Dear Community Members:
The Port Jervis City School District would like to inform our community about recent changes that may affect your school tax bills for the upcoming year. This year, it appears that taxes within the City of Port Jervis went up slightly while those in the Town of Deerpark went down slightly.
Although the overall school district tax levy didn’t increase – meaning the total amount of taxes collected by the district has not changed – individual tax bills may vary. This variation is primarily due to:
- Changes in Equalization Rates: Equalization rates are set by the state to ensure fair distribution of the tax burden among the towns and city within the district. A change in these rates can shift how much each municipality contributes, even when the overall tax levy remains the same.
- Reduction in the STAR Program Benefit: The state-administered STAR (School Tax Relief) program has experienced adjustments, which may reduce the amount of savings reflected on your tax bill.
We want to emphasize that the district has worked diligently to keep your taxes stable, resulting in no overall increase in the school tax levy for the fifth year in a row. If you have questions regarding your individual tax bill or the impact of equalization rates, please contact your local assessor or visit the district website for additional resources.
Thank you for your continued support of our schools and students!
Sincerely,
Dr. John Bell
Superintendent of Schools
