By SARIT LASCHINSKY

Special to The Press

At their June 16 meeting, Northwestern Lehigh School Board members voted to accept the final budget for the 2021-22 school year.

The budget includes total revenues in the amount of $46,414,373 and $48,622,999 in expenditures, leaving a shortfall of $2,208,626.

There is a 3-percent millage increase of 0.5165 mills to bring the 2021-22 proposed millage rate to 17.7360 mills.

This is expected to raise $859,000 in tax revenue, as well as a $1,349,626 use of fund balance to cover the estimated revised shortfall.

Board members also approved a host of related motions to accept the use of committed fund balance, general fund balance resolution, homestead/farmstead resolution and capital reserve transfer, among other items.

Furthermore, Superintendent Jennifer Holman and Business Administrator Leslie Frisbie provided the board with a presentation on how the district’s COVID-19 relief funds have been spent so far, and on which categories, as well as how the funds intend to be spent in the future.

Frisbie said much time has been spent maximizing grant funds and, since March 2020, the district has been tracking COVID-related expenditures.

The district received $459,204 in grants or reimbursement funds during the 2020-21 school year.

She said in total the district had tracked $923,732 in COVID-related expenditures between March 2020 and April 2021.

The largest categories were $332,000 spent on the purchase of HVAC bipolar ionization units for the district’s buildings, $219,113 for operational, cleaning and protective supplies, and $192,564 for online learning equipment.

Frisbie said approximately 50 percent of the COVID expenditures were reimbursed by grants or other programs.

The main topic of fund-related discussions dealt with the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief funds from the federal government.

Frisbie said ESSER II was enacted in December 2020, while ESSER III funding was enacted under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021.

Under the two relief funds, Northwestern Lehigh’s preliminary award amount totals $649,298 for ESSER II and $1,312,408 for ESSER III.

Frisbie explained 20 percent of ESSER III funds must be set aside for targeted learning loss.

She also said the funding is one-time and the district must budget and plan accordingly.

ESSER funds’ eligible uses include coordinating preparedness, purchasing supplies, repairs and building improvements, providing meals to eligible students or purchasing educational technology, among other expenses.

Frisbie and Holman said a combination of ESSER II and III funds will be spread across three priority areas - students, COVID-19 and social/emotional learning.

They also reviewed the district’s budgeting plan for the 2021-22 and 2022-23 school years.

The plan includes $22,010 from ESSER II and $352,570 from ESSER III to combat learning loss, as well as $107,500 from ESSER II for online learning.

Additionally, $924,238 from ESSER III funds will go toward mental health and social/emotional learning, and other grant amounts will be used to purchase technology equipment and software, as well as cleaning and sanitation materials.

The board approved applying for ESSER III funds in the amount of $1,312,408, as Frisbie noted the board had already applied for ESSER II in January.

In a similar motion, the board also approved the applications for Title I, Title IIA and Title IV federal grant opportunities for the 2021-22 year in the amounts of $210,004, $45,891 and $13,215.

Another topic of discussion was a cyber services agreement with Warren County School District for online instructional services from June 15 through Aug. 14, 2022.

Holman said at least 40 Northwestern Lehigh students have confirmed they want to have 100 percent remote learning next year, and this agreement would add extra live, synchronous options to the district’s digital academy on the elementary and middle school levels.

Board members raised several questions about the agreement, and discussed the need to make additional exceptions or accommodations for students, concessions for the district’s schedules, financial impacts and the overall state of returning to school in a possible post-pandemic time.

Holman said while the district would always prefer to have students back in person, they have always offered a digital academy, but not for this large number of students.

She also noted there are “polarizing” preferences and beliefs among district families regarding health and safety protocols, returning to school and available learning options.

Holman said Northwestern Lehigh has needed to be diplomatic in its approach to provide educational options for parents.

Assistant Superintendent Troy Sosnovik said some families may have wanted to try the digital academy before the pandemic, and during COVID-19 these parents might have found that virtual learning fits their particular schedules better than in-person learning.

After further discussion, the board approved the agreement.

In other business, Holman told the board that the district has received a proclamation of recognition from Lehigh County commissioners honoring all graduates in the Class of 2021 from all county school districts for rising to the challenge and pushing forward in their studies despite challenging circumstances during the school year.

Under personnel items, Human Resources Director Luann Matika noted the hiring of four new district professionals - eighth grade teacher Ashleigh Albert, high school Spanish teacher Lauren Elsenbaumer, high school special education teacher Brian Quinlan and school nurse Arissa Green.

All four introduced themselves virtually to the board and expressed their excitement to start a new school year.

Matika and Holman also drew attention to Frisbie’s resignation from the business administrator position effective Aug. 13 to take a position at the Parkland School District.

The board accepted Frisbie’s resignation “with sincere regret” after board member James Warfel noted how important Frisbie’s contributions have been to Northwestern Lehigh.

He said her high level of competence and dedication would be sorely missed.

There will be no board or workshop meetings in July, and the next meeting will be a workshop scheduled for 7 p.m. Aug. 4.