Property taxes to increase by 1 percent

The property tax for residents of the Oxford Area School District is going up 1 percent for the next school year.

Along with a 1 percent property tax increase, Oxford Area School District property owners will also see a change in the way they pay their taxes.

Earlier this month, a mass mailing to every address in the district informed taxpayers that as of July 1, Keystone Collections Group is their new real estate tax collector.

Tax bills will be mailed in July as usual, but residents can no longer walk to the local bank branch or stop in at the District Administration Office to pay their bills. Instead, tax bills can be paid online, by mail, or in person at Keystone’s Chester County Tax Office at 780 Miles Road, West Chester. Keystone also has branch offices which can be found by calling 610-269-4402.

Taxpayers used to taking their payment in person to the Administration Building or to a BB&T office, or prior to that National Penn Bank, will face the biggest change. If they do opt to visit a Keystone office to pay in person, not all locations accept cash.

Payments can be made online by an electronic transfer from a bank account, but if paid online by credit card, there will be a 2.5 percent processing fee on top of the total tax bill.

At their June 20 meeting, the school board also set tax collection service fees. Memorandum bills, duplicate tax bills, tax clarification, and providing tax information each cost $50.

In other business, the board approved the annual salary of Superintendent David Woods at $176,490 effective July 1 as per his contract.

The board also honored retiring elementary school teacher Margaret Logue after more than 21 years of service. The board also recognized several service and support employees, including Gary Ham, Anna Linn, Carol Olsen, and Joanne Welch. At the top of the list for longevity with the district is Mark Andrews, who has served 40 years and 7 months in the Oxford Area School District.

Taking her spot as the new student representative to the school board is Alina Snopkowski, who will be a senior at Oxford Area High School this fall. She will attend board meetings and report on school activities and events.

The school board will not meet in July. The next meeting will be a work session on Aug. 8.