The East Penn Board of School Directors gratefully accepted two generous donations at the June 12 regular meeting.

The East Penn School District Education Foundation donated $36,911 with the funding designated for Shoemaker Elementary School’s Library 2.0 program.

Kindness is Magic Inc. contributed $2,600 to the district. The donation is to be applied to the accounts of East Penn School District families who are both eligible for free or reduced lunch and currently have a negative account balance.

The board voted unanimously to adopt the 2023-2024 East Penn School District final budget. The resolution included authorization of expenditures totaling $188,035,431 and a 2.51% tax rate increase. The rate increase is less than what Treasurer and Business Administrator Robert Saul estimated previously at 3.55%.

The district will levy a tax of 20.1700 mills per dollar of assessed valuation on real estate.

Under Act 511, a .5% earned income tax and a .5% real estate transfer tax are part of the package.

Saul explained he was able to adjust the budget numbers after including projected additional funding from the proposed state education budget.

The directors voted on a commitment to apply $3,407,605 from the fund balance for the year ending June 30 to be used to address the learning loss that occurred as a result of COVID-19. Added to the resolution was the following: “Any amendment or modification to the use of these committed funds requires approval by formal action of the board of school directors.”

To provide tax relief for residents, the board adopted a 2023-2024 Homestead and Farmstead Resolution and continues the Property Tax Rebate Program for 2023-2024.

Eligibility guidelines for PTR allows qualifying claimants having a total household income of $0 to $10,000 to receive a maximum rebate of $650; claimants having a total household income of $10,001 to $15,000 would receive a maximum rebate of $500; claimants having a total household income of $15,001 to $18,000 shall receive a maximum rebate of $300 and claimants having a total household income of $18,001 to $35,000 receives a maximum rebate of $250.

The approved athletics general admission fees for 2023-2024 remain unchanged.

A revised 2023-2024 East Penn School District student/teacher calendar was adopted. School Superintendent Dr. Kristen Campbell explained middle school parent-teacher conferences were adjusted to align with the end of the trimester.

A Lower Macungie Middle School Targeted Support & Improvement Plan was presented by LMMS Principal Sallie Yencho and Instructional Support Coach Dennine Leschinsky. They informed the board how they and their team of educators had been working on addressing issues such as chronic absenteeism and lower standardized test scores in math and English language arts (ELA) for economically-disadvantaged students ahead of the state’s designating Lower Macungie for TSI in February.

They detailed action steps including “Tier 2 and Tier 3 Targeted Reading and Math Research-Based Interventions” and a focus on instructional practices. For 2023-2024 the process involves required monthly “learning walks” for faculty.

Teachers are to review teaching strategies and best practices to improve student achievement and growth using data from Fastbridge, iReady, Pennsylvania System School Assessment and Pennsylvania Value-Added Assessment System.

Action steps also involve child study meetings with staff, students and families.

All staff members will be required to evaluate their curriculum to find ways to support learning standards in each grade level. They cited examples of teaching practical math applications such as reviewing fractions when cooking, time signatures and note lengths, designing a scaled-down floor plan for a house and mixing paint, enlarging photos and creating grid drawings.

To deal with truancy, Yencho and Leschinsky explained prevention plans that include interventions and supports provided through a partnership with Communities in Schools, K&S/MST (an outside agency for wraparound support for families with truancy), as well as a district social worker for additional help.

The directors praised the educators for being proactive.

The Teamsters union Local 773 Collective Bargaining Agreement for July 1 through June 30, 2028 was approved. The Teamsters represents the district’s maintenance, utility and custodial employees.

In other personnel matters, the board accepted the retirement of Shoemaker Elementary School remedial assistant Marianne Frey, effective June 3. Campbell noted she served 21 years with the district.

Approved newly-hired district employees for Emmaus High School include: Daniel Cullen as special education supervisor, Jason Baker as a special education and emotional support teacher, Larissa Mascari and Kira Kern as math teachers and Jacob Maskornick as a social studies teacher.

Additional new hires include: Michele Fowkes to teach English at LMMS, Samantha VanSchaick as school psychologist and Taylor Feher for special education and autistic support at Eyer Middle School and elementary teachers Jennifer Serrao and Bethany Matase for Willow Lane Elementary School.

Paige Shingler was approved for Instructional I: Grades PK-4.

Campbell introduced Cullen to the directors.

All are effective mid-August.

In her district update, the superintendent spoke about the high school’s scoring seven Freddy Awards for “Fiddler on the Roof,” academic team successes and recognized student athletes. She mentioned the district networked with area Realtors and reached out to preschool teachers to advise them on how to better prepare their charges for kindergarten in the East Penn School District.

Directors Alisa Bowman, Allan Byrd and Michael Felegy were elected as delegates for the Pennsylvania School Boards Association Delegate Assembly scheduled Nov. 4.

Lehigh Career & Technical Institute Joint Operating Committee Member Dr. Joshua Levinson reported on an increase in applications among other news.

There were no requests to address the board.

Levinson mentioned an executive session was held before the public forum 6:15 p.m. to discuss “a personnel matter.”

The next regular school board meeting is scheduled 7:30 p.m. June 26. 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.