The Easton Area School District tax increase for 2025–26 raised the millage rate from 69.7 to 72.17 mills, a 3.5 percent jump that added about $247 to the annual school tax bill on a home assessed at $100,000. For 2026–27, the board approved a proposed 3.51 percent increase by a 6–3 vote, which would push the rate to roughly 74.70 mills and add another $253 on that same home. The tax applies to property owners in Easton, Forks Township, Palmer Township, and portions of Lower Mount Bethel Township.1Easton Area School District. About EASD
What the New Rate Costs You
A mill is one dollar of tax for every $1,000 of assessed value. At 72.17 mills, a property assessed at $100,000 owes $7,217 in school tax before any credits. At the proposed 74.70 mills, that bill rises to about $7,470. Those are school taxes only, separate from county and municipal levies. The City of Easton, for example, charges an additional 24.95 mills for city services.2City of Easton. Other Taxes
The 2025–26 increase of 2.47 mills works out to roughly:
- $247 more per year on a $100,000 assessed value
- $371 more per year on a $150,000 assessed value
- $618 more per year on a $250,000 assessed value
If the proposed 2026–27 rate takes final effect, those same properties would see further annual increases of about $253, $380, and $633. Stacked together, two consecutive 3.5 percent increases compound quickly.
One point that trips people up: assessed value is not market value. Northampton County sets your assessed figure through its Assessment Office, and it often lags well behind what the home would actually sell for. Your tax bill is calculated from the county’s assessed value, which appears on your most recent assessment notice.
Ways to Reduce What You Owe
Homestead and Farmstead Exclusion
If you live full-time in your home within the district, you likely qualify for the Homestead Exclusion. The program uses state gambling revenue to reduce the assessed value of your primary residence before the school tax is calculated. Every approved homestead receives the same dollar reduction, which lowers the taxable value and the final bill.3Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development. Property Tax Relief Through Homestead Exclusion
Apply through the Northampton County Assessment Office by March 1 of the year you want the exclusion to take effect. The district must notify you by December 31 if your property is not currently approved or if approval is about to expire. Farmstead properties used for agricultural production follow the same process and deadline.4Northampton County, PA. Tax Abatement Programs
Property Tax/Rent Rebate for Older Adults and People With Disabilities
Pennsylvania runs a separate rebate program that many Easton-area homeowners miss. You may qualify if you are 65 or older, a widow or widower 50 or older, or a person with a disability 18 or older, with household income of $48,110 or less. Half of your Social Security benefits can be excluded when calculating that income.5Pennsylvania Treasury. Property Tax Rent Rebate Program Newsroom
The standard rebate maxes out at $1,000, based on income tier:
- $0–$8,550 income: $1,000 rebate
- $8,551–$16,040: $770
- $16,041–$19,240: $460
- $19,241–$48,110: $380
Homeowners whose property taxes exceed 15 percent of total income, with income of $32,070 or less, automatically receive a supplemental rebate that can push the total to $1,500. The deadline for the 2025 tax year is June 30, 2026.6Pennsylvania Department of Revenue. Property Tax/Rent Rebate Program
Appealing Your Assessment
If your assessed value looks high compared to what your home would sell for, you can file an appeal with the Northampton County Board of Assessment Appeals.7Northampton County, PA. Forms Needed to Appeal Your Assessment You will generally need evidence of over-assessment, such as a recent independent appraisal or comparable sales from your neighborhood showing lower values. Appeals carry a filing fee per parcel.
A successful appeal lowers your assessed value going forward, which cuts not only the school tax but also the county and municipal taxes calculated on that same figure. It is the most effective way to permanently reduce your bill, but it only works if the property genuinely is assessed above fair market value. If the county finds your assessment is actually too low, the process can result in an increase, so be confident in your numbers before filing.
Paying the Bill on Time
Pennsylvania’s Local Tax Collection Law creates a three-phase payment window. Pay the full bill within two months of the tax notice date and you receive at least a 2 percent discount. The next two months are the face-value period. After four months, a penalty of up to 10 percent is added.8Pennsylvania General Assembly. Pennsylvania Statutes Title 72 PS 5511.10 – Discounts, Penalties, Notice A U.S. Postal Service postmark controls whether your payment counts as on time.
If you have an approved homestead or farmstead exclusion, the district must offer an installment plan with at least three payments spread across the months before delinquency. Paying the first installment before it becomes delinquent counts as your election to use the plan for the year. Skip the installment route and the standard discount-and-penalty schedule applies.9New York Codes, Rules and Regulations. Pennsylvania Code 6926.1502 – Installment Payment of School Real Property Taxes
If your mortgage company collects taxes through escrow, you are still ultimately responsible for making sure the bill gets paid. The district sends tax notices based on county ownership records, and forwarding the bill to your servicer is on you. This catches people off guard during refinancing or servicer changes, when escrow accounts sometimes get set up incorrectly and a payment slips through.
If You Fall Behind
Under Pennsylvania’s Real Estate Tax Sale Law, property taxes are a first lien, meaning they take priority over nearly every other debt. Unpaid school taxes become delinquent on December 31 of the year they were levied.10Pennsylvania General Assembly. Real Estate Tax Sale Law
Delinquent taxes get turned over to the county tax claim bureau, which files a claim and sends required notices. If you still don’t pay, the claim becomes absolute the following January 1. Properties with absolute claims can be scheduled for an upset sale, typically held in Northampton County in September.11Northampton County, PA. Judicial and Upset Sale Information If the property doesn’t sell at upset, a judicial sale follows within the next year, where it can be sold free and clear of all liens and the former owner loses any remaining equity. The timeline from first missed payment to possible loss of the home runs roughly two to three years, with penalties and interest piling up the entire time.
Why the Increases Keep Coming
Three cost drivers push the budget up year after year. Each is largely outside the board’s control.
Pennsylvania districts must contribute to the Public School Employees’ Retirement System. The PSERS Board of Trustees certified an employer contribution rate of 33.59 percent of payroll for 2026–27, with more than 80 percent of that covering unfunded liability from past service.12Pennsylvania Public School Employees’ Retirement System. PSERS Board Certifies Decrease in FY 2026-27 Employer Contribution Rate The district has no ability to negotiate that rate.
Special education is the second driver. Federal and state law require individualized instruction and support for students with disabilities, delivered through specialized staff, therapies, and equipment that cost substantially more per student than general education. State subsidies cover only a fraction, leaving local taxpayers to fund the gap.
Charter school tuition is the third. When a resident student enrolls in a charter school, the district pays tuition set by a statutory formula roughly equal to its per-pupil spending minus certain excluded categories, with an additional amount for special education students.13Pennsylvania General Assembly. Pennsylvania Code 24 PS 17-1725-A – Funding for Charter Schools If the district fails to pay, the state can redirect its own subsidies to the charter.14Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Charter School Funding Fixed costs like buildings and maintenance don’t fall when students leave, so charter growth lands directly on local taxpayers.
Pennsylvania’s Taxpayer Relief Act (Act 1) caps how much a board can raise taxes without voter approval. The Pennsylvania Department of Education publishes an annual index tied to statewide wage growth and school construction costs, with a slightly higher adjusted index for districts whose market value/personal income aid ratio exceeds 0.4000.15Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Act 1 Index A board that stays at or below the index can adopt its budget without a referendum.16Pennsylvania General Assembly. Pennsylvania Code 53 PS 6926.311 – Adoption of Preliminary Budget Proposals Easton Area’s recent increases have stayed within its assigned index, so no referendum has been required.