Burrell School District officials say they have chipped away at a proposed $418,000 shortfall and dialed back the size of a planned tax hike while pressing ahead with the sale of long-closed Stewart Elementary. Even with the trims, the draft budget still shows a gap and calls for a 5.3-mill real-estate tax increase that would nudge the district’s rate toward 127.3 mills. The board has also set the legal steps for a private sale of the Stewart property, with a court review slated for this summer.
According to the district’s draft budget presentation, projected revenue for 2026-27 is $38,723,497 against proposed expenditures of $39,141,910, leaving a general-fund deficit of about $418,413. The plan leans on a 5.3-mill real-estate tax increase plus a one-time $750,000 use of fund balance to help close the gap, as outlined by the Burrell School District.
To get there, the board cut spending through several operational moves: not replacing a teacher who resigned, reusing equipment for a Bon Air kitchen addition, and streamlining a paperwork system used by special-education staff, according to local reporting. That same reporting notes the district will close the high-school pool, a step officials estimated would save about $45,000 this year and roughly $15,000 annually, and that a judge is scheduled to consider the private-sale request at 9:15 a.m. on June 11, 2026. Board leaders say those tweaks helped shrink the planned tax increase, as reported by TribLIVE.
Board Timetable and Next Votes
The board plans to review the final version of the budget at its June 16 agenda meeting and take a formal vote at the regular meeting on June 23, 2026. Those dates, along with the rest of the 2026 meeting calendar, are posted on the district’s website and are open to the public, according to the Burrell School District. Residents can review meeting packets and the draft budget materials in advance.
Developer Plan for Stewart
Earlier this year, the board adopted a resolution approving the sale of the Stewart Elementary property to developer David Ziccarelli, as recorded in the district’s February board agenda from the Burrell School District. Local coverage reports that Ziccarelli’s plan calls for roughly 46 single-family, duplex-style condo units. Under the terms, the property would transfer for $1, with the developer expected to offset demolition costs and generate at least one mill of tax revenue for the municipality, according to TribLIVE.
Legal Notes
Because the Stewart deal is structured as a private sale of school property, it must be approved by the county courts and will be taken up at a public hearing at the Westmoreland County Courthouse. The county posts judicial sale listings and public meeting details on its website, where the hearing location and related notices are listed, according to Westmoreland County.
For Lower Burrell residents, the next few weeks will reveal whether the board’s budget cuts and the Stewart redevelopment plan deliver the savings and new tax revenue the district is counting on. We will continue to follow the June board meetings and the June 11 court proceeding and share public documents as they become available.
