The Salisbury Township School District Board of Directors met Dec. 5 at the administration building, 1140 Salisbury Road.

Chief Financial Officer and Board Secretary Michael Taylor told the board he is working on the 2019-2020 budget. Regarding expenses, Taylor said salaries and benefits comprise 65 percent of the budget with salaries at 41 percent and benefits at 24 percent.

The increase in salaries comes at a cost of $460,000. Taylor said he is sure of one retirement but there could be more by the end of the year. Each retirement saves the district $40,000.

Taylor said the assessed value of properties has gone down by $13.5 million which would result in $400,000 less revenue.

Another factor impacting the budget is that the agreement with Lehigh Valley Health Network has expired. LVHN provided the district $151,000 each year.

The Pennsylvania State Employees’ Retirement System will increase 4.1 percent.

Taylor said the district may need to apply for special exceptions with the Pennsylvania Department of Education for the retirement fund and special education.

The preliminary budget will be presented at the Jan. 7, 2019 operations meeting.

In other business, the following facility requests were approved: Salisbury Youth Association wrestling to use the gymnasiums at Salisbury High School 6-7 p.m. Dec. 30 for the Winter Slam Tournament and the Arts Academy Charter Middle School to use the auditorium and classrooms at SHS 5 to 8:45 p.m. April 16, 2019 for the vocal music spring concert. They will be charged $300/day for the auditorium and $50 per day for each classroom.

In personnel news, the board accepted the resignations of Steven Wagner as a 4 hours a day, part-time locker room instructional assistant at SHS effective at the end of the day Dec. 7; Marshall Bonaskiewich as a 4 hours a day, part-time, one-to-one instructional assistant at Western Salisbury Elementary School effective at the end of the day Dec. 14 and Ashley Hooks as a 4 hours a day, part-time, one-to-one instructional assistant at Salisbury Middle School effective at the end of the day Dec. 19.

Freya de Conde, of St. Louis, Mo., was approved pending completion of requirements, as a full-time English teacher at SHS effective Jan. 2, 2019. Jaclyn Williams, of Allentown, was approved pending completion of requirements, as a 4 hours a day, part-time, one-to-one instructional assistant at Harry S Truman Elementary School effective Dec. 3. Briana Lighting, of Allentown, was approved, pending completion of requirements, as a 4 hours a day part-time one-to-one instructional assistant at HST effective at a date to be determined. Kyle Gangewere, of Center Valley, was approved, pending completion of requirements, as a 3.25 hours a day part-time instructional assistant at WSE effective Dec. 10. Justin Aungst, of Bethlehem, was approved, pending completion of requirements, as a 4 hours a day part-time instructional assistant at SHS effective Dec. 10.

Aungst, of Bethlehem, was approved, pending completion of requirements, as the assistant varsity baseball coach for the 2018-2019 school year at the 2018-2019 contractual rate of pay for this position of $3,328. Aungst was also approved as a volunteer assistant varsity boys’ basketball coach for the 2018-2019 school term without pay and/or benefits. Alexander Cudd, of Allentown, was approved, pending completion of requirements, as a volunteer assistant rifle coach for the 2018-2019 school term without pay and/or benefits.

The next meetings are as follows: an operations committee 7 p.m. Jan. 7, 2019 at the administration building, a regular board meeting 7:30 p.m. Jan. 16, 2019 and a curriculum and technology committee meeting 7 p.m. Jan. 28, 2019 at SHS.