Finance

Taxes | STAR | FOIL Requests

Taxpayer Information & Tax Rates

Tax Rates | Tax Bill Information | Paying Your Tax Bill | Frequently Asked Questions

School Tax Rates

The Board of Education typically sets the tax rates for each school year in August. The tax rates are based upon the total tax levy for the year in the approved budget and final municipal assessments for the Town of Bethlehem and the Town of New Scotland. Tax rates sometimes vary between the towns because property in each is assessed at different levels in relation to full market value. After the towns submit final assessment information to the state Office of Real Property Services each summer, the state assigns each community an equalization rate to account for these differences in assessment practices. The equalization process is designed to fairly apportion the total tax levy between the towns and result in similar tax bills for properties with similar values regardless of municipality. The district does not control any part of the assessment or equalization process.

Listed below are the school tax rates for the past several years. Tax rates are per $1,000 of assessed property value. *Note: The district sets final tax rates each August, after the towns finalize assessment figures and the state sets the equalization rates.

• Town: Bethlehem
  • 2023-24: $21.61
  • 2022-23: $21.27
  • 2021-22: $21.51
  • 2020-21: $21.54
  • 2019-20: $21.28
• Town: New Scotland
  • 2023-24: $21.90
  • 2022-23: $22.58
  • 2021-22: $21.98
  • 2020-21: $22.49
  • 2019-20: $21.96

Tax Bill Information

Residents of the Bethlehem Central School District can look up their school tax bill online by clicking on this link.

Paying Your Tax Bill

IMPORTANT UPDATE: Taxpayers in the Bethlehem Central School District will have two extra days to pay their tax bills this year without incurring any penalty. The due date for school tax bill payment (without penalty) is Monday, Oct. 2, 2023 instead of the usual September 30 deadline. Read more here.

PLEASE NOTE: Tax payments cannot be accepted at the Town of Bethlehem offices.

• Mail-In Payments (must be clearly postmarked by USPS on or before Oct. 2, 2023 to avoid penalty): Checks should be made payable to the Bethlehem Central Tax Collector.
• Mail payment**, along with the appropriate bill stub to:
  Bethlehem Central School District
  • Bethlehem Central High School
    School Tax Collector
    700 Delaware Avenue
    Delmar, NY 12054
  • Drop box located at the Main Entrance to the high school (must be received on or before Oct. 2, 2023 to avoid penalty)

• In-Person Payments (must be received on or before Oct. 2, 2023 to avoid penalty): This option is only available from Sept.1 through Oct. 31. No payments can be accepted after October 31. In order to make your school tax payment in person, you must bring your entire bill with you to one of the following locations:
  • Pioneer Bank – Delmar Branch 184 Delaware Avenue, Delmar M-W: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Th-F: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
  • Pioneer Bank – Glenmont Branch 329 Glenmont Road, Glenmont M-W: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Th-F: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.,  Saturdays, 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Credit card payments are NOT accepted at Pioneer Bank. Credit card payments must be made online.

• Online Payments (must be received on or before Oct. 2, 2023 to avoid penalty):
  • Credit card: Pay your school taxes using your Visa, Mastercard or Discover credit card. Click here to be taken to our online payment provider’s site. Their fee includes a 2.35% site fee (a per-item minimum of $2 is charged for all transactions) and a $10 charge-back fee for credit cards.
  • E-check: This is a convenient, fully automated electronic payment system allowing you to pay taxes directly from your checking or savings account. Please make sure that e-checks are allowed on the account you are using.  A $0.50 fee is charged on all settled transactions, and $15 will be charged for checks returned due to non-sufficient funds. Click here to pay by E-check.

Frequently Asked Questions

To see our taxpayer FAQ, please click here.

STAR Program

What is the STAR exemption?

STAR is New York State’s School Tax Relief Program that provides a partial property tax exemption from school taxes to eligible homeowners. Most New Yorkers who own and live in their home are eligible for the STAR exemption on their primary residence. There are two parts to the STAR property tax exemption:

• The Basic STAR exemption is available for owner-occupied, primary residences where the homeowners’ income is under $500,000. Basic STAR works by exempting a portion of the full value of a home from school taxes.
  The Enhanced STAR exemption is available for the primary residences of senior citizens (age 65 and older) with yearly household incomes not exceeding a statewide standard. For qualifying senior citizens, the Enhanced STAR program provides additional savings by exempting a greater portion of full value from school taxes.
• Homeowners who claim the Basic STAR exemption must register with the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance in order to continue receiving benefits in 2014 and subsequent years. This is a new requirement implemented by the State in an effort to reduce fraud. Learn more: New York’s STAR Program website.

How do I register for the STAR exemption?

Register for STAR online, or call the STAR program directly at (518) 457-2036.

Freedom of Information Act Requests

For access to records under the NYS Freedom of Information Law, contact the Records Access Officer and Appeals Officer by email jmcphillips@bethlehemschools.org. Or write to:

John McPhillips
Chief Business and Financial Officer/Records Access Officer
Bethlehem Central School District
700 Delaware Avenue
Delmar, New York 12054

Requests should state that information is being sought under the Freedom of Information Law and provide a brief description of the public records requested, being as specific as possible.

For more information on the NYS Freedom of Information Law (FOIL), please visit the Committee on Open Government’s website or the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) website.

FOIL Fees and Response Time

The district will respond to FOIL requests to acknowledge receipt within 5 business days. The nature of the request will determine how quickly the information requested can be provided.

The fee associated with any FOIL request is 25 cents per copied page. Electronic transfers of information are not subject to this fee, but are not always available, depending on the request.