The Salisbury Township school board held a work session meeting April 6 to discuss matters concerning the district’s budget timeline, closing the budget deficit and principal’s reports on programs offered to students and parents to bridge learning gaps.

Christine Stafford, interim chief financial officer for the district, presented the timeline for the budget process and outlined ways in which the district could lower the current $1.8 million deficit.

Departmental budgets may see reductions and some staffing changes may occur due to retirements, resignations and unfilled positions which will help close the gap. Additionally, some of the deficit can be offset by state-funded emergency relief funds. Stafford went on to explain the inherent challenges that arise when balancing the budget due to the fact Salisbury Township is essentially landlocked with no room for growth and it has a high rate of tax-exempt properties. Tax-exempt properties include hospitals, churches, government buildings and schools.

The board also discussed financing some critical facilities projects through guaranteed energy savings projects. The principal idea behind these types of projects is if energy efficient improvements are made to the facilities it will save energy costs. The money saved can, in turn, be used to pay down debt. Much discussion was generated among board members but they agreed to work with consultants to come up with a proposal to see if the district will benefit from the guaranteed energy savings projects.

Equity in the sports arena became a topic of discussion during the public comment portion of the meeting. Joel Schware informed the board the boys baseball dugouts have fallen into disrepair and an unnamed benefactor is willing to paint and replace shingles on the existing dugout at no cost.

Board member Joseph Gnall, while in support of the project, pointed out the lack of parity existing between the boys dugouts and as Board President Sarah Nemitz aptly stated amounts to a “bench and a puddle” at the softball fields.

The board agreed the softball fields should be brought up to par and directed Bill Brackett, director of facilities, to look into getting estimates.

Brackett then presented a proposal to the board concerning monitoring groundwater at Salisbury Elementary School. There have been issues with seepage in the past and he said it would be prudent to find out what the problem is and develop a plan to rectify the situation.

The board also approved a $7,000 repair for one of two boilers that went down recently at Salisbury Middle School.

In order to shrink the budget deficit and save money for future capital expenditures such as renovations or new buildings, the board realized the need to take a hard look at staffing and enrollment projections.

Furloughing current staff appears to be off the table but the board has tasked Superintendent Lynn Fuini-Hetten with the job of taking a comprehensive look at all unfilled positions and providing reasons why a position should or should not be filled.

Gnall also cautioned the board any money generated from the reduction of staff must be used judiciously.

Information on the curriculum portion of the meeting will be in the April 20 edition of The Press.

The next school board meeting will be held 7:30 p.m. April 20 in the administration building, 1140 Salisbury Road, Allentown.