By SARIT LASCHINSKY

Special to The Press

The Northwestern Lehigh school board voted to approve renewal of a five-year charter for the Circle of Seasons Charter School during the Aug. 18 meeting, bringing an end to months of vetting and review, and discussions about the impact of charter school funding.

Several parents and Circle of Seasons staff members, including board President Kimberly Hyman and Principal/CEO Alison Saeger, spoke during courtesy of the floor, thanking the district for its detailed review and dedication to the charter oversight, and asking for the renewal to be granted.

District board President Willard Dellicker said substantial time was spent at previous meetings reviewing the items in the charter, which has been reviewed by Northwestern Lehigh and Circle of Seasons solicitors.

Dellicker wanted to move forward in good faith.

“We can move into this charter with Circle of Seasons in good faith, relying on that institution to freely give the information that this administration needs to monitor compliance of the charter,” Dellicker said, adding Northwestern Lehigh has had issues getting this information in the past from the charter school.

“I’m willing in good faith to take this and recommend it for approval, but I hope we can get some better cooperation than we have in the past.”

Dellicker said he was not opposed to having a charter school and reiterated his approval for giving parents a choice of schools but said he did not believe charter schools are required in Pennsylvania “to create competition for public schools to become better.”

Dellicker took issue with cyber and charter schools’ funding structure, which he said, “essentially take money from our school, which penalizes the community we live in and the students who go to our school … to the tune of $2.5 million.”

Dellicker said these schools take more money from Northwestern Lehigh than the district can raise through its earned income tax revenues and this puts the district in a bind to maintain its programs while also making a charter school available.

He said the district is required by law, Act 1, to cap the amount of taxes it raises per year, and this year the district could raise a maximum of $855,000, which falls significantly short of closing the gap created by the cyber/charter tuition costs.

Dellicker also said Northwestern Lehigh brought on the charter several years ago.

“ ... With the idea we could help create a charter that would help the children who are in our community going to this Circle of Seasons school.”

He reiterated that under state law the district is required to monitor activities at the charter school related to the charter, to ensure it is being implemented as written, and that the necessary documentation and information must be turned over for oversight.

Board member Rachael Scheffler also publicly spoke about the renewal.

“[Because] the community that we live in, the taxpayers who live here need to understand that as we continue to get pressure to make budgets work every year, this is a big issue.

“As a taxpayer, a board member, a parent, our children at Northwestern Lehigh are going to have to be faced with programs being cut or larger class sizes because there’s a significant portion of this budget that’s going to fund charter schools. I have a problem with that,” she said.

Scheffler said while she would not oppose the vote, she found “fundamental issues” with the charter renewal when it impacts district students.

“And, we have to sit around this table and make the decisions about this … because we can’t tax the taxpayers and the residents any more than we do, I wrestle with that.”

In other business, Superintendent Jennifer Holman noted in her report that due to the inflow of federal grant funding, the district will be looking to add additional staff positions in buildings which are focused on intervention and student social work.

For personnel items, Director of Human Resources Luann Matika recommended the board approve the appointment of Sarah Henry as a learning support teacher at Northwestern Elementary.

Henry was introduced by Northwestern Principal Maria Pulli, who noted Henry was a Northwestern Lehigh alumna and a graduate of Kutztown University with a degree in elementary and special education.

She completed her student teacher experience at Northwestern Elementary and her special education experience at the middle school.

Henry also served as a short-term substitute in special education at Weisenberg Elementary School.

Additionally, Holman introduced the board to Ryan Kish, who was a candidate to fill the open business administrator position left by the resignation of Leslie Frisbie to join the Parkland School District.

Holman said Kish previously served as business administrator at Palmerton School District for five years, and before that as director of administration for Hanover Township.

She said Kish was an “outstanding candidate.”

Both Kish and Henry thanked the board for the introductions and voiced their excitement to start at Northwestern Lehigh.

The board approved their appointments and welcomed them to the Tiger family.

Under new business, the board approved the appointment of Assistant Superintendent Troy Sosnovik to serve as the district’s new Open Records Officer.

Holman discussed several updates to the Sunshine Act starting Aug. 29 and tightened agenda requirements for school board meetings.

She said the board must provide 24 hours notice before an item is voted on in a regular meeting, and no action can be added to the meeting if it has not been on the agenda for at least 24 hours.

Some exceptions are made for emergency circumstances, clear and present dangers to life or property, and de minimis actions which do not require the expenditure of funds or entering into a contract.

Holman also said residents or taxpayers can bring up topics which may be added to a future meeting’s agenda.

She also said the district follows the necessary requirements for providing public notice, posting agendas where necessary and providing copies to attendees.

Holman stressed the importance of transparency and said Northwestern Lehigh has been abiding by the new meeting requirements for years, stating they were the board’s “common practices.”

Also under new business, Dellicker briefly made note of several new bills moving through the state Legislature which would give a greater choice of milk to students.

He said Northwestern Lehigh encompasses a large number of dairy farmers and the two bills are supported by the state Farm Bureau.

He explained that currently schools are only able to offer 1 percent low-fat or skim milk to students.

Dellicker said the new law would allow 2 percent and whole milk to be served in cafeterias.

“This is a bill I think we should know about as a board, especially in an area with a bunch of dairy farmers, and as parents who are concerned about the nutrition of our children.”