On May 15 the Bethlehem Area School District convened a special board meeting with the primary goal of approving the 2023-24 school board budget. The district anticipates revenue of $332 million, with expenditures of $339 million, leaving a negative balance of $6,998,728.

Fortunately, the district has a fund balance that they can draw from to temporarily cover the difference until the governor’s basic education grant comes through, which will allow the board to return the $6,998,728 to the fund balance.

A final special board meeting for budget is scheduled for June 19.

Other financial topics presented by the Finance Committee included continuing with the current district meal program and not changing to the Community Eligibility Program that the board has decided is not fiscally sustainable at this time.

Other topics to be voted on at the May 22 regular meeting are the minor corrections recommended by the Auditor General Report, as per Act 44, which have been corrected within the 120-day expectancy and have been published. The legal counsel for the Charter Schools has been renewed at the rate of $210 an hour.

Chief Human Resources Officer Russell Giordano presented a number of items, including a revision granting home-schooled students greater access to resources. He also informed the committee that there are 23 retirees and 12 vacancies within the school district. The HR department is working on honoring transfer requests, as well as filling the vacancies.