School districts face significant budget challenges when state funding formulas (like Pennsylvania's STEB) create unexpected financial pressures, requiring boards to balance fiscal responsibility with community needs through careful budget analysis, public engagement, and strategic planning to maintain educational quality while minimizing taxpayer burden.
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6/18/2026 - Board Meeting
Added:All right. Being that it is a few minutes after 7, I'd like to bring this meeting of the Upper Perk School Board to order. First, we'd like to have a pledge of allegiance. flag is over here.
You would be so kind.
>> I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice.
>> Justice.
>> Mr. Bishop, could I have a roll call, please?
>> Certainly. Director Oswald, >> oops, >> here.
>> Director Sharman >> here.
>> Director Chaffrani.
>> Director Cunningham >> here.
>> Director McCarrick >> here.
>> Director Fluki >> here.
>> Director Kipopellski, >> Director Bieber >> here, >> and Director Penny Packer >> here.
>> Thank you. All right. Now, I'll do an introduction of staff. We're a little late at the table today. Uh, so we have Mr. Bishop, who is our business manager.
We have our esteemed council, Kyle Summers, and Dr. Alan Roach, our superintendent.
Uh board president's report would be next. Just wanted to make a shout out for our graduation. Was a beautiful day.
Uh really fun event. It's really fun for the board members. We have to do a lot of work, but it's really fun to get to do that.
Um, also just attended a chamber breakfast where we had um our uh we had our western center uh chefs were honored and also had a chance to take my grandson to the grass and hopen strawberry festival where we got to see the Red Hill band play because he loves to watch them. Uh with that I'll try to keep it brief. We have a big agenda today. I'll turn it over to Dr. Roach.
Thank you.
There we go.
Okay. Thanks uh for happy to provide a report here in June. Very busy and successful end of the school year. Let's see what's going on here.
Here we go. All right. So, some highlights here as we wrapped up uh the 202526 school year.
>> Sure.
All right. Um, so a successful end to the 2526 school year. Just a couple highlights here. So, Special Olympics, many of uh many of our um all of our administrators, teachers, staff, uh, and some of the board members were were a part of the um, Special Olympics. So, we had an awesome opportunity to celebrate our uh, our athletes and the participation and volunteers from other students that got up on a day off uh, to come and participate and support their uh, their fellow students was a was a fantastic day. And this worked out well this year for uh for our students because the Special Olympics for Montgomery County was rained out. Uh and we were not able to they were not able to attend the county one, but they definitely got the one that took place here at Upper Park. So, another great for me it's one of the greatest uh inservice days we have because really it's about it's about the students and we're able to celebrate and work with them.
Great outdoors day at the high school.
An ongoing tradition just kind of sharing those highlights, seeing uh students relax for a little while. a nice wrap up to the end of the school year tradition that continues the eighth grade farewell dance. So, we appreciated the the opportunity there, Dr. Haney's in one of the pictures there and and the students had a great time getting ready uh for 9th grade, fifth grade picnic, another again sponsored by PTFS and supported at the building there wrapping up and and celebrating a great year there. So, appreciate that.
Marbor Madness. Again, another event, I'm sure, fully supported and um led by PTFS and many volunteers and parent volunteers. Great event, not to be outdone with Herford's field day and the trout release. Trout in the classroom is still going on. Uh and it's a great day.
I know Mrs. Janowski was out there taking pictures and said it was one of the muddier things to go back there. I remember when I first got here and they talked about the trout release. I got there like 5 minutes late. The class had already gone out. They're like, "Well, just go out the back of her and just keep going. just keep going. So, just try to follow where the grass was stamped down and eventually made it back to the creek. But again, a great experience for the students to to see that um that take place.
Senior sunset. Um believe is Mr. Amsler first time for that.
>> Yep. Another uh first time tradition there out on the on the turf uh as the seniors see their uh their career here at Upper Perk um winding down. another event there part of graduation the buckariat and then the grad walk and that continues to be I know the 45 center was included in the gradwalk um this year but a great opportunity as you probably see online and other places where the students walk back I know the teachers in elementary school continue to ask can you please put a name card on the students so I exactly because they were walking by so fast but it's awesome to see the teachers there holding their kindergarten their first or second grade class picture from 10 years or however many years ago to see the kids and just that enjoyment. Students get a lot out of it. They get to see what's what's coming and and those celebrations and that may be the day where the um playgrounds are tested the most because the kids always want to run out there in their cap and gown and get a picture on the playgrounds.
And then finally, graduation. There was actually a little breeze at some point during graduation, but a great great graduation uh ceremony, some enhancements there, great speeches by the students, um celebration, and a great overall night. And uh I think as you guys know a couple years ago with some weather coming in they we had to go a little earlier at 5. It seems to be a win now to maintain that at 5:00 as best we can uh because it really sets up a great uh night and celebration for the students. So kudos to uh to the school and uh and all the students coming along the um uh through graduation and setting up stages for the stage for next year.
So Mr. Flian and then the high school team. Um, and the board, all nine board members were there. Good thing we weren't voting and talking about anything, but we had a great great celebration of our students and I think we had a lot of teachers that were there, support staff that were there. We tried to have that tunnel of support coming out and I think that's only going to grow in tradition. So, people really got a chance to celebrate all 13 years of being a part of Upper Park.
And there's information online along I mean on on the website there's some great pictures um from that are that are free that are on there as available some candids that were from the from the field from some of our in-house photographers so continue to relive that and just a quick highlight of one of the new um clubs as a part of IE coach Hinrich uh as a science teacher started a new uh for upper classman one of the offerings there was a hunter tra hunter trapper safety class so again just celebrating another something new um that he brought in worked through Mr. Mr. Flanigan has a new new opportunity.
Um, so this is the highlight of the students and and their experience and they had a guest speaker come in and talk about and go through the there's a little curriculum to go through that as well. So, couple important dates and things. I know we you're going to start to hear more about Power School and and that transition. Um, but right now we've got it targeted for August 3rd. I know it's I know summer just started, but August 3rd is when the back to school forms will be open and do some training and communication on Power School. And everybody wants to know when the schedules are going to be out. What teacher am I going to have? It's a little earlier this year even though it's a longer summer because of power school and we know there's going to be some growing pains on inside as well as getting in there to. So on Monday the 10th of August K to 5 the information will be released and then on Tuesday the 11th it'll be secondary schools. The schedules will be viewable um and then it will be um the buses the bus information as best it can be you know two or three weeks before school will be available as well. Trust me, if if your student does not get the same lunch as their one friend, they'll be okay.
That's that's usually what happens. They they want to they want to have lunch together. They want to do those things and there's only, you know, only balance to the schedule. So, I know they're working on that diligently. They I know you don't know this, but the work to get Power School up and running from the whole team was tremendous this year and trying those dates is going to be another uh feat to make that all happen.
So, there'll be a little growing pains.
Um some would be happy to leave Skyward, but um Power School is going to be a positive for us, no doubt.
If you happen to drive through the high school, this is kind of what the area looks like right now. The green is gone on the turf and and you know, and I think they heard it was getting shipped off today, the the remnant pieces and getting ready to u replace and then go onto the track there. And so Keiny Stadium and and Tribe in the back will have new turf as we go forward. So far, Mr. Robach, we're on we're on scale on we're on schedule and things look good for that early August. Um, we are going to try to have a ribbon cutting and something to have students, you know, be a part of that. And so stay tuned for that. But that work is is ongoing as well as the normal uh tremendous amount of work that takes place during the summer getting the buildings ready and some other smaller projects that are taking place.
Little plug with stay tuned for the 2526 annual report. Um, I know Mrs. Janowski is working on this feverishly. So, we're going to get that together and that'll be ready hopefully some point in the summer to at least post online and then get uh share that back with the committee as we go forward. But a lot of lot of great things to celebrate this this year as we close out. I'm going to kick this over to Mr. Bishop quickly because uh it was something that came out today from uh Burkheimimer and we want to make sure everyone's aware.
>> Yeah. So, uh, this is the notice that we received from Burkheimer to asking us to post this and put it out there. Uh, just so that people know that if they do receive a notice, um, it is not spam.
Uh, but they are sending out notices.
April 15th came and went. So, if they did not receive any, uh, tax revenue, um, they will be sending out notices.
Uh, so yeah, again, it's it's not spam um to just keep an eye out for that. if you do receive something, the best thing you can do is contact them, uh, and just and work through whatever issues there may be. So, those notices will be going out soon.
>> Yes. And, uh, that's we have a great summer, right? So, we know we got a later start because of Labor Day, but it's going to be a productive summer, and we look forward to, uh, to enjoying that, having everyone come back and having starting off the 26 27th school year in a strong fashion. Thank you.
All right. Uh, our student representatives are not here and um, our so we'll move on to our solicitors report and Sunshine Act announcements.
Mr. Summers.
>> Thank you, Madam President. The board did meet in an executive session immediately prior to tonight's meeting for the purpose of discussing matters of school safety and security and to receive the required annual report from the district school safety and security coordinator. The board will also be meeting following tonight's meeting for the purpose of discussing a matter of personnel involving administrative employees. And by way of normal uh announcements, there are two public comment opportunities on tonight's agenda for residents and taxpayers of the school district to comment uh to the board. The first opportunity is on items that are being voted on on the agenda tonight. And then there's another opportunity at the end of the meeting to comment on other matters of concern or issues that anyone would like to bring to the board's attention. Um, there is a a time limit per speaker of three minutes. I will keep the the time during any comments and hold up a sign indicating when you have a minute left, 30 seconds left, and when the 3 minutes uh has run up, anyone who does wish to make public comment uh in accordance with board policy does need to fill out a sign-in sheet. That sign-in sheet is available in the back of the room uh near the doors where you came in. Those forms need to be filled out and turned into the box that's located next to the screen where we were all just looking um prior to the start of each comment period. So, anyone wishing to comment on action items needs to fill out a form and submit it to the Vox prior to the start of of the action items. And then same with the period at the end of the meeting, prior to that comment period, any forms need to be turned in. And that concludes my report.
>> Thank you. All right, we're going to move on to presentations and discussion.
And this is an exciting one. We have the Upper Perk High School spring athletics recognition. So Todd Amsler, could I have you come up and let him in?
Uh good evening and thank you for the opportunity to be here tonight to recognize the exceptional achievements of several of our high school student athletes. Uh we've had a very successful spring sports season this year at both the individual and team level. And tonight we have two of our spring sports head coaches here with us. Uh and I'm going to have them come up to introduce their athletes to be recognized. So first up we have our high school boys head track coach Dave Dooza.
Thank you. And uh thank you to the board for recognizing these athletes for all that they do. Um this was a tremendous year for our boys track and field program. We were 5-0, took uh multiple kids to postseason packs, districts, and states. Uh the first athlete I would like to recognize is Grayson Rigggins.
Uh Grayson, if you want to come on up.
Uh Grayson.
Uh Grayson's being recognized for the pack 300 meter hurdle champion. Um I know we would be recognizing him for more than that. Uh unfortunately he had a a bit of an injury during the high hurdles later that day. Um or else I know we'd be recognizing him for that probably district champions and I wouldn't be surprised it was a state championship as well. Uh Grayson has competed for us for four years. Uh a top athlete all four years. um as he's been running an excellent leader, an excellent just, you know, allaround good character and good person that all the kids get to look up to. They saw his success, saw his hard work, the time he put in at practice and then everything on top of that. It's just an honor to coach him and I can't wait to see what he does. And you know, thank you again, board, for recognizing him and his accomplishments.
Yep.
>> Shake your hands and The uh second athlete that we're going to recognize, unfortunately, I don't think he's here tonight, is Darius Reid.
Um Darius is a junior this year. Um he did a fantastic job last three years set an example for everybody and this year he was our district one champion in high jump and the PIAA state champion in high jump. uh under some adverse conditions with wind at districts and then indoor had to uh had to jump inside at states which is not typical. So in basketball shoes he still you know set the bar high you know pun intended there and uh did an excellent job. So thank you for recognizing him as well.
and next up we have our high school baseball head coach, Bobby Sager.
>> Like to say thank you to the board. As Todd said, I'm the head baseball coach.
Uh the season was incredible. We had uh not just numbers. Uh it by numbers it was the best high school baseball season that Perks had since 1953. Uh District 1 championship made it to the pack final four. All of those are are black and white numbers. Um the spark that it had with the community. Uh Friday night games there were incredible. I walked out the third base box and the place was just packed. It was packed and the energy was uh palpable. Uh, I want to thank Todd and Rob and everybody else with the school district within the actual high school building. The day of the district championship, the hallway that we left out was lined with students and teachers and administrators and this and the high fives and the cheering. We walk out to a bunch of fire trucks and police officer, you know, the sirens going um, you know, it's those dreams and the memories that these kids will have. So, I I thank you for for honoring them. There is a ton of stuff going on in the summertime. So, as you can see, it's a roster of 24 and a quarter of them are here actually present. So, I'm going to go through all of them. Um, there's a board member that has a really, really close tie to the first one. Christopher Burns is our first representative as a senior. Jacob Caretti is a senior. Jordan Dice is a senior. Benjamin Godshaw, Jonathan Lewis, Zayn Sager, and Brody Weiss, all seniors that are not here. It is uh senior week and a bunch of other stuff going on. Uh, first one that is here, Lincoln Fijicowski.
Graph could not make it. Stephen Mumford, Andrew Natada cannot be here. Jack Rigg is in Richmond, Virginia playing baseball. Ethan Robinson Grayson Sabo not here. Benjamin Sans not here. Nathan Shramp, >> sophomore Ryan K, sophomore Adam Kavinsky, Ryan McMaster, Liam Weiss, Anthony Cercio, Corbin Angel, Jacob Pedrick is here.
>> Thanks, Paul.
And finally, Ken Sh as a freshman.
>> And then I would be remiss in front of the board if I did not thank uh you know, nobody does this by themselves, is a great group of kids, a great group uh group of assistant coaches. Uh Joey Doulan as my right-hand man since we're 24 years old and coaching together. Dave Pierce, John Bertain, Evan Wickard, all four of them, three out of the four are middle school teachers here at Upper Perk. So, they spend a lot of time on the grounds at Upper Perk, not only in buildings, but also on the athletic fields. And then, uh, two volunteers, uh, our older gentlemen, Chuck Saganic, who runs a JV team, and Tony Curtio came on board. Um, there's a lot of talent here, so I'll be honest. I hope I'm standing here in front again in a year. All right. Thank you very much for the honor.
All right, we'll give you guys a couple minutes to get out if you would. If you'd like to, you can stay if you want.
I didn't mean to say it that way. That was awful.
>> There's a couple.
>> Okay, looks like they're they all got out of here pretty quick. All right, so we'll move on to public comments on action items. So, we do have a couple.
Uh Chriselli, you want to come on out?
and I just turned it off, but if you would turn the mic on. Thank you.
>> Good evening everybody. Appreciate your opportunity to speak. Um, I've been following school board. I was on a school board. I was a director um doing this about 15 years. Never have seen numbers in double digits as a tax increase in my entire association with schoolboard. Um, your job as school board directors is to be there for the students and for the public for our needs, not for the wants of the administration.
Um, I think 12% is absolutely ludicrous and I believe I was at a finance meeting where there was talks of something like 7% when you were going over the budget.
Um, figuring as normal every year it's going to come down.
this I I don't even know what to do. I'm I'm just like this is crazy.
I would like to suggest that the vote tonight get tabled. You guys as school board directors go back and not listen the budget that was presented to you by the administration, but look at it yourselves and see where cuts can be and make this reasonable. Uh right now it's three times the act one index which is again crazy. I I don't know how the state could even propose such a number.
But again um I'm here to ask that it be tabled tonight and you guys do your due diligence and come back the next meeting and something more reasonable. Thank you.
>> Thank you. Uh Ryan Hoffkin, you know I saw you back there. Ran Hoff coming up.
>> Am I keeping your sheet for the other comment later?
>> Yes.
>> Okay. Just making sure.
>> I didn't know if I needed two forms or just one.
Okay. So, my first comment is that motion B with the 1% millage increase is so misleading because that actually equals about a 12% tax increase. And I don't know that the people s in the audience if they all realize that it says 1% but with the STEB that actually counts more. So um at the end of the year um the district is projecting approximately 29.3 million in cash investments. This includes roughly 7 million in capital reserves and more than 10 million in the fund balance. An additional two almost 2 million contingency reserve built directly into the budget. That is substantial reserves position by any standards. And yet the district is simultaneously asking residents to accept a double-digit tax increase as though there is no remaining financial levers available. At this time since the middle school was opened, the district has declined. The district enrollment has declined by approximately 200 students. In any organization, public or private, a sustained decline in customers served would trigger a serious operational review. staffing alignment, building utilization, and structural consolidation.
Fewer students should not result in a static or expanding cost structure. Yet, from the taxpayers's perspective, there has been no visible or meaningful consolidation of buildings, no proportionately proportional reduction in overhead, and no structural adjustment to match the reduced student population. Instead, the financial pattern appears to be enrollment declines, reserves remain strong, and taxpayers are asked to fill the gap.
That makes me question the priorities.
Why are operating efficiencies not keeping pace with enrollment decline?
Why are multiple layers of reserves being accumulated, including capital reserves, a large fund balance, and a separate contingency while simultaneously requesting additional tax revenue? Because from the outside looking in, it does not appear that the financial model has adjusted to reflect today's realities. It appears to have shifted the burden outward towards the taxpayers rather than inward towards operational reform. No one is arguing against funding education, but when seniors are losing their homes, you need to stop and think if the funding strategy reflects discipline, transparency, and alignment with current enrollment and economic conditions.
Right now the numbers does not and the residents are being slammed with double-digit tax increase without a clear explanation of why existing financial capacity and declining enrollment are not already being used to cushion that impact. And then my other comment is about number or motion C to adopt not that one motion E to commit fund balance for capital projects. It doesn't say an amount. So how much are we moving to the capital to assign it to capital so that it can be under that 8% of expenses.
Thank you.
All right. Uh next I'd like to move on to an approval of tonight's agenda.
>> Second. Do we have any discussion?
Hearing none. All in favor? I. Any opposed?
Okay, we'll move on to No, thank you.
Um, we'll move on to the approval of the May 14th, 2026 school board meeting minutes.
>> Motion.
>> Second.
>> Do we have any discussion?
Hearing none. All in favor?
>> I. Any oppose? Okay. Uh, we don't have anything under old business, so we're going to move on to new business.
Starting with the >> Madam President, can I make a motion to per to approve the personnel report in its entirety, the appointments, the resignations, and the leaves?
>> Second.
>> Yes.
>> Yes.
>> Okay.
All right. Um, any discussion?
>> Yes. in the athletics, the coaching. Um, and Alan, if you don't have the answer to this, just I I need it at some point.
Um, I've been persistent with getting generating interest for girls golf. And I'd like to know what efforts continue to do that. And perhaps that could be part of um the next extracurricular committee meeting.
And are there any unfilled coaching positions for the fall?
>> That question I wasn't ready for.
>> Oh, good.
>> Yes. So, yes, there are three unfilled um positions at this point. It is a middle school football head coach. It is middle school assistant cheerleading and middle school boys soccer head coach. Those three are unfilled. Uh and in August, you'll also see two more on the department chairs. one uh one was was not included by accident and one is still being determined by the principles on the department chair side.
>> Okay. Do we have any other discussion?
>> Um is Dr. Stephanie Ryan here?
>> Yeah.
>> Um I just want >> and give up and leave.
>> I just want to say hello and as providing this is approved. Welcome.
>> Yeah.
>> Did you work on your speech and presentation?
>> Yeah.
It's in the car, right?
>> All right. Do we have any other discussion?
Hearing none. All in favor? I.
>> Any opposed? Okay. Well, welcome and goodbye. And welcome and goodbye. Thank you. All right. We're going to move on to action items.
First, uh, letter A. Between this meeting and the next meeting of the board scheduled for August 13th and then again until the August 27th workshop, the board of school directors authorizes the superintendent to take action on behalf of and in the name of the district for the following purposes.
hiring of teachers, support staff, and other administrative employees for open budgeted positions where the failure to hire prior to August 13th or August 27th could impair the ability of the district to attract the best candidates for such open and budgeted positions and B pays to the extent that the payments reflect a budgeted expense. Any action taken by the superintendent in accordance with this authorization shall be deemed to be the action of this board. Such action shall be confirmed by the board at the August 27th schoolboard meeting. And I have a motion.
>> Motion.
>> Second. Do we have any other discussion?
And so, and Alan, I don't remember what you did in the past, but from now until the next meeting, are were you are you able to notify us of any actions that you're taking?
>> Yeah, I mean, this is mostly open teaching positions that we're trying to fill, par professional support staff positions. I'll defer to Mr. Bishop on the paying the bills piece.
>> Yeah. So, the bills would then be on the August meeting for anything that was paid over the summer just so that we can keep current on our on our bills.
>> I think what I've done in the past and I'll work with Mrs. Day who does who does start next Tuesday uh to provide in the board update an update on the teacher hires that are filled probably share the vacancies that we currently have and then as we fill them let the board know what what's what's filled by that. I'll be building the August 13th agenda.
>> Okay. But if I'm understanding you correctly, you'll be notifying us through July of the movement. Okay, great. Thank you.
>> Yeah, we're still working on a solid list of, you know, some long-term subs, a couple vacancies that are still in interviews. Those are the ones that we're looking to fill.
>> Anyone else have any other discussion?
Hearing none. All in favor? I. Any opposed? Okay, motion carries. Uh, next a motion to approve the budget resolution for 2026 27 with a 1% millage rate increase as set forth in the attachment and recommended by the finance committee.
>> Motion >> second.
>> Do we have any discussion?
>> Do we have any any discussion? I think that I have I have actually have a lot to say. So, um for one, a lot of people here, and this may be redundant to some, but I do think it's worth mentioning. Um the STEP ratio doesn't exist everywhere.
It's a state tax equalization board. Um and what that does, we're in two counties, so that seeks to equalize the taxes in the two counties. So, they take the average of two years of house sales, and that's where that number they came up with the 11.8. Okay. So that is a number that is given to us. Now like for example h homes in our area like what is is 119 is the average assessed home I think doesn't matter. They're they're assessed very low because they don't look at your individual property and reassess it every year for its value. So it's an estimate and it's an average. Um that step number is really large this year. Um and that is something that has weighed very very heavily on this. Okay, this is not something that we've taken lightly at all. We are all taxpayers as well. And I wrote something and I'm asking you to just bear with me. It is a little long, but I I think this is really important. Um yes and like that whole yes, and is one of my favorite sayings. I use it with my kids. Um I like to live my life by it. when you're trying to hold two separate truths or opposing ideas, you really have to sit with that. So, just stay with me. Um, like I said, this is with great deliberation that we're up here today.
Um, as simple as revenue and expenditures seem to be, we also can't control state and federal funding mandates and laws. Um, we are standing before you with the reality which is a culmination of all of the things before us. And I'm not just talking about passports.
Um, we all live in this community. We all pay taxes. Um, we all feel the same burden. So, I hear your frustrations.
They are absolutely 100% valid. And I share many of the same sentiments that you have.
I also have to discuss that there are contributing things because we don't live in a bubble. Um our our systems are so interconnected that things that affect the school district are incredibly relevant here. Um we're faced with a funding crisis of sorts, not just in this district, but with public education.
We build our budget annually without ever knowing what the state budget is going to how they're going to be funding us. Um the 262 27 federal education committee just proposed cutting uh education by eight billion dollars for next year. That's 10% in Pennsylvania alone. That's 384.2 million that we're losing as a state.
Economic inequity is at an all-time high and we all feel that. Um, you know, I can talk about really specific pinpointed things like when, you know, in the 1980s when we changed antitrust laws, like if you want to look it up, it's section two of the Sherman Antitrust Act, which made it illegal to monopolize trade or commerce. Um, then a year later, laws were changed so that companies can buy back their shares.
We in the last since 2017, the 100 major corporations have spent $4.8 trillion buying back their stocks.
So when we talk about what this means on a federal level, money doesn't go back into people with higher wages, greater benefits, or stronger safety nets. It goes back to the investors. And so we have this huge gap. From 1987 to 2021, CEO's pay raise 1,200% where the average American grows 18. That is significant.
Um, we could talk about, you know, how the top 1% in the US owns 30% of the country's wealth where the bottom owns 2.5. We are the bottom. If you make $70,000 a year or less, you are in the bottom 50% of Americans. That is this community. That's me.
Wealth was and will remain consolidated to those who have power as things are now. We have a really crazy market concentration and a free market is very debatable. So as we struggle for basic life necessities and grocery prices are up 38%.
And our federal and state taxes continue to subsidize Walmart and Amazon who are the greatest beneficiaries of federal programs like Medicaid and SNAP. Their employees are as healthcare continues to be an exorbitant cost not only in our budget but for our lives with premiums doubling in the last year, a referral required for care and a deductible to be met before coverage. We understand how flawed this system is.
When I tell you that I am a community member that understands the significance of this tax increase, I I promise you that I do. I was privileged to be a first generation college student and I paid $58,000 in interest alone.
Up until this week, I drove a 200 2004 Hyundai Elantre with no heat in the wintertime.
I work as a server because it pays more money than a career that requires my degree and I need to be home for my children because daycare and camp is a second mortgage payment.
I'm asking you all to stay frustrated. I want you all here. I want you to be mad.
I want you to continue to ask us questions and really loudly fight for change. I'm asking you that. But I ask that this is not the only space in which you fight.
We are all unpaid elected officials. I work full-time. I manage three kids. And like all of us up here, we are trying our absolute best.
Your Congress person, however, who makes $174,000 a year with unlimited vacation days, should be hearing from you as well.
All of this to say, yes, as Upper Park School board directors, we have to minimize expenditures. We have to find budget cuts and we have to a advocate for this community to minimize harm. And we have the responsibility to make sure that we are funding the education of the children of this community, which means paying our teachers and fixing our buildings. They are things that cost money.
This is tremendously difficult because we live in a world where profit is prioritized over people and a school is not a business. Our profit is an educated populace.
I will finish my very long statement with a quote from Thomas Jefferson who says, "If a nation expects to be ignorant and free in a state of civilization, it expects what never was and never will be. There is no safe deposit for these but with the people themselves. Nor can they be safe without them without nor can they be safe without information. Where the press is free and every man is able to read. All is safe.
I ask you to stay mad. I'm not It doesn't scare me. I want to hear from every single one of you. That's why I did this. That's why all of us did this.
But please know that we are like the end of the line here and we are we're trying our best. So, thank you.
>> All right. Thank you for the comments.
All right. Thank you.
>> Do we have any other comments from the board?
>> Yeah. Um I'll speak into that a little bit.
>> Excuse me. Excuse me. The public comment time is not now. Um Yeah, >> there is.
>> Yeah, there's a paper in the back. Put it in there and and put your topic.
>> Yeah. Um Drew, some on the spot. Math, you ready? I don't know if I don't know if you'll um what Mrs. Hoffkins said about 29 million in investments.
Can you speak to that at all? And if that's if that's true, I know I can't probably pull up the exact number at this moment, but um like is that something we could use that's like, you know, movable or is that like you're earmarked or, you know, I'm I'm curious.
>> Yeah, I don't I don't know the exact number, but when I pull up the uh the audit report from 2425, we have uh 17 million in cash and 2.5 million in investments. No, that was as of the end of the 2425 audit.
>> Okay. So, not 29 million.
Okay. All right. Um, let's see what else. Oh, um, uh, Chris Donatelli, you said you suggested that we should take some time to review the budget on our own. Um, and I can confirm I've spent the last since well we started going through the budget in October. Um, and I've been in the finance committee and I've looked at the budget every step of the way. This is something the STEB I started hearing about maybe it was October, November, something like that. I think um Melanie brought that up for the first time and um to overcome that honestly we would have had to our budget has stayed pretty much the same. You know we rise about about on average with inflation each year um from my from my looking at each budget. Um so that being said can we make cuts? Can we shave things off? Yes.
In this past year, I've been extremely focused on that. Um, I am one board director of nine. So, I have been looking. Not all of my ideas have been accepted or used, but I know we have made some changes.
Um, when we learned about the step though, that would give have given us, as far as when I learned about it, um, about six months to overcome about $5 million.
that would take years of planning um which we did not have. So I I guess what I'm trying to say is I'm stuck too. I don't I pay taxes. I you know what uh director Kopowski said resonates with all of us who are directors. Everyone sitting up here is not a director. Some are staff like and you were introduced to them in the beginning but your directors are not paid to sit here. We don't get a kickback from anything. Um, and we don't control the STEB at all. So, um, what that is this year is an anomaly. Um, and like I just said, I feel stuck, too. I I have to pay it as well. It affects me.
It affects my family. Um, that being said, um, I was answering Chris's comment about can we take this home and look over it?
We have and actually I was going to save this to the end but I think I'll say it now. I want to thank each board director here because each board director has been dutifully looking into this budget and working together. I want to thank especially our two new board directors um for being shrewd investigators. Um thank you uh director Oswald and Director Kopolski. You are new to the board and I speak in semesters because I teach. So your first semester, thank you. You've learned a lot. You I mean I like you have dug in and I I really want to thank you for being able to converse with you and um have hard conversations which are especially about budget here and there. So um I really want to say thank you. Um Kyle, am uh am I able to make a motion to table this though? So, are you permitted to make a motion to table? You are certainly >> at this time.
>> So, the the motion could be made, and I was actually going to speak to this um when you finished your comments, which was um the school board is legally required to adopt a budget by June 30th of of the year. So, um there is really not a legal option to come back.
Certainly, the next board scheduled meeting is until August. Um but but and this is the last uh meeting of the school year in which there was notification to the public of that the board would be meeting. So uh from a legal perspective could it there be a tableabling of a motion? Certainly. But it would raise potential issues of if the board did not adopt a budget by June 30th, you would be out of compliance with uh state law. Is that kind of the question that you were asking?
>> Um yes, but >> okay. I'd like please do not make >> there's please I'm speaking. Thank you very much. This is board discussion.
Public comment will be in a little bit.
I'm sorry for being rude, but you know what? We're putting up with a lot here, but please do not make a motion to table this because if you make a motion to table, it's done. There is no further discussion between us.
>> I I'm not going to do that right at this moment, but um I may like to reserve that. Just keep being that in mind um for after a good thorough discussion.
Thank you. And um just to Kyle's point, I do understand that we could make another meeting before August. so that we would remain in compliance >> and actually June 30th uh is the deadline. Yeah.
>> Right.
Okay. Um been on the finance committee for years now. I've been we've been having these meetings for months now. Up until the past month, we really haven't had anybody showing up. At the meeting the other night, you know, they asked for a recommendation. There were four people. In order for a motion to pass in a committee, you need a majority. So you would need three people out of that four to make a be common on a recommendation.
If somebody wanted to recommend something lower and you didn't have three votes, it wasn't going to happen.
I kept advocating the other night, push this through so we can have meaningful discussion about what we want to do tonight. Those of you that were there heard that. Okay, now there's going to be meaningful discussion. I hope because I'm going to start it. You know, Paige said something how flawed the system is.
I've been preaching that for years only.
I haven't used those words. I said for for months now, couple years ago, there was a court case that said the funding for the school districts in Pennsylvania is wrong. It needs to be rectified by the state. We need to go back to the state. Yes. Is that going to solve tonight's problem, Holy? No. But people need to start talking to the state and complaining more about it. Not just to us, but to the state because they are the ones who are not giving us enough funding. Paige spoke about the federal funding being reduced to Pennsylvania.
Guess what? Federal funding is minuscule. State funding is more but not enough. We are the bulk of the funding right now. We need to get the state to change the funding formulas overall.
Now, that I've been on my soap box there once again for I don't know how many times this year, I am not voting for this. I do not like the 12%. I want to see it less.
And in order for us to get a different, we can amend the motion to something else.
Okay. Um, I'm going to re Please don't don't appall. I I don't need it. No, that's okay. I I don't want to hear it.
I I don't need it. You know, this A lot of times I'll warn you about my language. You know, this is one of the nights. You know, please forgive me. But this just sucks. No matter how you look at it, 12% is wrong. you know, if we don't raise it that much, we're digging into our our bank accounts and spending.
So, what it's going to come down to tonight is how much does the board want to take out of our bank account to balance this budget. Um, last month we had some scenarios that were up there, you know, if we do nothing, if we do if we increase it by one, if we decrease it by one, if we decrease it by two, um, what the cost is going to be. Um, that's essentially what I believe it's going to come down to tonight. What are you going to be comfortable with? I am going to say that from that list last month, there was a 2% millage decrease, which would require us to spend about $3.6 million out of our fund balance to balance the budget for this year. That would make the average tax increase about $397, just under $400. That brings it down to under 10%.
You know, if we start spending more than that, drawing more out of our bank account, we're going to be looking at even less. You know, and this is a cascade effect. What we do this year affects next year. Just like years ago when they voted for different projects.
We are the victims of those decisions because they never had full plans for everything, a comprehensive plan for the district. We are working on comprehensive plans for the district now, but we cannot reduce our fund balance so much that we cannot pay for our current projects that we have in the work such as the turf replacement, the roof replacement, which we put off for next year because we're hoping that we're going to get about threequarters of a million dollars to help subsidize that. You know, we have been very diligent in this board in doing everything. Um there's not a whole lot we can do. We were held to the fire. You know, if we don't pass a budget by the end of the year, we get in trouble. If we do nothing, we get in trouble. If we raise it too much, we're in trouble. If we raise it too little, we're in trouble. This is a catch22 situation all around. So, I put out the proposal there. No, no, this is not your time to talk. This is my time to talk.
>> All right.
>> No, it's not your time to talk. Thank you very much. I'm putting something out for the board. The board will discuss it. You know, I I just want to I just want to speak up. I >> So, I'm sorry if you weren't.
>> I'm sorry.
>> Basically, I'm done. No, basically, I'm done. You know, I've I've sat here for weeks now. The other night the meeting, I said, "This is what I recommend because I want to have full dialogue for the board because something could pass in that committee and nobody's going to like it." Guess what? No matter what we put in that committee the other night, nobody's going to like it. We need the full board up here to deliberate and figure out what you're comfortable with doing.
Thank you.
>> Okay, so being new on the board, I did due diligence more than I cared to learn about STEB and all of this information.
Um, the general fund is not a slush fund. Um, we have facilities that are in complete disrepair. We have RS that are graded D's and Fs.
There has been years of no maintenance on our facilities. That's our investment. The 45 center, the high school, those are investments that we hold as taxpayers.
That's that's land that that four or five center that everybody talks about selling. That's 18 acres in the middle of East Greenville Burrow. And I don't know if you I live in the burrow. That land that's there when it snows, we're all out there sledding at the at the middle, you know, the old middle school.
um selling that property. Just think I everybody who makes that suggestion, think about what what could be there.
It's not going to be a park. It's not going to be 18 acres of green land like it is now.
Could be a data center. I didn't want to suggest that, but on 18 acres, I don't think they would, but you have to you have to, you know, everybody's so quick to sell the properties that we have.
Those are investments and we need to invest in them. We need to be putting money into those buildings to keep those facilities to where they need to be. I also like to point out that over the past five years, there has been an a growing deficit. You know, everybody looks at the budget this year. What are we paying this year? We don't want to pay this this year. Over the past five years, there has been a growing deficit.
In 2021 and 22, there was zero taxes.
Zero tax increase. We used $4.7 million out of the savings to cover taxpayers to cover taxpayers so they didn't have an increase. The next year there was a two and a half millage increase. We used over $3 million to cover. It's not a It's not a slush fund. We have $5 million unassigned right now. Even if with this largest increase, we're still several million dollars that has to come out of the savings account.
It's it's not it's it is that's that's a fact. It is a fact. So, I don't know, you know, raising taxes. I don't I don't I live here, too. I don't want to pay the taxes. But $8.3 million deficit is not some it's not something that can be wiped away by selling one building, selling two building. I mean, and also that's one year. Even if someone gave us $8 million, next year the deficit would be bigger. Our income is not matching.
the same the I saw some posts on Facebook about how everybody's paying more for electric and everybody's paying more for groceries and gasoline and everything. So is the school district.
All of those benefits, health care benefits, um I believe the health care benefits, you know, the salaries are 34 million, the benefits are 22 million.
Like that's a huge part of our budget. That's not something we can there's no way to cut that.
So, I I hear everybody. I just I just want to know I just want everyone to know that we've been looking at it and as board members, we have been talking um to to see if there's something else we can do.
So, that's all I want to say.
>> We have any other discussion? Peg, go ahead.
No.
So I will say something very unpopular and it's not going to change a thing but I hope we get smarter.
There are this has not happened overnight. You kind of alluded to it Monica. This this has been years of here we are and there are three of us sitting at this table who have been part of that myself included.
We have to do a better job.
I sat in the finance committee meeting last May and rattled off a list of ideas.
I don't know if I was taken serious.
I was laughed at a little bit. That's okay.
But we got to do business differently.
This does not take care of the current situation. But if we keep doing the same thing over and over again and expect a different result, that's literally the definition of insanity.
So me personally, I can only apologize for the last seven years because I needed to pay better attention and probably say no to some things.
But in this last year even, we haven't talked about cutting anything. We haven't talked about cutting programs.
staff. Hate to say it, but when you look at surrounding communities and sounding surrounding states that are cutting, I hate to say this and I'm not suggesting it, athletic programs, teaching positions, and other employment positions, cutting, you know, in enlarging class sizes because of lowering staff. I mean, we got to get serious.
doesn't solve what we're in right now, but we can't keep operating the way we have been for myself the last seven years.
I we can talk all day long, but we got to get real, people. We got to get real. I I am not supporting this.
I'm because I'm going to lose my house.
Thank you.
have any other comments?
Anyone?
>> Peg, thank you. That's not entirely true. We have talked about cutting different things and um cutting uh not cutting but uh different reconfigurations of staff in with budget in mind. So, Peg, I just wanted to correct that, but thank you.
>> Fine, but let let's get serious about it. I mean, we talk about it.
>> Yeah. Starting we, you know, starting I mean, we only just started on the board.
So, there's not anything I'm going to be voting for that I'm not 100% that I don't understand it. Um, that I don't it's not something necessary, that it's um, you know, there there's a lot of things that I think have been rolling for for years, and those things um I think the buck stops. the buck needs to stop. So, I think those unfortunately those changes are not something that can just happen today. We can't we can't make $ 8.3 million, you know, I don't know that that can that's something we can just cut. That's not um that's not a a minor that's a major years of planning. I agree.
Okay. Um, I'd like to amend I I expressed my my opinion about the current proposal. I'd like to amend the proposal to do a 2% millage or it's a 2% millage in decrease. Isn't it Drew? If we go back to the May scenario B, >> I'd have to look at that. But we did have negative millage.
>> Yes, negative millage. a negative millage increase which is kind of >> the negative the 2% negative millage will bring in 3.8 million and we will have to fund $4.5 million.
>> Yes. So what I would like >> So it would be nine it would be 9.34%.
>> Yes. Which is pretty much what I said earlier. Now, I would like to amend the motion to that -2% millage increase with those results, which results in the 9.3% and less than $400 per home increase, average increase. Do I have a second?
>> Second, Kyle.
>> Okay. Now, you can debate uh you have a motion and a second. So now you will engage in as much discussion as the board would like about the amendment that's been proposed.
>> I've said my piece. It's up to the rest of you.
>> We you know Monica and and Peg have touched on this. We by pulling four million out is we have again it's we I feel like every year the budget is made like this. we have blinders on and we are not looking forward. Um whether it's this is it's not going to be easy or feel good no matter what we choose. I feel that for the school for having to be fiscally responsible for the school I I feel like that is a that is not our best move. Um I I just feel like that is that we're we're kicking the can down the road. And I think that when we look at STEB, because it is so uh it's really not volatile, but it is this year. Um but if we look at STEB next year and 0 equals 0, now our deficit's $12 million, you know. So again, we we have to keep thinking forward. Um I don't I know that that means we are placing an undue burden on the community. I know that um the state knows that and they have done nothing to pass bills about that.
Um I I I do not support that decision.
>> We do have letters to our um politicians uh from Dr. Roach and uh Drew, but I don't think that's going to help us today. Um but just so everybody knows, um your administration is reaching out on your behalf to get that changed so that this doesn't happen again. Um but it again, I don't believe that would help us today. Um Keith, I thank you for bringing this up. Um again, I'm torn. I don't know that that's a huge difference to the taxpayer. they're still going to be taxed at 9.3.
Um, as a taxpayer, I don't like that either. And to me, it's just a pittance.
Like I I mean, not I'm not um I'm not saying that what you brought up is a is a pittance, but as a taxpayer, it's still 9.3. That's almost double digits.
I like where your head's at. I appreciate that you brought it up. I'm I'm still conflicted. Um, so it would take us years of um very focused cuts uh to to overcome that if that's what we voted in today. It would take years.
Also, just so everybody knows, I don't know if you've looked at the budget, we pay almost $4 million to charter schools. That's your taxpayer money leaving our school and going to charter schools. It's $4 million and there's only about a hundred and I think I saw 176 kids if they would choose to come back to Upper Perk. I I I don't know why. You know, we have reached out to families about why they're choosing charter schools, but also our legislators could be capping the money that we pay these charter schools. We pay them the same amount we pay to have these buildings and pay for everything.
They're giving them a laptop and they're working from home. Our legislators, I I believe our local legislators um are not for that. They don't they don't want to cap that at $8,000. They want they want them to get the whole every dime that we get for each student that leaves. They want them to get that.
You should also be reaching out to them about that. That would be a huge windfall and millions coming back. Well, it shouldn't be leaving here for that.
So, that's $4 million right there just for the kids that are in charter school.
So, >> anyone else?
Just um while there any board members are thinking about um the add additional comments, the one thing I would just make clear is that there's been a motion to amend the uh once you're done debating this, the vote that you will initially conduct is just whether to amend the motion as it's written um to what Mr. McCarrick uh proposed and then you would then if that passed for example, you would then have further discussion and vote on the item as it's been amended. So, I just wanted to make it clear to everyone that that if your next vote on whether to amend the motion is not the final vote on this issue.
It's just whether to change the language that's on the agenda from what it says to the proposed amendment.
>> Thank you. I would have asked to make sure we were doing it in the right direction. Thank you.
party. I just would add, you know, last year when I voted for the budget, I did it with an with an assurance from the board that we would again get, for lack of a better term, get serious and really dig in to figure this out. I don't feel like we've done that. And I for me to vote for this. I I I don't know if I I I want an assurance, but words are cheap, so I don't know.
>> Drew, I have a question. Can you give me the totals of our accounts and then confirm which account the four million would come out of?
>> The total of the fund balances, >> please.
>> Yes.
Uh okay. So in our fund balances as of the audit for the 2425 year um we had 9,580 in non-spendable fund balance. So that's typically inventory or prepaids, not any kind of fund balance that we can use. We had $263,295 in restricted fund balance. Again, that's restricted set aside for some legal requirement. So typically that's grants. Um so that cannot be used. We have or had 5,761,685 in committed fund balance that is board committed for um capital projects and the turf.
We had $4,625,368 in assigned fund balance that was assigned as of June 30, 2025 for the 2526 budget. So that's the fund balance that was used to balance the 2526 budget.
And then in unassigned it's $2,759,14.
>> And then when you said we have 17 million in cash, where's that?
>> 17 million was actual in the in the bank.
>> Cash in the bank.
>> Yep.
>> Who do we bank with? uh unvest and Q&B I think is just student and yeah and pleot >> and where's the 4 million coming out of which account >> the the 4 million to balance >> we would if this was passed >> oh so that would need to come obviously out of um the unassigned fund balance uh we would have so the early look for how we're going to finish a 2526 year did not look like we're going to use that full 4.6 million. So, you know, we'd have to see how we finish the year. Um, so maybe we're not using all of that assigned 4.6 million. So, we could use some of that uh as well as the unassigned 2.7 million.
>> Okay.
>> So, that means there's about $5 million that's unassigned right now.
5 million. And that's barring any, you know, that's the thing too is that, you know, this slush fund and it's, you know, the state wants you to have a certain amount of, god forbid there's something like the mold at the middle school. I don't I don't I say it out loud because it is what it is. Say there's something like that that happens that we need a million half dollars to remediate the mold at the middle school.
And we don't we can't we can't do that because we don't have any savings. We have $5 million unassigned right now.
And and and the proposal for the negative2 millillage uses over four and a half million of that.
I don't I don't know how you guys do your budgets at your house, but if you're saving money, you you don't use your savings account to pay your dayto-day bills. Well, maybe now we do because things are expensive, but but I mean, your savings account is there for when your heater breaks and when your roof is leaking and when your it is not to pay salaries and your day-to-day groceries. And that's literally what we've been using the savings account for. We've been using the savings account to pay our day-to-day budget.
So, I mean, there is 5 million there and I there's 4.5 million and that's what we've been doing. We've been assigning $4.7 million in 21-22, 33 million in uh 2223.
I don't know what it was in 23 and 24.
2.6 and last year was 4.6 million.
So, we're we're using our budget to fund our everyday. Meanwhile, we've got buildings that that facilities that have not been repaired. So, >> I hear that. But I I guess my thought process is just that this is not the year necessarily. This is not the year for a correction. This is the year that our taxpayers are looking at 9 to 12% paying 9 to 12%. And maybe this is the year where we we have to dig in more.
And I I hear you that we've been on this trajectory of digging in every year pulling from our for the last five years. you um we we reviewed the audits from the last 5 years and we've pulled for 5 years um every year to cover um to cover our budget. So yes, to Peg's point, there's something wrong with that. Um but to my point, I feel like this isn't the year for a correction.
Maybe somewhere in the middle, but that's what they said during CO. So we left we left um 3.8 8 mill we could have increased in 2021. It was zero because it wasn't the year and it wasn't the time. The next year they could have done 3.8. They did 2.5 because it wasn't the year and it wasn't the time and we'll use millions from our savings account, you know, and last year 3.5. We use 4 point and the and the numbers even as we increase the millage four and three and a half%. Three and a half% increase and we still needed 4.6 six from the savings and that was last year and this year we're $8 million. It's it is a trend if we look at it just by the year.
You can just look at it by the year but this is a trend that's that next year's not going to be any better. It's it realistically like we it could we've played with the numbers. If if we do this and we do nine% this year, you're looking at if we take the max act one index 9% next year, 9% the following year. That is a real reality of this. It it is money is a zero sum game. We use it, it's taken away, it's gone. It's not there. We can't build on it. We can't rely on it.
Sorry. Anyone else?
>> Excuse me. I know it's not time for the public comment on on the action items was before we started doing the action items.
All right. Well, look, we've been having budget meetings. I will address it. This will be my comment. We've been having budget meetings for this coming year's budget since October.
There was not a person here except for other board members.
This is not how I wanted my comment to go. So, uh yes, I am the head of the finance committee. I have been since the minute I got on the board.
We have done uh I I appreciate everyone's comments, but they've also not been here for some of that time. Yes, we did zero. That was during COVID when people were losing their jobs. And I feel like I'm repeating myself like I've said this a thousand times in the last six months and I'm getting tired of hearing it from myself.
We've taken we took money and did a Giza project which is a guaranteed energy savings project. That is how you uh that is how a school district I I don't even want to explain it. I I really want to stand by my 1% that I that I came out of out of uh finance. That was my recommendation out of finance. I realize that that's really really unpopular, but right now we spend $5.5 million just about every year on uh just on our bonds, our bond issues, and we have another year until one of them's the first one's up. So, you get what you have. You have to pay for what you have. We have $3 million worth of work that needs to be done that we hope we get grant money for. We didn't get any for it last year, which is why it got deferred. So, I honestly I don't have any more to say about it. I I don't like the minus two that I've already discussed it with each and every board member. Well, almost everyone. And uh if at minus two that's that makes it worse for next year. At plus one it makes it over 10%. I realize that but we need to build on that and I I that's that's all I can tell you. I don't I don't know what else to say to you. So there is it there is in depth every single year and there has been for every single year. So, and this is our community where we don't threaten like every other community does. Oh, well, we'll just cut sports and we'll just cut the arts. No one's doing that here because that's not how you run a school district either. Okay. And I'm done. So, you all figure out what you want to make the percentage.
>> Um I I just want to be I don't know to explain myself. I want I'm going to vote no to Keith's um motion forg -2, but that's because I'm hoping after that to make a motion to table, just so you know.
>> Drew, thank you for the numbers. Uh, one question.
Could any of that 17 million cash be used for any of this?
>> No. because so so that's just the cash and investments and then you do have other assets and then you also have liabilities and then you you have sort of your your fund balance which is going to be the difference between the two. So really that is your difference between your assets and your liabilities is your fund balance. So that's kind of like your uh you know your savings account.
That's that's that's all that you have.
But the cash is just one part of the assets that factor into that that audit.
>> Okay. Thank you. Yeah.
>> Oh, Mr. Summers, I wanted to ask you if we all vote no, what happens?
>> So, um there's still a requirement of adopting a budget by June 30th. So, um if if there is a vote and the budget fails, someone could um make a new motion to approve a budget with a different amount in it. Certainly, I think it's it's desirable through discussion to to reach a budget that has a majority support of the board. But if um you know, let's say that the amendment that's been proposed fails and we're back to the motion that's on the agenda. If that failed, someone could make a new motion. I mean, we have clearly adopting the budget is on the agenda for tonight. That is a matter that's on the agenda. Um the board could choose to introduce something else. If there's an inability to reach a majority vote, you know, we need it takes five votes uh on the board to adopt a budget.
Um ultimately there is still some time to have obviously until June 30th to advertise a special meeting of the board. The board could theoretically recess tonight's meeting um and set a specific time to reconvene um without needing to schedule a specific meeting.
That's an option that's available. Um that tends to be an option that boards use if they're really close to the June 30th deadline. We have obviously about a week and a half, something like that. Um so, you know, certainly I I would say that the board is is required to adopt a budget if it is um if this budget item fails, there could be other proposals um submitted and considered. Ultimately, uh if it doesn't pass tonight, I would strongly recommend trying to reconvene another night to pass a budget before June 30th. And what are the repercussions if we don't get it passed by the 30th?
>> The school code doesn't uh explicitly state what the ramifications are.
Certainly the Pennsylvania Department of Education could um begin an investigation into the district for failing to comply with um the legal requirements. Um it is a requirement of school directors to pass a budget. So um there is a risk of removal of board directors for failing to complete comply with their statutory duties if a budget is not adopted.
>> So uh Mr. Summers I have a question. If if there is no budget on June 30th um there's no expenditures to be spent. So is it true that the district cannot spend any money until a budget is passed which includes payroll?
There would be a a a number of legal issues or concerns that would rise if a district fails to adopt the budget.
Yeah.
>> Do you think the investigation would tip off this step? Like would the state >> um unfortunately I think not. I don't think that the the the um budget difficulties of this district um alone will trigger the state to adopt legislation that changes the funding system here in Pennsylvania. I think it will require a lot more than just this district coming together to do that.
>> Does anybody know of any other school districts with this step that's going through this right now?
>> Five That's what I thought it was.
>> So, I mean, you know, if at the moment there's a motion on the table that's been seconded. Typically, if there's no further debate on that, um, you would have a vote on that motion at this time.
If anyone wishes to have further debate, it's still an option. But in the absence of any further comments on the amendment, I would recommend uh taking a vote. And on this is just on the amendment of whether to amend the motion that is on the agenda to say instead of a 1% millage rate increase, a negative -2 millage rate increase. Um as was proposed by Mr. McCerrick and seconded by Mrs. Sharman, I believe. Um so that was what you would be voting on. If that passes, then you would further discuss the item as amended on the agenda before voting on it. If it fails, then you are back to discussing the amend the agenda item as it's written.
>> Okay?
>> And just for sake of clarity, it may make sense to hold a roll call vote uh on these items just to to be clear where everyone stands.
>> Okay. So if we were to take a recess, when would that when would that occur in the the procedural?
>> So I I mean there there are a number of items uh that are remaining that I'm I'm sure the board would would wish to act upon tonight on the agenda. Um so it would likely occur toward the end of the meeting. At the end of the meeting, instead of I mean the the easiest answer is instead of adjourning, there would be a motion to recess. And I would recommend setting a specific time that you would be recessing until u but that's when it would occur.
>> Okay.
>> Do we have any more discussion on amending the motion? That where we need to start.
>> Okay. Hearing none. All in favor?
>> Oh, roll call. Thank you.
>> Okay. So, a yes. A yes means you're good with amending it and a no means you are you want to keep it as the 1%.
>> You're not approving amending what is on the agenda. Correct.
>> You're not I'm not >> Okay. Yeah. Let me be clear. So the motion >> Go ahead.
>> Yeah. The the motion that was made uh initially is the item that is on the agenda. Um then there was an emo there was a motion to amend what is on the agenda to have it be instead to say a negative 2% military increase. That is what's being debated now. The vote is if you vote yes, you are voting to have what is says on the agenda change from a 1% to a negative 2%. We would still need to vote on that item even after it's changed. This is just a vote of whether on the agenda to change it. Yes.
Correct. And if you want to change it to a negative vote, it's a >> it's a a yes. If if you don't want to change it, it's a no.
>> Okay. Go ahead, Mr. Bishop.
>> Okay. I have a feeling we'll have more roll call. So, we'll start to my left and then the next time around we'll go the other way.
>> Yeah. I don't like to go first.
>> All right. Director Oswald.
>> No.
>> Director Sharid.
>> No. Um, I just wanted to double check with Kyle, make sure that everybody knows we're going in a certain order for roll call, but at the end you can change your vote and that is correct, right, Kyle?
>> I mean, I think the the indication is that the board president announces the the results of the vote after the roll call occurs. So, typically, I mean, there is an opportunity for someone to say, "Oh, before my my vote was incorrectly recorded," but I would certainly, however you intend on voting to to cast your vote that way. No.
>> Thank you.
>> So, I'm sorry that was a no.
>> No.
>> Thank you.
>> Director Chaffrani.
>> No.
>> Director Fluki.
>> Yes.
>> Director Kopilowski.
>> No.
>> Director Bieber.
>> No.
>> Director Penny Packer?
>> No.
>> Director McCarrick?
>> Yes.
>> And Director Cunningham?
>> No.
So that is uh seven no votes and two yes votes.
>> Correct. So now you are back to further debate if anyone wishes to on the uh motion that is on the table which is the 1% military increase.
>> Do we have any other discussion?
>> I would like to make a motion to table that vote, please.
>> I'll second.
>> Okay. And that is an item that is not debated under uh the rules that the board adopts uh or has adopted to follow. So you will move immediately to a vote on whether to table. Certainly if the tableabling passes um that's where I think a discussion uh toward the end of the meeting of whether to schedule a special meeting or whether to recess the meeting would make sense given the obligation of adopting a budget.
So the so we're right to the motion to table correct that agenda item basically >> correct. A yes is to table the budget and move on with the remainder of the agenda at this time. A no on the motion to table is to continue debate and and continue discussing the budget motion as it appears on the agenda.
>> So we'll have a roll call for that.
Please, Mr. Bishop.
Okay, we'll go the other way this time.
Director Penny Packer, >> yes.
>> Director Bieber, >> yes.
>> Director Kopilski, >> no.
>> Director Fluki, >> yes.
>> Director Chaffrani, >> yes.
>> It was yes. Correct.
>> Director Sharid, >> yes.
>> Director Oswald, >> no.
>> Director McCarrick, >> no. and Director Cunningham.
>> No.
>> So that's five yeses and four nos to table the motion. So at this time we'll move on with the rest of the agenda.
>> Correct.
>> Okay. Got it.
Okay. So we will >> Madam President, while you're writing that, may I make a motion to approve item C? Motion to adopt the Homestead Farmstead exclusion resolution for 2627 budget. D motion to approve the authoriz.
>> Yeah, >> because C is tied to the millillage.
>> Motion to table um item C.
>> There's no if as long as the motion hasn't been made um you can just move on to the next D.
>> Okay, so we'll move on to D.
>> Motion item D. Motion to approve the authorization to make the necessary budget transfers in the 2526 budget to comply with the state mandate gap regulations is recommended by the finance committee. E motion to commit fund balance of the 2526 general fund for capital projects as required by Gatsby 54 and recommended by the finance committee.
>> Second.
>> Thank you. So we have D and E on the on the table here.
>> There was we have any discussion? Yeah, there was an individual who had a question about ease. So, I was just hoping that um someone could give her further information.
>> Uh, sure. That is um I I can answer because I heard Drew at the finance committee. Um that is if there is anything left. Um it is best practice to put that somewhere. Um and if needed, we can move it. We just need a reason.
Drew, can you fact check me on my recollection? It's not only best practice, it's actually a requirement of GAP to have uh the intent of the board shown prior to the end of the fiscal year. So, obviously, you don't know where you're going to end up, but you need to show your intent that if you do have extra funds left over, where you want to put them um for that year.
>> Thank you. Do we have any other discussion on D and E?
>> Hearing none, all in favor?
>> Any opposed? Okay. Motions carry.
>> Madam President, >> yes.
>> Bundle some motions again. F. Motion to approve the AG administrators administrators for student and extracurricular insurance for 2627 through the United States Fire Insurance Company at the annual premium stipulated. G. Motion to approve the AG administrators for volunteer insurance plan number two for 2627 at the annual premium of $1,200. And H motion to approve.
>> Okay. Motion F and G, please. Second, >> any discussion on FNG?
>> Drew, I might have asked you this before, but um have we shopped around for a better rate? Is that's the best rate we could get? Yeah. So, we do have a broker that will shop around. Um, AG Administrators is the top company that offers um, you know, we have well, I don't know if we have here, but in my past I've I've had a different company and AG administrators was brought in because they were the they did have the better pricing and the better policy.
And do we require and Alan maybe this is for you. Do we require and and I'm specifically speaking to student athletes that they have their own family insurance to participate >> like initially? Yes. I mean there's also the chip if you can't >> why why do we have this?
>> Yeah.
So, this item F is a it's an optional uh policy that parents can can purchase for their student. So, if they have I mean this this works great for parents that have a high deductible plan because that first whatever 2500 3,000 whatever that deductible is can be covered by this uh voluntary um accident plan. And so is the is our fee based on the number of families that use it or it's just it's a flat >> it's as far as I know it's just a a flat fee that is charged. Yeah. Now now the there is the um extracurricular insurance 11,780 that is uh does cover the athletics and does cover um I think band is included in there as well um for any incident.
>> Mr. Bishop, is that the the insurance we see when we look at the athletic budget, it's split over by sport, a certain amount per sport, >> the Yeah, the 11,780 is school rate, and the 24-hour rate. That's the optional plan for parents to purchase.
>> The accident um application says intercolastic sports and football, band, cheerleading, offseason conditioning, weight training, student golf cart drivers, and I hope we're not letting students drive golf carts. Um, okay.
>> Do any parents or families take advantage of this or No, >> we don't generally know. It's possible.
Mr. Kurswig does know, but I don't see any of this because that's something that the parent um so I'm sorry, I'm talking about the school time rate and the 24-hour rate that that we don't know. Um but the the uh extracurricular insurance there are incidents that happen and sometimes um our trainers are involved filing with AG administrators but that's kind of all dealt with AG outside of the district but sometimes we do know uh or Mr. Kerswig may know if incidents have happened and claims have been filed.
>> And Drew is it for going back to what you said previously that we have families that use this because of the high deduct deductibles. They so it's worth keeping this.
>> Yeah, definitely. So yeah, there's I I I would say there's no question about the extracurricular insurance. We definitely need that. The other one is an option that's at no cost to the district but just cost to the parents if they choose to purchase that plan. Anyone else have any questions about F and G?
Hearing none. All in favor? I.
>> Any oppose?
>> Okay, we'll move on to H, which is a motion to approve PC card users for 2627 year as recommended by the finance committee for the staff listed.
>> Motion.
>> Second.
Do we have any discussion?
>> Uh for the start of the next school year, I would would like to request a monthly report on the PECard usage which could be included in the financial report.
I was just curious why the three other principles weren't it was is there like a limit on how many people can have the pec cards? No, there's no limit. But the the high school and the middle school are more frequent users of um credit cards. So, it's just whatever they're involved in, they tend to need the credit card more so than than the elementaryaries do.
>> Okay.
>> We can always expand the program if we find that we do need additional cards.
Yeah. So, we could >> Yeah.
>> And also, if I remember correctly from finance, these are budgeted items. It's not just willy-nilly use card.
to make that clear.
>> They still need to do a purchase order.
They still need to go through the approval process. Um, but there are some companies that just want a credit card and not a a PO and a check.
>> But Drew, doesn't does athletics use the PC card for like postseason play, overnight trips.
>> Absolutely. Yeah. So, uh, overnight travel.
>> That's that happens when it happens.
That's not budgeted.
>> Yep.
>> Hotels for championships. Absolutely.
Yeah.
>> Okay. Do we have any other discussion?
>> And I think I commented this at the finance committee too, but those PE cards um are beneficial to the district because we can earn back rewards within the card, maybe cash rewards um that that we apply back. So, we like um using that just as a method of payment. Again, it's it's items that are approved um or are necessities that that are needed.
Um, it's not just anything that the principal wants to purchase.
>> Any other discussion?
Hearing none. All in favor? I >> I.
>> Any opposed?
>> Okay, we'll move on to letter I.
>> Present. Yes.
>> I make a motion to do I approve the clerical revision to the staff nurse compensation plan. J. approved the 2627 memorandum of understanding with the MCIU to participate in title 3 consortium and K to approve the new revised curriculum adoptions to begin in 2627 school year as recommended by the educational programs services committee.
>> Second, do we have any discussion?
Um I would say that on K that's some really interesting programs coming up.
Very excited about that.
>> Anyone else?
All in favor? I. Any oppose?
Okay. Thank you. Motion's approved.
We'll move on to letter L. Motion to approve a three-year agreement with the American National Red Cross to license training materials and curriculum to deliver Red Cross training courses as needed pending solicitor approval.
>> Motion.
>> Second.
>> Okay. Any discussion?
Hearing none. All in favor? I >> I. Any opposed?
Madam President.
>> Yes. Okay.
>> Do item M. Motion to approve three-year agreement Kexus for Professional Maintenance continued enhancement of the district's building automation system in the amount of 28,200 for the school year as recommended by the facilities committee. And N motion to resend the motion approved on April 23rd for the Migree Kids School 2627 tuition sheet in the amount of 119,220.
>> I have a question about uh N.
Do I have a second first?
>> Second.
>> Second first time.
>> Okay. Thank you. All right. Uh, go ahead. Any questions on those?
>> Just I I know that Dr. Fina isn't here, but I don't know if you can answer this.
Dr. Roach, perhaps I don't know if anyone Carol's not here, is she? My question is when we talk about the tuition charges, they're done in billing periods of rate 1 and two, and it's listed as 5 to 10 hours a month. What is that referencing? cuz there's no way that that tuition is for 5 hours. So what what is that 5%?
>> You did the 5 to 10 hours to talk about the ancillary services. It's not, you know, it's the if it's OT or PT or the additional services that are part of that >> depending upon how the IEP is written as well as depending upon the time that's that's physically in the day.
>> So but that's not exclusively for those 5 to 10 hours. That's >> Yeah, I don't know what exactly what the IEP would say. I think it's more the contract and then when they when the students there because this is about one student they assess that and if those needs change over the course of time they have that flexibility to not have to come back.
>> That makes sense. I just wanted to clarify that that was that was the case.
Thank you.
>> Any other discussion?
Hearing none. All in favor? I.
>> Any opposed? Okay. We'll move on to letter O. Motion to approve the annual contract for services for a student whose name's on file at the office of special education with Malagre Kids School from August 24th, 2026 through June 7 June 11th, excuse me, 2027 for services to be provided at a monthly tuition rate of $10,362.50.
The total tuition cost for the contract $103,625.
motion.
>> Oh, second. Thank you.
>> Okay. Any discussion?
>> Um, it's not just this item, but the ones to follow. I'm is kind of kind of alarming, kind of concerning why we're why we're there. I I just I just need some help understanding it. It's just a lot. These are individual students with their individual needs based upon um needing to be at an alternative placement or an alternative school setting based upon their needs. the IP team and the >> I mean >> your emotions there N O and P are all connected right with the N was the rescending from the last time where there was a a hiccup O is the full year P is the uh the ESY and the other one are separate students overbrook for the school for the blind and pathway school for extended school year >> and a broad question probably can't answer or probably we need to talk about it later in a committee um you know I just look at this And I think do we have do we have enough supports in our system to mitigate some of some of this placement? Um broad question. Don't you know?
>> Yeah, I think we've continued to try to bring students back. Um and there's certain levels of support that that um that there students that aren't successful with us and we're not meeting their needs even with additional staff and additional uh supports. I mean, that's that yeah, that's the goal. The goal is to have all our students here in our buildings. Um and um you know the board has supported the work let's say BCBA and the and the support for behavioral piece. Um even some of those moves have not continued to uh to support the needs of the students.
>> Yep.
>> Any other discussion on uh letters O?
All right. Hearing none. All in favor.
>> Any opposed?
>> We'll move to letter P. Madam President, can I make a motion for P cont C contract for services for a student whose name is in the on file in the office of the director of special education with the Milligree Kids School of Extended School Services from June 23rd through August 20th with total cost for two-month program of $19,045.
Q motion to approve the agreement for the pathway school for extended school year for a student whose name is on file from July 6 through August 6 in the amount of $8,650. and our motion to approve an agreement with the Overbrook School for the Blind Extended School Services for a student whose name is on file from July 6 through August 6 in the amount of $11,300.
>> Second.
>> Do we have any discussion on this?
>> Just Madam President, just one comment is is relative to these items um and supporting for support that is required for certain students with disabilities.
Just to maybe echo what Miss Kopowski mentioned earlier in terms of federal funding, the these programs are required by federal law that the district is required to to implement them. Um and yet fed the US Congress has never funded the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, which is the law that requires school districts to provide these services, never provided it funding for those programs at the levels that they had indicated that they would when the law was first adopted. Um so certainly you know there are are questions that can be asked but the responsibility of the school district under the law is is clear that the district has to have programming that meets the needs of individual students including outofd district alternative placements available for those students that need them. So kind of again um certainly concerns can certainly be shared with the board about the cost of these programs, but there are other uh governmental entities to look to in terms of lacking of support financially for the district to fund these.
>> Thanks Kyle. I appreciate you interjecting with that. We need to hear these things.
>> Thank you.
>> The why behind the what we know we have to do. Additionally, I was going to say to Director Penny Picker, um just in my work at the IU as the representative there, I know that very often it's cheaper to the district to have um out out of district placements for some of these services.
And and I would just add as you know just to the administration if you've been following what's happened the last two days in the department of education shifting special ed to the the area of health and human services. Um we need to keep an eye on that and how that could further affect um all of this and our special ed um accommodations. So >> just to the community, we this is the the this is what I'm talking about. We face a a huge amount of unfunded mandates from both federal and state. We have to provide certain levels of education and that has never come like I said previously with increased revenue. Um we saw that with No Child Left Behind and ESSA and and special education and IDEA and all all of those things. Um laws are constantly being added and funding has never followed.
>> Any other discussion?
Um hearing none. All in favor?
>> I. Any opposed? Okay, that was PQ and R.
>> Madam President, >> yes.
>> Motion for item S. Motion to approve the agreement with Lakeside Youth Services in the in the event a placement is needed for a student in the 2627 school year at the uh Premium rate of 348 for general education students and 410 for special education students if necessary.
T motion to approve the amendment of to the CCIU for managed backup service contract cover additional data storage for a total cost of 29,430 for the 2627 school year. and you motion to accept the -ate application services agreement with the MCIU for 2627 school year for a cost of $7,600.
>> Do I have a second? Second.
>> Oh, thank you.
>> I know that's a lot to take in. Thank you. U any discussion on those motions?
>> Sure. I I was just going to comment we have a couple of these um including in the batch we just we are recognizing right now about um services through the technology department and um I just wanted to mention that we have been asking and tracking whether any of these services overlap with each other's services um and that is being watched and uh monitored. Thank you.
Anyone else have any discussion?
>> Is there such a thing as a technology audit? Like are we like to Trina's point is there like a lot of Google because I asked this question months ago about the the cost of our technology just >> I think we rely on u Mr. Roth to keep an eye on that as the expert in his field.
um it doesn't hurt for us to do our own research. Aside from that, um at the IU, we also have access to another IT expert there who works with 21 different school districts in Montgomery County. Um we can always talk to him as well in light of our network outage that we had. Uh I I've never had one in my own company. Um, and I but obviously I went through that here to the extent that I had to go through it. Uh, so I know that the unfunded mandates that I have at work are one small company. I'm already at $100,000. So yeah, none of this is unre unrealistic to me.
Yeah, I think there's a lot of questions as we got closer here with technology and the typical June agenda with trying to get everything ready for the budget to be approved. So, you know, the continued questions do bring up technology audit as as was just suggested as well as maybe identifying a certain time and place for Mr. Roth to to give an overview of of the different layers to see the connections and see as Mrs. Uh Cunningham just mentioned the uh the technology audit and the the layers that take that take place to avoid that type of situation um and and the cost pieces to that. So we can put that on the radar to to um to share those.
>> I would appreciate that.
>> He has done that for us in the past which I have appreciated. Um I've also asked if we could have u Mr. Roth included on a a specific committee to report out. Um maybe that's something that we could get on our radar for next year with reconfiguring um the the times of the committee meetings. Maybe we could have a designated meeting where he reports out um on occasion in totality.
Seems like currently it's sort of peace meal as it pertains to the particular committee. Um but maybe we could assign him Sorry, Mr. Roth. I just gave you a new job. There you go. All right. If if it's possible. Thank you.
>> Actually, he already is. He already is.
He just doesn't doesn't know it yet. We haven't really shared things for next year yet, but he'll be on there.
>> All right. Do we have any other discussion on ST and U?
That was it.
Hearing none. All in favor?
>> I. Any opposed?
>> Okay, we'll move on to V.
>> Madam President, can I make a motion for V? The three-year MCIU service agreement for malware protection software cost of 45,6750 per year for a total commitment of 135,20250.
W Motion to accept a three-year contract for web filtering services with Borderland Security at annual cost of 12,4116 for total commitment of 37,2350 and X. Motion to accept the three-year contract for classroom management software with Borderland Security and annual cost of 6,62366 for a total commitment of 19,871.
>> Second.
>> Is there any discussion on VW or X?
>> Do we shop around for the best price for these programs?
>> Yes. I mean, I know Mr. I'll defer to Mr. Roth if he wants to come up and and share about that, but I know that he works with the with the companies and uh through the IU for some consortion prices as well as um that's why you see some three-year contracts here similar to the conversations we had earlier in the committee about better rate over the course of time.
>> It's also not necessarily about the price, it's about the services and the quality of the services that they provide.
>> True.
>> It's correct, Mr. McCerrick. So, you know, to take these in order, I think we we started with the malware protection, right? um that is um a a product that I don't want to name in in name, but it is all it is sourced through the Pennsylvania IU and at consortium pricing. So, we always try to tend towards that, which I um I know that Trina would would understand that the IU does a lot of that work. That's been something that um I personally have advocated for since I got connected with the IU. And I would say Shane, who you mentioned earlier, um since he took over uh the IT services at the IU, um it's been a mission of theirs to gather as many um consortium prices as they can get, this product would be three to four times as expensive in the public sector.
So, um once that happens and um it was also kind of a mandated pro uh uh uh addition to our stack um when we went through the issue that we was mentioned earlier a few years ago. um web filtering. Another one that's a very good example that board members brought up that there are mandated federal programs, Furpa and COPA and SIPA that say you must if you are going to participate in other federal programs, you must put web filtering on for your students. Um so yes, when this was done, we looked at three to four different products. We picked the product first that was the best from a functionality standpoint and then took price into consideration from the standpoint and it turned out to be cheaper than the previous product that that we were using a couple years ago. So we have a methodology that we use for for all of these. Um the classroom uh management product is a new product um replacing a product that um was used only in our labs but this extends classroom control to every one of our teachers in every classroom. Um and what that means is is as amazingly as it sounds to me it's the holy grail. our teachers will be able to say we have a web filter and we say you can't go to um guns and drugs and ammunition and war and all these kind of different things. The teacher will literally be able to say today in my class students you will only be able to go to schooly and you know um powers school and one one other application and they'll be able to set those kind of rules themselves. They'll also be able to deal with um the all the things that are going on in the classroom by seeing 35 screens at one time and knowing who's deviating. So, I think the teacher in the room could talk about to me um this has been a long coming. Um and I'm just amazed that that this the staff has not had this um to help our students move along positively and to keep control of the classroom. So, I hope that helps.
But yes, we we have a methodology. We scorecard. We um and we always look for the best pricing we can get. Some of the other products and things that we've talked about recently are are are pieces of the stack that again we've negotiated really con competitive pricing in comparison to the public sector. Um, Miss Cunningham said that she's got a budget of so much, but we've talked recently about holes you have even in your private sector business because of the ability to go get products like this is so uh difficult in the in the private sector. So, we're lucky to have those advantages. Okay. Does that help?
>> Yeah. Yeah.
>> Thanks, Jim.
>> I want to I want to stay up there.
There's four more after this one about P school >> as well. They're these are laid in. They sound like it but you know the the uh classroom management one's coming from curriculum and powers school is coming from pupil services and curriculum. So we you know we host that we partner with them we help them do this. So go ahead.
>> Thanks Jim. Uh so is there any other discussion on you on VW or X hearing? None. All in favor? I >> any opposed? Okay we'll move on to Y.
Madame President, >> yes, >> I'll save you a few.
>> Thank you.
>> Um I'm going to do all four unless there's objections. Why? Motion to approve the four-year P school contract for e- collect performance matters and land analytics and insights modules which extends the terms till June 30th 23rd to align with the power school contracts. Uh total commitment over four years is 256,59879.
Z to approve the 4-year power score contract total cost of 1,29304 for hosted attachment storage with terms until June 30th, 2030 to align with the Paris school contracts. Minimize yearly increases. Aa motion to approve three-year renewal contract with NRI Corporation for endpoint application control and protection focused on workstations and servers to control applications to control application and user privileges at fixed annual cost of 19,10147 and BB motion to approve four-year contract power school specifically for Naviance to extend the current programming for grades six to 12 to include all students in grades K to 12 supporting college and career life readiness platforms. terms to align with other power school contracts for a total cost of 50,811 and 32 with terms until June 30th, 2020 or 2030, excuse me.
>> Second.
>> Thank you. Is there any discussion on those items?
>> I have a question. What is um item AA the control application and user privileges the servers to >> Yeah. And that um that's a product that I don't want to speak about publicly as far as the name of No, I can talk about the functionality though, but that's a product that's very specific in our in our stack and it is used in a in our laptop and server environment and so um if it if I can try to simplify it, it c it um it allows um privilege control. So if certain applications certain applications aren't written very well and some applications say I need to be an administrator to run. This allows that to happen without actually being an administrator and that application can elevate itself and run. So it allows us to put all of our laptop and PC users at a user level at the lowest level of credential to you know protect that they can't do things they shouldn't do. But it also lets us create what's called a white list. And that whitelist says if you're not on the list you can't run on that laptop. So when that laptop gets infiltrated and somebody tries to run gym.exe, gym.exe is not on a list and it starts barking. So this has done two things for us. It's helped us in our cyber protection, but it's also helped us with our uh very industrious students who like to load things on their laptops by themselves. Um whether that would be things to get around other parts of our security or to >> maybe game or mess around. So it's it's been um very very effective in classroom control as well as as the cyber stack.
So that's what that product is. We've been using it for several years. We were using it probably for four years now. Uh and it's something that we introduced that that I had experience with in the um in the private sector. Again, probably easily three to four times the cost in in the private sector. So many of these companies are starting to um work with education whether it's through the IUs or directly with us to to realizing what we're up against with with cyber control. Okay. Any other questions there?
I'll make one point if it's okay. The rest the rest of them except for the storage are uh extensions of of contracts related to P school. So when the board made the decision to to go to power school, we signed a at the time four to fiveyear contract that takes us out to 2030. That was discussed with the board and it was done for the reasons of saving what's called the uplift in the industry that if you don't commit to a longerterm contract, these companies like to charge you 10 to 12 to 15% every year to renew your contract. So these are other products and products that were recently um approved for short-term to get started and others in some cases um like um uh the uh e-collect and performance matters and analytics and insights are are being used to replace other products over time. Some of those reductions have occurred right away and some will happen as the years go on and we start to be able to move away from other products like linkit and very expensive products. But I wanted you to know that these contract uh commitments that you're making or why they come to you. Um they're products that we would have used and done on a one-year in the past like Navian.
This will save us four to 5% a year on each one of those products by locking in with them. Does that s make sense? So, we're trying to reduce that burden and make that burden predictable for you.
So, you know what exactly what you're dealing with over a 3 to four year period. And it's these are products that we're you know with all the effort that Dr. Roach talked about, we're not moving away from these products within that time frame. So, it's it's the best bet for us to do that.
>> Thanks, Jim. Any other questions for Jim before we let him sit back down?
Okay. Do we have any other comments on YZ A or double B?
Hearing none. All in favor? I >> I.
>> Any opposed? Okay. Motions carry. Megan Moyer, if you would be so kind as to come up and handle us our financial reports, please.
>> Good evening. Hi.
>> Wait for Keith.
Tonight's financials include the May operating reports, the cash, payroll, and cafeteria report, and the general list of payments totaling 1,713,71.50.
Is there any questions?
>> Yeah, I had some questions.
>> Yes.
>> Um, is there a reason why the transportation is up 660,000 over last year? Um yeah, so that that increase is due to the out of district student placements and also the increase in our um transportation contractor which is approximately 3%.
>> And can you explain what you mean by out of district student placements? What all does that include? Well, that that includes what you were questioning earlier about the you know the school for the death and the special situations that we have to send children to other schools.
>> Thank you. Can you um say why the medical assistance is so far below budget right now?
>> Um right now we usually um submit at the end of the year and we usually submit um to the state for around 300,000 I understand. Thank you.
>> One question, please. On on the 660,000 transportation, does that include transportation to private schools?
>> Yes.
>> Thank you.
>> Y >> I had some questions and charter probably charter.
>> Yeah.
>> Anybody out of district?
Uh actually I I don't think I had any that I had to >> I did ask ahead of time and she did answer me so.
>> Okay.
>> And finance was on that.
>> All right. Thank you.
>> Thanks. M Oh, and do we u a motion to approve?
Sorry, getting late.
>> Motion.
>> Second.
>> Any other discussion?
Hearing none. All in favor?
>> I. Any opposed? Okay. Thank you. Thanks, Megan.
All right. I don't believe we have any new follow-up items and we'll move to public comment. I do have three. Jan Madiraa, you would be so kind as to come up.
>> At the bottom at the end, >> Jan MadiRaa, Red Hill, Pennsylvania.
I'm a parent in this district and I'm here to speak about an incident that took place May 23rd, 2026 during outdoor day and a broader concern about the lack of clear district guidance when students privacy concerns arise. At approximately 2:30 p.m., several female students were waiting outside the girl's restroom because a biological male who identifies as transgender was inside the facility.
According to my daughter and other students present, several girls felt uncomfortable entering and chose to wait outside.
My daughter became visibly upset and sought help from staff. She reported the situation and was told there was nothing there was no district policy to direct to address her concern. no policy. As if protecting students privacy should depend on whether a written policy exists before staff can respond with basic common sense. She was later advised if she felt uncomfortable in the future, she could use a single stall restroom. Really, that raises a very straightforward question. Why are female students being redirected away from the facilities designated for them? Why isn't the situation being handled in a way that protects everyone's privacy and dignity?
Why is there no clear written district policy guiding staff when students raise concerns about privacy in shared facilities? The school board is responsible for establishing policies.
So why doesn't this policy exist? How long will the district go without until something happens that it can't be ignored? When there is no clear policy, students are left confused. Staff can't use common sense and are left making real-time decisions without guidance.
That is not fair to anyone involved.
This situation has already affected students. They are feeling unheard, uncertain, and unsure whether their concerns matter. And regardless of the issue, when students come forward through the proper channels, they deserve to be taken seriously, not redirected away from the problem. I am not asking I am not asking this board to ignore or dismiss the rights of any student. Every student deserves respect, safety, and protection, and that includes all of the female students.
Other Pennsylvania districts have adopted written policies that provide clear guidance and privacy restroom access and accommodations for all students. Whether this district whether this district adopts a similar approach or not, it's obvious that clarity is necessary because common sense is no longer common. I am asking the board to investigate this issue, examine policies from other districts, and establish clear written guidance so that students, staff, and families know what to expect before a serious situation arises. This is already affecting students and the district needs to act. Thank you for your time.
>> Thank you.
All right, we will move on to uh Ryan Hopkin. Do you have a comment for now?
Since I said I'd save you paper, but you have three minutes worth of comments here.
Okay. So, I first want to thank the community members that ended up staying through this because all these decisions that you just made affect the budget and it all it's one big picture. It's not just a tax increase vote. And I kind of sad to see most of them left.
What I did hear from up here was um some excuses, some blame for other politicians, the claims of a deficit, and then ending the year in a surplus.
You can't look at prior budgets and see just the deficit numbers over the last couple of years because the actuals and the audits what actually speaks the truth, which is mostly a surplus when I was on the board. And then I wanted to ask a question about the STEB. I don't know why I didn't think about this when I was on the board, but it wasn't always this way. About 25 years ago, the board voted to use the STEB. There's only about five school districts in the state of Pennsylvania out of 500 that use the STEB. And there are plenty more that cross over more than one county. So, if we voted to put it in place, can we vote to take it out? Can we at least look into that?
I I mean I mean I'm not trying to be sarcastic or anything, but I didn't think about it when I was on the board, but now I'm thinking about it. It was never this bad before. And if this is the start of something that's going to happen year after year, this is ridiculous because even a 9% tax increase is going to hurt a lot of people. There are going to be a lot of seniors losing their homes over this. So whether it's 9 or 12, it's still going to hurt. And I'm glad I'm not up there right now because I don't know what I would do. Um, charter schools, I heard a comment about that. If you want students back for charter schools, then you need to compete for them because they left for a reason. We need to know what that reason is and we need to fix it. Um, cut expenditures, not take from savings. I think most of the the people here want you to cut expenses or or like tighten the belt.
they have to tighten their belt in order to pay for these taxes. So, we should be doing the same in the school district.
Um motion motion H um to give people pecards. I'm not really sure I like that idea, but I hope there's a policy that's going to tighten up the oversight that there's actually going to be some some consequences if uh somebody uses it uh for something that they're not supposed to. And there should be a list of what they're supposed to use it for and what they can't use it for. Um, and then the last lady that was just up here, Jen, I hope you do adopt some kind of policy so that there's safe spaces for women in our our female students in our schools.
Thank you.
>> Thanks, Ry.
Um, Vicky McCarrick, come on up.
Wow, that's the first time I've had people say they can't hear me. Um, um, Vicky McCarrick, Pensburg. Um, I hope that with what Ryan had said, like there were a lot of items that you all just approved that have to go into the next year's budget. A lot of those items are have to deal with special education.
I'm a mom of a child who was a special education student for many, many years.
I know how IEPs affect the school district. There are ways that before when I was on the board years ago, there was a director that made sure that a lot of those services were reimbursed at the federal level.
There were programs that could be utilized for equipment. I knew that was one of the big things that if you have a lot of uh students who need specialized equipment, you can get reimbursements for those things. Um, that might be something you want to look into more than saying you're going to be cutting these services because I will tell you the court cost on special education to cut them, good luck. You want to talk about some uh ed uh lawyers fees that are just going to accumulate if you start looking in that area, there are plenty of other areas where you can look into. There are plenty of programs that don't cost as much at that you could apply at the lower levels in the elementary schools that will help in reducing the cost once those students hit the middle school and the high school. So those might be areas that you want to look into. And I do hope that you do pass this by June 30th. And I also hope that it is an evening meeting that uh members of the community can also attend. It's not easy sitting in those seats. I get it. But we sometimes you just have to do things and think of community and the children and the school district. Thank you.
>> Thanks, Vicki. Uh that was all I had for for public comments.
Um, so should we move on to board comments first and then go back to the Okay. All right. Does anyone have a board comment? We see >> I do. I have a question. Vicki, could you could maybe you can answer that. I don't know. Um, from there, but out of the options that you know of that we have, what would you do?
>> Special education like you to the microphone.
I I just have a direct >> or I can send an email to everybody in response instead of taking up >> not not like um gent broad but the percentage like you you probably talked with Keith like do I I'm just curious if you have a number okay >> let me stop you right there for a second >> we don't discuss things like this at home >> okay >> so thank you Yep. that that's fine. I just that was publicly available. It's okay for you to discuss it or not. So that's fine. I was just curious, Vicki, thank you so much.
>> Do we have any other board comments or were you finished?
>> No, I don't have comments.
>> Yes, I I have sat here through this very long meeting quiet. Um, I agreed to table the the board discussion. Uh, not because I know what I'm going to do as far as the percentage, but I do think that we have to come up with a a plan that we all agree to that we are going to address the issues that Peg brought up over a year ago. Now, it's been 13 months and until that happens, I don't know that I can vote for any of the budget scenarios. Until we have a clear understanding that starting tomorrow, the day after the budget, we are going to start looking at ways that we can tighten, that we can uh whatever it is that we have to do, external support. Uh we got a very good uh Dr. Roach and I attended the foundation meeting this morning. Uh we had and and President Cunningham was there as well and Mr. Bishop was there and uh we got some really good news about EITC which uh Trina has brought up several times. EITC is a way that we can bring money into the school district and this is a program that will run through the foundation, but they have agreed to work through a third party who will explain all the EITC criteria and the the deadlines and everything that can be met. And the EITC is a state program where businesses and individuals can put their state tax dollars into a fund that supports schools.
We have had the uh the ITC come to us in small measure in past years, but with this third party handling all of the paperwork and all of the credentiing and whatnot, the money can go to any program. Right now it has only been able to fund three different programs which is the mural arts program, the um hydroponics program and the artisan residence.
This will open up so that if a business or an individual wants to give money to the school, it can be used in any um of the education programs that we have. So this is a really good news this morning.
This is something that um as a representative to the ed foundation I have been pushing for because I'm very familiar with the ITC and how it can help schools. So this is very good news for us. But I on the um we have to have a plan and things like this are the ways that I want the public that's still here to realize to treat his point to everybody else. We have been working since October very diligently and this is not a budget that any of us like any of us. We don't like any of the percentages. None of them are good. But we're going to have to come to an agreement. We're going to have to pass something by June 30th. But I voted to table this so we can go into recess so that we can talk about this more and come to the table with consensus before we we we uh vote.
>> Thanks, Leah. I I'd just like to piggyback a little bit off of Leah and again encourage the board to consider thinking outside of the box and to Leah's point what she just described and Leah's working on a project. I'm working on a project with Allan and um um fellow classmates. Um I keep talking about the legacy group. That's what I'm calling it, but you call it whatever you want. I I just I just need to feel support in that like and I everybody needs to be a part of it because it can happen and we really have to look in those at those options in that direction to support extracurricular activities and you know things that we just can't do through the budget. So we got to get on the bandwagon together folks. It's not a competition between us. We're all we're all in this together. Nobody get nobody gets out alive. We're just we're all in it together. Uh sorry. Um on a non-budgetary note, I just wanted to share that first of all to kind of echo what Allan said earlier in his report.
Uh kudos to Mr. Flanagan for stepping up graduation and making it a super uh just an extra special celebratory event by adding the stage, the backdrop, um the the teacher tunnel, the balloons, the flags. Um just just a great upgrade and I hope we can keep going with that and just keep that keep getting making that better and better.
This past Saturday, uh, June 13th, I attended the Upper Perkyan High School class of 1966, their 60th reunion at the Red Hill, um, social hall. And I got to tell you folks, um, it was a great, great event and great to be with those folks. Um, they gave me an opportunity to speak and, uh, just celebrated them.
Um I did share that the bonfire is back and that we're working on the snake dance and they were very excited about that possibility. So um that evening I followed that up with attending the football alumni reunion or they get an or they they come together every two years and they have a hall of fame and they inducted 11 upper and high school football people into uh their hall of fame. One of who is the late John Bruner, who passed away last year, class of 55, who I didn't know actually played and coached for decades in the NFL. And so, it's stuff like this that you find that you connect with alumni and and really see how how many amazing alumni we have.
and also the the wonderful Walt Schmidt was there. Coach Schmidt was there who is an iconic coach and teacher in uh the Upper Purium School District and he was there all 89 years of him and so it was just really neat to see the um football players, the former players uh circle around uh Coach Schmidt and celebrate him. Just a reminder to everyone, this Sunday is Make Music Up a Perk. There are music venues happening all over the place in the valley. So take take time and and enjoy the music. And then of course in a few weeks we'll be celebrating uh the country's 250th anniversary on the 4th of July. And don't forget to come to the new Gosh Hoppin Park to enjoy the fireworks. So that's it. Thanks.
>> Anyone else have a comment?
>> Yes. you know, when we're speaking, you know, Leah, you mentioned that you'd like to come back and have options available. You know, are you expecting to have another meeting before the next budget meeting or are we simply having a meeting and discussing?
>> I'm sorry. I was expecting just another meeting, which we're going to be, >> but I I think we need to come to that with a clear picture of what we want to do.
>> All right. Perfect.
Anyone else?
>> Um, I was just going to add that one reason I wanted to pause the discussion about the budget was to have a chance to hear the public comment. So, thank you for all of those who spoke up. I appreciate that. Um, along those lines of thank yous, I want to thank the staff this year, the teaching staff, specifically our administrators. Um, Dr. Roach, thank you so much for all of the hard work you've put in in this school year. Um, and again to my fellow board directors, thank you. Thank you for engaging in meaningful discussion. Um, I appreciate that very much and I expect that to continue through this very difficult topic. Thank you.
Do I have any other board comments?
>> All right. Hearing none, I'm assuming that I need to do a recess.
>> Yeah. So there's there's essentially two options. I mean, as I mentioned earlier, I would strongly recommend that the board attempt to adopt a budget by the June th June 30th deadline. So um there's really two options. One is uh to recess the meeting to a specific um date. You can certainly discuss now when uh might be a good date and time that would work for the board. The other option is to adjourn the meeting. Um the the challenge with with adjourning the meeting is then there would need to be a special meeting called which would require public advertising in the newspaper which requires some significant um lead time heading into that. So um you know the the recess of this meeting to a specific time is I think uh logistically a little bit easier. Certainly the district could um utilize its communication resources to make the public aware of when that meeting is recessed until. Um but those are the the two options that are available to the board.
>> I have a question. Can you remind us if we have um a number of Zoom participants as far as board directors that would um preclude us from having um a quorum?
>> So the the district the board has a policy um that uh discusses electronic participation in meetings and under that policy it does call for a majority of the board to be physically present uh at a meeting. So, at least five uh board members in person. There are other um requirements set forth in that policy in terms of I believe how many times a year uh board members are supposed to utilize that. Um those are not legal requirements. Um but as a general rule, the the policy is that at least five board members in person for the vote.
>> Thank you.
Does anyone have a suggestion for when we should be reconvening?
>> I would make the alternative of Tuesday the 23rd or next Thursday the 25th. I'm not available the Wednesday the 24th.
>> So we're looking at June 25th is where we're looking at.
Well, I can't think of a better birthday present for myself than to be at a budget meeting. So, I will be there.
>> I saw that on my calendar.
>> But what about Monday? Does Monday work for anybody?
>> Monday, what? The 29th or the 22?
>> Monday would work for me.
Well, let's figure it out.
>> I will have to do >> I'll make myself available.
>> The 25th Do you want to start at seven or would you rather start at six?
>> Would that be too tight for you?
>> I'm sorry. Would 6 p.m. be too tight on your schedule? Uh, director Penny Pecker, >> 6 p.m. on June 25th. Does that work for our administrators as well?
>> I'm I'm away next week.
>> Me, too.
>> I guess that doesn't work then, does it?
>> Dr. Fina's in town. I'm sure she'd love to be here.
>> Sure.
>> We have other administrators. We just hired a new administrator. You're not starting yet.
>> I think that it's very important that Drew is present.
>> Drew, we should have asked you first.
Drew, when are you available?
>> Uh, the earliest would be the 29th.
>> Okay.
>> Just the one.
So the 29th, does that work for everyone? Because we need to have Joe here.
>> Yeah.
>> Okay.
>> So just stating the obvious. Um the 29th is the day before the deadline. So it it just provides obviously less flexibility, but um that's certainly legally acceptable.
>> I have concerns about that. Um I'm not saying that I won't do it. I'm just saying I I'd like to express that I have some concerns with that. That's all.
>> No long meeting. So >> I mean no no concern with I mean it's the same agenda but in terms of Drew Drew or I being here I mean you guys have all the information we can provide it for you to to take that. Um so I mean and plus you got Kyle.
So, are we all agreed June 29th at 6 PM?
>> I certainly you can have as much discussion about this as you want.
Ultimately, after there's discussion, I would recommend somebody make a motion for a specific date and time and location for the meeting to be recessed, but you can continue discussing what what everyone's thoughts are.
>> Can we try June 25th first and just take a roll call and see if if that will work? That's without Drew.
I'd like to make a motion to meet again on June 25th at 6 PM.
>> And M Sharmet, I apologize. Um, the motion that you're making is to recess the meeting uh at this time and to reconvene on uh Thursday, June 25th at 6:00 p.m. here at the Ed Center.
Correct.
>> Correct. Thank you.
>> Is there a second?
>> Second.
Uh you can discuss that if there any more discussion on June 25th, 6 PM Thursday, June 25th at the ed center.
>> The numbers aren't going to change. So we do have all the information that we need. How does everybody feel about the possibility of Drew not being here?
>> Well, he's not going to be here. He's on vacation.
>> That's what I say about him. I'm sorry about him not being here. How does everyone feel about that?
>> I'm sure we'll manage.
Basically, Drew can provide a list, a table of numbers of what the rates and numbers would be for whatever we want to come up with. We can >> he has all of those ready. I mean, yeah, >> every scenario that we've talked about, >> including some we haven't talked about are drafted.
>> Uh 1% 75.5, all those things are are in the arsenal that need to be shared. I'm just just looking at the calendar to see who else is all >> extra stuff.
Is there a number that we want to throw out that we went through to do right now or >> I doubt it. Okay.
>> I think that was earlier at this point.
Just provide us with a list of >> what bo.
Okay. Thank you, Drew.
All right. So, we have a motion.
>> We have a second.
>> We have a second.
>> All in favor?
>> I >> I. Any opposed? All right.
>> The meeting is now recessed.
>> The re meeting is now recessed until June 25th, 6 PM at the Ed Center. Thank you all.
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