Despite being fairly brief at barely over half an hour, the July 26 Saucon Valley School Board meeting broke two major pieces of news: director Edward Andres’ resignation and a hike in breakfast/lunch prices for the upcoming school year.

Andres, a local attorney who was himself appointed to fill a vacancy in January 2019 and would have faced re-election in 2023, did not attend the meeting nor provide a statement. Board President Dr. Shamim Pakzad called Andres “a personal friend” and said he believes that Andres resigned to “focus on his career and family.”

With a vacancy on the board, district Solicitor Mark Fitzgerald explained that the board has 30 days under Pa. Public School Code to appoint a replacement. Adding that there’s “no specific way” that the code requires districts to fill the vacancies, he recommended that the board first establish a timeline, and advised the district’s administration to advertise the opening and its qualifications on its website.

By the end of business the Friday before the next scheduled board meeting (12:30 pm Aug. 5), interested and qualified individuals should submit a Letter of Interest and resume. “Qualified” in this case means the individual meets “minimal legal requirements to be a holder of office in Pa,” Fitzgerald added.

Approved candidates would then be invited to the Aug. 9 meeting to make a “brief public statement,” followed by public discussion and deliberation, Fitzgerald continued. Ultimately, the board should vote on a replacement if they feel one of the candidates meets their needs, and could do so that same evening, he added.

In the other big story from the evening, students (and parents) will be paying more for food at all three levels.

Retail breakfast prices will increase by five cents across the board, with morning meals now carrying a $1.90 price tag. Meanwhile, lunch at the elementary school will jump 10 cents from $2.90 to $3.00, while hungry middle and high school pupils will have to fork over $3.25 – a 20-cent surge over 2019-20. (All meals had been provided free by the district for the past two academic years due to the COVID-19 pandemic.)

Business Manager David Bonenberger defended the decision and said, “We’re seeing tripled prices in what our food costs are, so we’re trying to… at least break even.” Pakzad asked if there would be any impact on students receiving subsidized reduced-costs meals, but Bonenberger said that the program is set independently by the state.

Meanwhile, board Vice President Susan Baxter said she thought the increases might be too meager in light of “tripled costs.” However, Bonenberger reasserted the district’s priority is “to mitigate costs,” rather than turn a profit. The motion ultimately passed unanimously.

In other business, Superintendent Jaime Vlasaty acknowledged the district’s multiple remaining open positions. She said she’s been “interviewing [candidates] throughout the summer,” as Saucon still needs two paraprofessionals and a long-term speech therapist.

With the summer “getting down to the wire,” some current teachers who are interviewing for positions elsewhere have not made their decisions yet, she added. Hence, the district can only anticipate so many openings, also contributing to the delay.

Vlasaty also noted that interviews for a new high school principal and a director of Curriculum, Instruction and Education Technology began that week, and ones for open special education and middle school secretary positions would follow shortly thereafter.

Lastly, in a budgetary item of note, a total of 20 department chairs, team leaders and grade level chairs across the district’s three buildings were narrowly approved by a 5-3 vote. Pakzad and his colleagues Bryan Eichfeld and John Conte opposed the in-house appointments, which are accompanied by $2,000 annual stipends.