By Josh McKnight | The McKnight Team
Doylestown Township homes sold for a median of $796,000 from April through September 2026, with a median of 5 days to contract, per Bright MLS data in our Bucks County housing market report. Our read: sellers still hold the cards here, and buyers are already stretched before they ever see the tax line.
Central Bucks property taxes are the part of that picture most likely to move next. On October 5, Superintendent Joanna Wexler told residents the Central Bucks School District could run out of money in two years. Two days later, she put numbers behind it.
The Numbers Behind the Two Year Warning
In a statement reported by TAPinto Doylestown, Wexler said the district ran a $7.8 million deficit in 2024-25 and a $13 million deficit in 2025-26. It projects a $19.4 million deficit this school year. The full budget is about $460 million.
Those gaps have been covered from the fund balance, which is the district’s savings. It held about $64 million in 2023-24. By the end of this school year, it is projected to hold about $24 million. That is a drop of 62.5% in three years.
At the current pace, $24 million does not cover two more years like this one.
Why Central Bucks Property Taxes Keep Climbing
The district did not raise taxes from 2015-16 through 2020-21. Wexler said recent increases have helped but cannot recover the revenue lost in those six years. So the board has gone close to the state limit: 5.95% in 2025 and 5.7% this year.
The district estimated this year’s increase at $329 for an average property. Over three years, it puts the rise for an average household at more than $900 a year. Many owners have seen more than that.
Staff costs are about 80% of the budget. Wexler said enrollment fell nearly 10% between 2016 and 2025 while professional staffing rose nearly 3.5%, and that matching staff to enrollment is part of the fix. A 10 year enrollment projection from the Pennsylvania Economy League is due to the school board in early 2027.
If You Own a Home in Central Bucks
Central Bucks sets the school portion of the tax bill in Doylestown, Chalfont, Buckingham, Warrington, Warwick and the rest of the district. That portion is the largest line on most Bucks County tax bills, so this budget matters more to your monthly cost than anything your township decides.
If you plan to sell in the next year, have your current tax bill ready and know what one more increase near 5.7% would add. A buyer who sees a clear number from you decides faster than one who has to guess.
If you are buying, plan for the tax bill you will pay in year three, not the one on the listing. Ask your lender to run your payment with a higher tax line so the house still works if increases continue.
The last of Wexler’s community forums is October 26 at Jamison Elementary School in Warwick Township. If you want to hear the options before the next budget is built, that is the room to be in. For more on the area, see our Doylestown community guide. We are glad to run the numbers on your home.
Frequently Asked Questions About Central Bucks Property Taxes
Will Central Bucks raise taxes again next year?
The district has not proposed a 2027-28 rate yet. It projects a $19.4 million deficit this year and a reserve near $24 million, and it has raised taxes more than 5% in each of the last three years.
How much have Central Bucks taxes gone up?
The board raised taxes 5.95% in 2025 and 5.7% in 2026. The district estimated the 2026 increase at $329 for an average property and more than $900 a year over three years.
What is the Central Bucks fund balance?
The fund balance is the district’s reserve of unspent money from prior years. It held about $64 million in 2023-24 and is projected to fall to about $24 million by the end of 2026-27.
When is the next Central Bucks budget forum?
Superintendent Joanna Wexler’s final community forum is October 26 at Jamison Elementary School in Warwick Township. The school board also expects a 10 year enrollment projection from the Pennsylvania Economy League in early 2027.
Thinking about buying or selling in Central Bucks? Let’s talk.
