Summer construction projects across the Salisbury School District are on schedule and under budget, according to an update presented to the operations and finance committee Sept. 9 by facilities director Bill Brackett.

Brackett said most of the district’s 2026 capital improvement projects have been completed or are nearing completion, with expenditures coming in below original bid estimates.

Major work was completed at the administration building, where concrete and asphalt improvements required the facility to close for several weeks. The parking lot was paved and lined, and accessible ramps and stairways at the front and side entrances were replaced and fitted with railings.

At Salisbury Elementary School, crews installed new walkways, added secure fencing around the playground and created an outdoor learning space in an area previously considered unsafe because of deteriorating exterior steps.

At Salisbury High School, improvements included upgraded walkways and railings as well as the repaving of the student parking lot.

The stadium also received upgrades. Drainage grates were reconstructed and a stairway was installed alongside the stadium steps to provide emergency egress from the stands during an evacuation. The project is nearing completion, with handrails and fencing scheduled for installation.

One project remains unfinished at the middle school, where railings are being installed along a retaining wall. Brackett said sections of the railing failed to meet specifications and were removed for reinstallation. The work is expected to be completed by Sept. 18.

School board member Sarah Nemitz praised the projects and thanked Brackett for “demanding that the work be done absolutely perfectly.”

The committee also received a budget update from Chief Financial Officer Dawn Nickischer, who reported that the Pennsylvania Department of Education recalculated the Act 1 Index for the 2027-28 budget year.

The maximum index increased from 3.2% to 3.6%. The Act 1 Index represents the maximum percentage by which a school district may raise property taxes without voter approval. If Salisbury applies the full increase, property owners could see higher taxes in the upcoming budget.

Nickischer said annual adjustments are typically off by only “a tenth or two,” making this year’s revision a significant variance.

The next operations and finance committee meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. Oct. 7 at the administration building, 1140 Salisbury Road, Allentown.