant Editor Maddie Gittens won the special Distinguished Writing Award, a single, statewide award that honors high achievement in the craft of news writing.

Tri-County Regional Planning Commission (TCRPC) last month moved its offices to the third floor of Strawberry Square in downtown Harrisburg. For the past 40 years, TCRPC was located in the Veterans Memorial Building on the first block of Market Street. The move was required due to the sale of that building and plans for its conversion into apartments.

Veterans Outreach of Central Pennsylvania has cut the ribbon on its tiny home village, which will house homeless veterans in a riverfront location in south Harrisburg. Veteran’s Grove includes 15 tiny homes and a community center and will function as a transitional living community for men and women who are homeless and in need of assistance.

Winding Hill Park North in Upper Allen Township last month unveiled a Celebration of Nature—a new sensory garden that contains a variety of plants, each targeting a specific sense. The site features different kinds of flowers, plants and shrubs, as well as berry plants and fruit trees, among other elements.

Changing Hands

Bailey St., 1237: C. Peralta to A. Griggs, $95,000

Barkley Lane, 2519: T. Truong & K. Ngo to Richmond & Richmond LLC, $126,000

Bellevue Rd., 1902: D&L Development Group Inc. to PACC HBG 2 LLC, $120,000

Bellevue Rd., 2007: SPG Capital LLC to R. Suriel, $170,000

Benton St., 516: P. Goodman to N. Eras and M. & E. Ordonez, $175,000

Boas St., 257: R. Lowery to M. & J. Rivino, $200,000

Briggs St., 1912: C. Shomper to B. & V. Doan, $102,000

Brookwood St., 2462: R. Kumar to J. Dodson, $124,000

Chestnut St., 2045: Q. & C. Hazelton to R. Bravo, $169,900

Emerald St., 520: First Choice Home Buyers LLC to Mau Properties LLC, $100,000

Evergreen St., 11: Meridian Realty Holdings LLC to Golden Triangle Investment LLC, $80,000

Evergreen St., 32: D&L Development Group Inc. to PACC HBG 2 LLC, $120,000

Forster St., 412: D&D LLC to A&N LLC, $260,000

Green St., 1930: I. Bailey to T. Lewis, $280,000

Green St., 2138: Round Rock Investments LLC, SHG Investment Fund & Chad Gallagher LLC to G. Weaver, $230,000

Herr St., 1625: A. Tumer to C. Smith, $158,000

Hummel St., 240: Tri County HDC Ltd. to L. Roth, $124,900

Hummel St., 242: Tri County HDC Ltd. to T. Adekola, $124,900

Hummel St., 244: Tri County HDC Ltd. to S. Nahomy, $124,900

Hummel St., 341: G. & B. Hoerner to M. Bonetti, $77,320

Kelker St., 638: Buonarroti Trust to B. Jarkow & R. Reuveni, $90,885

Lenox St., 1901: B. Bentz to Cheema Ranvir LLC, $325,000

Logan St., 1933: V. Pillich & G. Cruz to RKE Investments LLC, $55,000

Logan St., 2431: J. & J. Austin to G&W Rentals LLC, $65,000

Maclay St., 249: R. & D. Requa to Dreams2Reality Services LLC, $215,000

Market St., 305: L. & D. D’Antuono to 305 Market Pizza LLC, $280,000

Muench St., 202: PD Estate Properties LLC to D. Leaman, $133,000

Mulberry St., 1924: J. Dukes & R. Sumpter to M. Abapoli, $139,900

Nagle St., 106: J. O’Handly to T. Edwards, $80,000

North St., 1934: O. Blanco to Cofield Group LLC, $110,400

North St., 1942A: B. Wargo to J. Pavana, $63,000

N. 2nd St., 1631: J. & K. Morgret to Green Street Properties Ltd., $170,000

N. 2nd St., 1801: S. Basore to A. Danks, $250,000

N. 2nd St., 2321: Central PA Buyers LLC to Elite Remodeling Realty LLC, $117,000

N. 3rd St., 3028: C. Jones to L. Reapsome & A. Labs, $205,000

N. 4th St., 1418: A. Manana & S. Morel to A&W Homes LLC, $117,000

N. 4th St., 2144: Saheeb & Inez Affordable Homes LLC to Mau Properties LLC, $71,000

N. 4th St., 2215: K. Torres to Prime Realty Solutions 4U LLC, $76,000

N. 5th St., 1600: First Choice Home Buyers LLC to C&C Homes LLC, $110,000

N. 5th St., 2524: B. Debeljak to A. Louis, $175,000

N. 5th St., 2705: M. Suriel to F. Zaman, $210,000

N. 5th St., 3118: Willowscott Investments LLC to J. Millard, $145,000

N. 6th St., 3103: K. Malinoski to A. Couch, $164,000

N. 6th St., 3129: E. Ewing to MS AM Properties Inc., $135,000

N. 6th St., 3140: M. Kennedy to TKO Rental LLC, $95,000

N. 7th St., 1010: Pennsylvania State University to Harrisburg School District, $3,100,000

N. 12th St., 47: E&K Homes LLC to Wright Restoration Properties LLC, $91,000

N. 13th St., 126: S. Samuel & K. Lucas to C. Teel, $125,000

N. 15th St., 517: J. Sherman to Golden Triangle Investment LLC, $65,000

N. 15th St., 1521: R. & L. Ravenel to D. Baylor, $50,000

N. 16th St., 1004: C. & S. Orellana to K. de Estevez, $169,000

N. 17th St., 53: L. Malik to J&V Investment LLC, $150,000

N. 18th St., 47: T. Paul to Cooper Hawk LLC, $76,000

N. Front St., 1525, Unit 401: A. Witte to C. Wood, $230,000

N. Front St., 2743: Alternative Rehabilitation Communities Inc. to First Choice Home Buyers LLC, $250,000

N. Summit St., 116: T. Johnson to M. Sacasari, $80,000

Park St., 1822: 1822 Park LLC to J. Bailey & M. Wright, $58,300

Penn St., 2132: M. & W. Eisenstein to E. & A. Ho, $84,000

Pennwood Rd., 3208: L. Harris to S. Morris, $180,000

Reel St., 2468: D. Boyle to F. Solorin, $60,000

Revere St., 1618: A. & R. Burgos to E. Mejia, $140,000

Rolleston St., 1243: V. & J. Athens to Equitable Builds LLC, $90,000

S. 12th St., 1516: D. Dhahir to P. Diaz & J. Sanchez, $155,000

S. 13th St., 36: 513 South Shippen Street to NM Penn Group LLC, $270,000

S. 16th St., 564: M. Dones to S. Arzuaga & D. Ware, $90,000

S. 16th St., 922: R. Haines & D. Siegel to Landaff Enterprises LLC, $150,000

S. 17th St., 600: South Seventeenth LLC to 791 Flory Mill Road LLC, $3,556,000

S. 18th St., 8: Kabir Holdings Inc. to T. & H. Hoto, $165,000

S. 24th St., 628: A. & M. Medina to Central PA Buyers LLC, $117,000

S. Cameron St., 425: Queen Street LLP & H. Sugarman to D. Tran, $150,000

State St., 1915: Sego Realty LLC to C. Anderson, $275,000

State St., 1924: CLR Holdings LLC to H&K Rental Properties LLC, $645,000

Susquehanna St., 1737: L. Reapsome to H. Pham, $182,900

Vernon St., 1433: Integrity First Home Buyers LLC to Val de Vie Estate Investment LLC, $51,000

Vernon St., 1435: Integrity First Home Buyers LLC to Val de Vie Estate Investment LLC, $51,000

Vernon St., 1513: J. & C. Peters to C. Monje & E. Shirk, $130,000

Walnut St., 1804: Tender Loving Care Health Care Services LLC to Briony Spaces LLC, $151,000

Wiconisco St., 505: Divine Nest LLC to A. & S. Glick, $410,000

Woodbine St., 237: Penn Properties LLC to J. & J. Amway, $250,000

Woodbine St., 344: PA Deals LLC to C. Risser, $130,000

Zarker St., 1913: Bedrock Capital Management Inc. to C. Foltz, $52,000

Harrisburg property sales, May 2024, greater than $50,000. Source: Dauphin County. Data is assumed to be accurate.

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Harrisburg School District appoints acting superintendent, begins search for top official

June 11, 2024 | by Maddie Gittens

Dr. Marcia Stokes. File photo.

The Harrisburg School District has named a temporary superintendent while it searches for a new top official.

Receiver Dr. Lori Suski, at a board meeting on Tuesday, appointed Dr. Marcia Stokes, the district’s chief financial officer, as acting superintendent, following former superintendent Eric Turman’s resignation.

Turman announced in May that he would step down and take a position as superintendent of Central Dauphin School District.

Stokes will fill in as acting superintendent starting July 1 until the district finds someone to fill the role.

The district shared that it officially began the hiring search on Tuesday and will accept applications through July 8, with hopes to appoint a superintendent in August.

According to a statement, the district is looking for a candidate who has an aptitude for working in a culturally diverse environment and has skills in school finance and budgeting. The superintendent would be responsible for leading the implementation of the district’s Amended Recovery Plan.

“Harrisburg School District appreciates Eric Turman’s leadership during his tenure with the district,” Suski said, in a statement. “We look forward to beginning our search for a well-rounded candidate who will work collaboratively with the receiver, elected School Board and community and keep our students’ academic success at the forefront of their work.”

The community can provide input regarding the next superintendent in a survey, which is open until July 8.

The district will partner with the Pennsylvania School Boards Association (PSBA), which will offer help with surveying, advertising, recruitment and candidate screening during the process.

Candidates can click here for additional information and to apply. A cover letter, resume and application are required.

For more information, visit the district’s website.

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Harrisburg School District proposes 2024-25 budget, contains no tax increase

May 30, 2024 | by Maddie Gittens

Harrisburg School District Lincoln Administration Building

School property taxes will likely remain the same for Harrisburg residents in the coming year.

The Harrisburg School District proposed its $211.7 million 2024-25 budget this week, a spending plan that does not include a tax increase.

Since taxes would not rise, they would remain at 30.78 mills. The last time the district hiked taxes was in the 2022-23 year, bumping them up by one mill.

Stokes noted that Harrisburg taxpayers who qualify for the Homestead Exemption may actually see a decrease on their tax bill in the coming year, as the district expects to receive increased state tax relief funds.

This year’s budget is projected to see a decrease from the 2023-24 actual budget of $222.8 million, mostly due to the district having fewer federal COVID-relief funds to spend this year, said Dr. Marcia Stokes, the district’s chief financial officer.

Within the district’s budget, the largest expenditures would be spent on salaries and benefits for employees, debt payments, charter school tuition costs and renovations and HVAC replacements, the last of which are largely funded through the federal Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funds.

The district has estimated that it would pay $29.1 million to charter schools this year.

Stokes highlighted the fact that Gov. Josh Shapiro has proposed legislation that would put a cap on the price that districts pay to charter schools. While Stokes said that the district didn’t factor that into the budget because of the very low likelihood of passage, if approved, it would mean a $7 million savings for the district.

The proposed budget would use $8.5 million total in ESSER funds. This would likely be the last year that those funds are available to use in the budget, Stokes said.

The district is slated to vote on the final budget at a meeting on Thursday, June 27.

For more information, visit the Harrisburg School District’s website.

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Harrisburg School District shares preliminary 2023-24 budget, no tax increase proposed

April 13, 2023 | by Maddie Gittens

Harrisburg School District Lincoln Administration Building

The Harrisburg School District has started crafting its spending plan for the upcoming year.

At a school board meeting this week, district officials presented a preliminary 2023-24 balanced budget of $216.5 million.

The proposal does not include a property tax increase.

The proposed spending plan would be a decrease from the current year’s budget of $227.4 million, as federal Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funding used in last year’s budget comes to an end, according to Dr. Marcia Stokes, chief financial officer for the district.

The budget would include funding for new pre-K classrooms, which the district plans to start, dependent on receiving Pennsylvania Department of Education Pre-K Counts grant funding.

Stokes also noted the potential elimination of certain vacant job positions within the budget and the addition of positions, such as increasing the number of ESL teachers, school psychologists, special education staff and career counselors.

In total, the budget proposes spending $58 million, the largest allocation, on salaries, and another $41 million on staff benefits. About $29 million would fund purchased property services, which includes money for the renovation project at Steele Elementary School, which is slated to reopen in August 2024. Another $38.6 million would support other purchased services, which includes funds the district pays to area charter schools.

Stokes explained that the budget is still in its early stages and may change over the coming weeks, as collective bargaining agreements with unions are finalized and state funding is announced.

District Receiver Dr. Lori Suski is expected to act on the proposed final budget on May 23 and on the final budget on June 27.

For more information, visit the Harrisburg School District’s website.

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Harrisburg School District proposes 2022-23 budget, plan includes property tax increase

June 6, 2022 | by Maddie Gittens

Dr. Marcia Stokes, business administrator, presented the proposed 2022-23 budget for the Harrisburg School District on Monday at a school board meeting.

Some area property owners soon may see a tax increase, as the Harrisburg School District has proposed a 3.36% hike for the coming year.

At a board meeting on Monday night, district officials presented the proposed $224.2 million 2022-23 budget, which includes a tax increase for the school portion of the property tax.

The district has proposed increasing the millage rate from 29.78 in 2021-22 to 30.78 in the coming fiscal year. If the increase is approved, taxpayers would pay $30.78 per every $1,000 in assessed property value.

However, Dr. Marcia Stokes, the district’s business administrator, explained that the 5,609 households in Harrisburg that receive the homestead exemption will actually see a decrease in their taxes. Additional property tax relief funds this year will increase the exemption, she said.

According to Stokes, the Recovery Plan for the district calls for an annual tax increase, which would’ve been 5.1% this coming year. The district did not want to recommend that great of a hike, Stokes said, but did need some increase for the operations of the district.

“We do look beyond just the one budget when it comes to tax increases because they do have a lasting impact,” she said. “Every year that you don’t increase taxes, you can never recover that revenue.”

The school board will need to approve the proposed tax hike, which is virtually the only power that the board has left since the district entered into state receivership in 2019. That vote is expected to occur before the end of the month.

Overall, the district proposed a $224.2 million balanced budget that includes the use of millions of federal COVID-19 relief dollars.

According to Stokes, this year’s proposed budget is much higher than last year’s $184.8 million budget due to the influx of about $50 million in Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funding.

The proposed budget includes normal expenditures such as regular instruction, special instruction and staffing costs. However, this year, it also includes special projects such as the renovation of the district’s Steele Elementary School, which they plan to reopen, and the replacement of HVAC systems across schools. Both would utilize ESSER funds.

“I’m so happy that we will be able to move forward with the project at Steele Elementary,” Superintendent Eric Turman said.

Additional ESSER dollars would support upgrades to district playground equipment, furniture, restrooms and fitness equipment, among other items.

Receiver Dr. Lori Suski is expected to make a decision on the adoption of the proposed budget at a June 27 board meeting.

In other news, Turman announced that the district plans to reinstate after-school sports to its middle schools in the coming year. The district is considering football, cheerleading, wrestling, basketball, track and field, volleyball and soccer as potential activities for students.

To view the Harrisburg School District’s 2022-23 proposed budget, click here.

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Harrisburg School District names new assistant superintendent, announces return to in-person board meetings

February 22, 2022 | by Maddie Gittens

Harrisburg School District Administration building

The Harrisburg School District has seen a lot of recent change in leadership, and on Tuesday, a few new officials were appointed.

Leading her first school board meeting as the district’s new court-appointed receiver, Dr. Lori Suski approved Dr. Marisol Craig as assistant superintendent of schools.

Craig previously served as the district’s director of virtual learning.

In her new role, Craig will serve as second-in-command to Superintendent Dr. Eric Turman, who took his position in July. Her term of appointment begins on Feb. 23 and extends through June 2026 at an annual salary of $151,000.

Suski was chosen in January by the Dauphin County Court of Common Pleas to take the place of Dr. Janet Samuels, who resigned her post.

Also on Tuesday, Suski approved Kevin Deane as the new assistant principal of Harrisburg High School-John Harris Campus. Deane takes the position that was left empty by Michelle Felton who was promoted to principal of John Harris in August.

Also, earlier this year, Dr. Marcia Stokes took the role of business administrator for the district.

In other news, next month, the district will hold its first in-person school board meeting after two years of virtual gatherings due to the pandemic. The next meeting will be held on March 21.

For more information, visit the Harrisburg School District’s website.

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