By Chris Barber
Contributing Writer

Property owners in the Kennett Consolidated School District will pay almost 4 percent higher real estate taxes than last year.

At the June 9 board meeting at Mary D. Lang Kindergarten Center in Kennett Square, the board unanimously approved an annual operating budget of $108 million. This is an increase of $3.5 million over last year’s, which was $104 million.

The tax bill to the average property owner will be $6414 compared to $6168 last year.

The budget numbers presented by CFO Mark Tracy reflected major increases in salaries, contracts, and expenditures that were categorized as “Others.” When asked later, he explained that the “Others” reflected on loan interest payments for the new elementary schools – New Garden and Greenwood.

The millage, which last year was 33.645 mills, will increase to 34.99 mills.

A mill is a tax of $1 on every $1000 of assessed property value.

That average bill, however, is softened slightly by the “Homestead Exclusion” for many. This is a state program that gives a small contribution to the bill of homeowners’  “primary domicile” is their home in the district. The exclusion is funded by Pennsylvania gambling assets and applied to the basic bill. It varies yearly. This year, that Homestead amount is $408.

That brings the bill to the average homeowner down to $6008 this year, compared to $5,814 for the average homeowner for the current budget. That amounts to a net increase of 3.3 percent this year.

In other business, Superintendent Dr. Kimberly Rizzo Saunders presented a proposal to send 60 students, members of the high school chorus, to Beijing, China to perform with a Chinese high school chorus.

The Kennett participants would be chorus members in grades 10, 11 and 12. The trip would be from Nov. 7 to Nov. 15.

Rizzo Saunders, who in the request identified herself as a strong advocate for music in the schools, gave a presentation asking for the trip to be approved.

Choral director Ryan Battin then took over, explaining some of the details of the trip. He said the trip would be financed by a partnership with a travel affiliate named Mr. Tang. Ten adults would accompany the students, including Battin and Rizzo Saunders. The only cost to the participating students would be transportation to JFK Airport and individual travel health insurance. The students would participate in choral workshops, rehearsals and two performances with local Chinese students.

The motion to approve, which was given unanimously by the board, was contingent upon the remaining details of the trip being worked out.

“This is pretty nice to have this presented to us,” Battin said.

In the public comment time, several parents of Greenwood Elementary School students addressed the board, expressing their objections to plans the district had to move longtime Greenwood counselor Tia Ennis to a position in the high school. Citing the pressures Greenwood student have endured over the past several years with COVID-19, overcrowded classes, three principals in four years and the inconveniences of the onsite building project, they unanimously pointed to Ennis as someone who helped the students get through it all. The parents pleaded with Rizzo Saunders to reverse the decision.

In his report on facilities, Director Dave Brice said the work on the construction of the two new elementary schools was up to date. Another project, the expansion of the administration building, is due to start this summer.

Later, the board approved hiring a manager for the administration building job – the same individual who manages the elementary school projects.

Board Vice President Vicki Gehrt reported that students in the Chester County Intermediate Unit Horticulture Program took part in the Philadelphia Flower Show designed and submitted a window box with a lamppost that won not only a blue ribbon, but an “Outstanding Blue Ribbon Award.”

“I went to the Flower Show and was amazed,” Gehrt said.