Amid all the property tax hikes in the Concord area this town meeting season, Pembroke residents are facing the biggest with a whopping 28.1% increase in one year.

The combined town and school tax rate is expected to increase from $27.88 to $35.70 – almost $8. The impact on a home worth $300,000 would be $2,346 in one year, about $200 more a month in taxes. The increase comes on the heels of a 12% increase last year.

The increases are sure to get residents talking.

This Saturday, the school district’s annual meeting will be held at 10 a.m. at Pembroke Academy. The town meeting will be held the following Saturday.

Among the top items discussed this weekend will be the proposed operating budget of $33.8 million, which is up about 10% percent over the current year. The $13.4 million town budget is facing a similar increase, but since revenue is falling on both the school and town sides, taxes are spiking.

“The budget itself is quite an increase, which we see around the state,” said School Board Chairman Andy Camidge.

The biggest budget drivers are increases to special education, transportation and health insurance costs. For example, increases to health insurance for staff will cost the district $622,142 more next year. However, that pales to special education expenses, which budgeted to increase by $1.4 million.

“Special education costs have been on the rise year after year,” the school board wrote in an explainer to residents. “School districts are required to provide a ‘Free and Appropriate Public Education,’ however many of these mandates go unfunded or are significantly underfunded.”

In addition, voters will consider a new contract for paraprofessionals, negotiated between the Pembroke School Board and the Pembroke Support Staff Association. The contact would include $187,750 in new costs in its first year and a total of $468,419 over the four-year contract.

If the budget and all warrant articles pass, the district will spend about $34.3 million.

The school board has tried to make its displeasure known by passing a resolution about the way New Hampshire funds education – primarily through local taxes, which hurts property-poor towns.

“Now therefore,” the resolution reads, “that the School Board of Pembroke calls upon all of the elected representatives serving in the State Legislature to work toward and support a school funding solution in the best interest of students and taxpayers, that complies with the recent court rulings and increases the amount of state education funding received by Pembroke Schools and reduces the property tax burden on the taxpayers of Pembroke.”

The Pembroke School District Meeting will be held on March 9 beginning at 10 a.m. at Pembroke Academy. There are no contested school races.

Superintendent Patty Sherman did not return phone calls for this article.