BASD thanked board member Tom Thomasik for his service at its Nov. 25 meeting, which was Thomasik’s last. He did not run at the Nov. 5 election, at which Dr. Karen Beck Pooley and Dr. Dean Donaher were re-elected, and newcomer Emily Schenkel will replace him in the third at-large seat.

The board also honored board member Shannon Patrick, whose eight years of service to the district earned her recognition from the Pa. School Boards Association (PSBA).

The board voted unanimously to renew Mark Stein’s contract as chief facilities and operations officer. Stein has recently been in the spotlight for leading several large renewal projects to successful completion, and for bringing projects in under budget.

Superintendent Dr. Joseph Roy encouraged all those present to tune in to the Philadelphia Thanksgiving parade (broadcast on Channel 6 WPVI) to see both the Freedom HS and East Hill MS bands.

On a more serious note, Roy informed the public that the district has retained the counsel of Allison Petersen of the Levin Legal Group to handle potential legal issues arising from a new charter application filed by Lehigh Valley Academy (LVA). In June, LVA filed sketch plans with Bethlehem Township to build a new campus – at a projected cost of $55 million in addition to land costs – near Butztown Road; however, any new building project must be approved by the school board. Perhaps fearing rejection of its plan, LVA has filed an application for a new charter.

Roy was adamant that the district will fight what he views as an end run around state charter school statutes. He noted that charter schools do not have the ability to appeal new building rejections by school boards, and called LVA’s tactics “circumventing the authority of the elected school board members in favor of its own five non-elected board members.”

Twenty districts across the state, including BASD and neighboring Allentown School District and Easton Area School District, will hold a press conference at noon Dec. 5 to call for charter school reform.

The board also finalized contracts and bill payments, as well as selecting Stacy Gober and Carolee Hicks as primary and alternate voting delegates to the Tax Collection Committee. The Tax Collection Committee (TCC) is mandated by Pa. Act 32, and is composed of one representative from each local taxing authority, with an alternate to ensure that one voting delegate from each body is present at every TCC meeting. Representatives are appointed each year in November or December.

All measures passed 8-0. (Board president Mike Faccinetto was the only member not present.) Full details of all agenda items are available online (https://go.boarddocs.com/pa/beth/Board.nsf/).