Credit: Abington School District.
Abington School District has informed residents that a vote on a proposed $285 million bond — primarily funded through increased property taxes — will take place on May 20. If approved, the bond would finance the construction of a new middle school, but would also lead to a significant tax increase for local homeowners.
According to district officials, the referendum’s approval would result in an estimated property tax increase of approximately $54 per month for a median homestead valued at $387,402. While the full tax burden would be phased in over time, the earliest impact could begin in July 2026, depending on the timing of bond issuance, which the School Board will determine during the project’s 12-month design phase.
“The earliest that any tax impact would go into effect would be July 2026, but the full tax impact will be phased in over several years to reflect when the bonds for the project are issued,” a notice published earlier this week said. “The exact timing of the incremental tax impact is not known at this time, but if the referendum is approved by voters, the Board of School Directors will determine a schedule for bond issuance during the design phase.”
Though the district emphasizes opportunities for community input throughout the design process, the financial commitment is substantial and long-term. “The exact timing of the incremental tax impact is not known at this time,” the district memo stated, “but the full increase will be realized over several years.”
If voters reject the referendum, the district warns that repair and renovation costs for the aging middle school would fall to the existing operating budget—likely triggering cuts to classroom instruction, staffing, student programs, athletics, and extracurricular activities across all schools.
“One question we have received is, ‘Why not renovate or expand the current Middle School instead of building a new one?'” Dr. Fecher wrote. “While the District carefully considered all options, including renovating the existing Middle School, we ultimately concluded that renovation would be too disruptive to students and teachers, too costly, and would not deliver sufficient long-term value. Our community also made this clear through multiple opportunities for feedback and input.”
If the referendum fails, the estimated cost for emergency and prevention of the current building would be $8.3 million a year for a 20-year bond, all coming from the district’s general fund. Additional maintenance needs may arise during this time. Full renovation (without additions) is approximately $206 million, which would potentially double the budget impact, all coming from the district’s general fund. If the district chooses to react when things break, costs are likely to exceed the $8.3 million per year. However, these events would cause more disruptive to education.
The District spent two years conducting assessments and considering more than a dozen options for how to address growing issues at the Middle School. Through the planning process, we determined that a full remodel of Abington Middle School could disrupt classroom education for up to five years, offer only modest improvements within most classrooms, and still cost more than 90% of the budget for building new (approximately $268 million).
For these reasons, the District determined that building a new Middle School on the same campus is the most educationally sound and cost-effective solution – while offering the most long-term value for our community.
In the 60 years since Abington Middle School was built, education has changed drastically. The building’s age also puts a heavy burden on the district’s general fund, which mainly covers classroom and operational expenses.
The proposed new Middle School will be designed to feel like a smaller school community, providing a safe, accessible, healthy and energy-efficient environment tailored to our needs. The building will support how students learn and teachers teach today, while remaining flexible to adapt to future educational needs. On May 20, voters will decide whether or not this plan moves forward.
