A moment of silence was held for Salisbury Falcons Offensive Coordinator Andrew J. Doran who died suddenly Dec. 15. Board President Frank Frankenfield said Doran’s passing is a loss to the Salisbury community and noted Doran’s positive influence on the students.

Dr. Thomas Rushton, Lehigh Career & Technicial Institute executive director attended the meeting Dec. 16 to introduce himself and thank board members personally for their support of the school.

“I have not seen the level of support for LCTI from the consortium anywhere else,” Rushton said.

Secretary of the Board Robert Bruchak said the business office is busy preparing the necessary year end forms for the Affordable Health Care Act.

Bruchak noted changes to the preliminary 2016-2017 budget .

The Public School Employees’ Retirement Rate has changed from the projected 29.69 percent to 30.03 percent. Bruchak said pension reform is part of the proposed budget not yet signed which would drop the rate to 27 percent. The other change is the health care consortium is tracking a better than anticipated rate for health care. The district projected a 3 percent increase; the anticipated rate has dropped to 1.5 percent.

Lastly, a special education student will require expensive services not projected in the preliminary budget presented last month.

Bruchak said as of Dec. 16, Pennsylvania has been without a budget for 168 days. He said the Senate put a framework together which Governor Tom Wolf agrees with. Members of the House came up with their own version. The last version Bruchak read retained an increase of $350 million in education, $50 million increase in special education, $60 million in pre-kindergarten funding and pension plan reform.

Bruchak also announced Standard & Poors has downgraded Pennsylvania’s loan system. He said it is detrimental to poor school districts which will have a hard time borrowing money. He noted Greenville area and Sharpsville area school districts have announced they may not reopen after the holiday break if the state budget impasse continues. Both districts say at least 60 percent of their budgets come from state funds.

Frankenfield announced the following committee chairs decided at an executive session held prior to the school board meeting Dec. 16.

•Curriculum committee: Chair Carol Klinger; Vice Chair Mary Ziegler

•Operations committee: Chair George Gatanis; Vice Chair Frank Frankenfield

•Personnel committee: Chair Mary Ziegler; Vice Chair George Gatanis

•Policy committee: Chair Dr. Chris Spedaliere; Vice Chair Audrey Frick

•Student activities: Chair Mary Ziegler

•Lehigh Carbon Community College: Chair Sam DeFrank

•Lehigh Career & Technicial Institute: Chair Frank Frankenfield

•Carbon Intermediate Unit: Chair Mary Ziegler

Two memorandum of understandings with the Salisbury Township Police Department were approved. Ziegenfuss said no services will change with the school resource officer. Ziegler acknowledged the great relationship with the police department.

Ziegler remarked on the community breakfast held recently. “It was great to see the involvement of students, teachers and administrators. It was a really nice event.”

Bruchak reported President Barrack Obama signed into law the “Every Student Succeeds Act” which replaces “No Child Left Behind.” The new act pushes back federal rules to the state. Bruchak said there is still a lot of testing in the new act.

A resident spoke at the end of the meeting about the district’s publication policy. He said his family has chosen not to participate in photographs on social media yet the children’s photographs have been used.

His concerns stem from a presentation by the district attorney’s office on child predators. He suggested reviewing the policy on publication of photographs on social media and also suggested using the backs of children in social media postings.