The Sept. 12 Saucon Valley School Board meeting was exceptionally brief, at just under half an hour and perhaps, would have been even shorter if not for the attendance of multiple candidates in the upcoming November election.

With a resolution on the commitment to its partnership with the Bethlehem Area Vocational-Technical School on the agenda, Hellertown resident Vivian Demko, a former teacher and school board candidate, raised concerns about its funding in a prepared statement.

Since the board anticipates that the Vo-Tech’s budget – and thus, required contributions – will substantially increase in 2024 due to a significant construction project, Demko suggested that its governing body reconsider its funding formula.

She said the structure should be based on per capita student numbers rather than property tax values, citing historical contributional disparities. With the next revision of its articles of agreement due in 2025, she said the district had historically contributed more than its fair share.

Demko further speculated that the directors might not have adequately planned for the impending increases and were late addressing the issue.

Later in the meeting, the School Board passed the aforementioned resolution, which officially authorized Superintendent Jaime Vlasaty to negotiate with the school on a new agreement.

The resolution acknowledges Saucon Valley’s extensive history with the Vo-Tech, spanning over half a century. Within the past 10 years, the district has invested significantly in supporting student participation in Vo-Tech programs, including “on average 33 percent more than its share of students’ attendance,” the resolution says.

It further claims that recent decisions to expand operations have raised potential sustainability issues for the district, echoed by board liaisons Cedric Dettmar and Bryan Eichfeld.

In other news, the board also approved the first reading of a policy addressing advertising within district facilities, such as at its sports fields and high school gymnasium. Vlasaty or a designee will manage applications and related administrative procedures, and corporate sponsorships will require School Board approval, which Dettmar also particularly expressed support for.

Lastly, Bill Broun, another candidate on the ballot in November, spoke near the conclusion to criticize the handling of a Freedom of Information Act request he made in the spring.

In response to an attempt to determine how much money the district has spent on legal fees recently, Broun said while he requested a summary, he received “more than a thousand pages of invoices.”

“My sense is that you know where the bills are, but you don’t actually know how much has been spent,” Broun continued. None of the directors opted to respond directly.