The East Penn Board of School Directors took a look at the first draft of the 2023-2024 East Penn School District student/teacher calendar at the Feb. 13 regular meeting.

Presented by Assistant Superintendent Douglas Povilaitis, the calendar features 183 student days and 190 teacher days. Two inclement weather make up days are already built into the calendar. If needed, additional inclement weather days include March 27, 2024 as a full day or if three closings occur on or before March 15, 2024 there will be early dismissal March 28, 2024.

The tentative start day for the new school year is Aug. 28, 2023 with graduation tentative scheduled June 9, 2024.

If fewer than three inclement weather days are used, the last day of school will be June 7, 2024. Otherwise, June 10, 11, 12, 13 and 14, 2024 will be make up days if needed.

Treasurer and Business Administrator Robert Saul provided a 2023-2024 budget revenue overview. He touched on past revenue numbers and, based on those numbers and other considerations, estimated future revenue from local, state and federal sources.

The majority of revenue is generated locally from real estate and other taxes, earnings on investments, Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) revenue, tuition from patrons and other miscellaneous sources, such as donations. While IDEA revenue is expected to decrease, investment earnings shot up with the country’s raising interest rates. A modest increase is predicted. Local revenue makes up 75 percent of the revenue pie chart.

While hard to predict, state revenue, including basic and special education funding, tuition from courts, pupil transportation subsidy, grants, reimbursements, and other sources is projected to rise. Pennsylvania provides 24 percent of school revenue.

Saul explained the federal government only contributes a one percent sliver of the revenue for the district’s schools. These include various federal programs and Medical ACCESS Reimbursement. Also hard to predict, he estimated a modest increase in funding.

Saul provided key terms he used in his report with their definitions to help make it easier for the board to follow his PowerPoint presentation.

The directors had already voted to cap the Act 1 Index at 4.9 percent for the 2023-2024 fiscal year at the previous meeting. Although the budget process is ongoing, at this point the millage rate increase may be at 3.92 percent.

In the coming months, the board will continue to be presented with different portions of the proposed budget including expenditures, a long-range fiscal and capital plan, along with funding and program priorities. A final presentation and adoption of the final budget is to take place June 12.

Saul discussed budget transfers post-audit for the 2021-2022 school year.

In personnel matters, the board accepted the retirements of Shoemaker Elementary School fifth grade teacher Liane Miksits and Lincoln Elementary School kindergarten teacher Karen Gennaro. Both are effective June 10.

“Total star for the district,” Director Alisa Bowman said as she praised Gennaro.

School Superintendent Kristen Campbell spoke well of both retirees and wished them well. She credited Gennaro as being a “pioneer in early childhood education.”

The directors acknowledged the resignations of Emmaus High School Spanish teacher Jessica Babbitt and Eyer Middle School special education teacher Tracy Urban, both effective late March.

During her district update, the school superintendent highlighted recent student successes including the 10th Annual Coaches vs. Cancer Jr. High Basketball Tournament in December 2022 hosted at Emmaus High School which raised money for cancer research. Around 100 Emmaus High School students participated in History Day and several are moving onto regionals.

Campbell named Emmaus Lehigh Career & Technical Institute students of the month for December 2022 and January and mentioned a dozen tech students who participated in SkillsUSA District 7 including four from Emmaus, are advancing to the state competition.

Campbell expressed gratitude to the Trexlertown Giant for their generous Fill a Plate food donation in conjunction with the Emmaus Rotary.

Povilaitis provided a second reading of new policies on students experiencing homelessness, foster care and other educational instability and unmanned aircraft systems – drones, as well as updates on principles for governance and leadership, enrollment of students, eligibility of nonresident students, attendance, graduation, dress and grooming, suspension and expulsion and transportation. He explained board input was included in some minor language changes.

LCTI Joint Operating Committee Member Paul Champagne reported on the 2023-2024 general operating budget and a comprehensive plan is in the works. There is a fifth grade student tour of the facilities scheduled in May. “LCTI is a gem in our area,” Bowman said, who had recently toured the school with Director Dr. William Whitney. She suggested LCTI students visit elementary schools to encourage students to study math as it is a necessary skill for a tech career.

There was one request to address the board by Lower Macungie Township resident Frank Dumbleton. “I guess at Lower Macungie Middle School there have been Black students making white students carry their bags during Black History Month,” Dumbleton read from a text he had received. “It gets worse, I guess the Black students write a number on the white student’s hand and that is their ‘slave’ number,” the text message continued.

“Apparently the Lower Macungie Middle School administration made an announcement on the loudspeaker to end this practice,” Dumbleton said after having checked it out. He asked if the district has a plan to inform parents of the incident.

Board President Joshua Levinson mentioned a 6:45 p.m. executive session was held before the public forum on “matters of litigation, negotiations, personnel and confidential matters.” Another executive session was held Feb. 2 on “personnel.”

The next regular school board meeting is scheduled 7:30 p.m. Feb. 27. The public can access documents through BoardDocs via a link on the district website. Livestreaming of meetings is available on the district’s YouTube channel.