Directors voted not to approve the second and third issue of bonds for the school facility.

By adopting the parameters resolution, the board authorized the incurring of non-electoral debt by the issuance of general obligation bonds, series of 2024, in the maximum amount of $41,200,000, via a competitive Internet auction “for the purpose of funding a capital improvement plan, including the construction and fixturing and equipping of an elementary school.”

Voting to adopt the parameters resolution were school board President Doug Vaughn and school Directors Kim Bretzik, Chuck Frantz, Ross Makary, Dr. Michael Baird and John Becker.

Voting not to adopt the parameters resolution were board Vice President Kristin Soldridge and Directors Joshua Harris and Brian McCulloch.

Two other parameters resolutions were not approved for the issuance of general obligation bonds, series of 2025, in the maximum amount of $37,200,000 and the issuance of general obligation bonds, series of 2026, in the maximum amount of $7,200,000, both via a competitive Internet auction for the elementary school.

Voting to not approve the parameters resolutions for the 2025 and 2026 series of bonds were Vaughn, Soldridge, Bretzik, Harris and McCulloch.

“When would the district run out of financing if the parameters aren’t approved tonight?” Bretzik asked before the parameters resolutions votes.

“If we do not receive the parameters from the board, then the district would be in jeopardy very soon,” NASD Business Administrator Craig Neiman said. “It would be a very short time before we’d have a problem.”

“Is it typical for a school district to not finance before bids are given?” Bretzik asked.

“Basically, the financing is the last part,” Kevin C. Reid, of King, Spry, Herman, Freund and Faul, said.

He is the solicitor for the issuance of the bonds.

NASD Superintendent of Schools Joseph S. Kovalchik was asked what impact the parameters resolutions vote would have on the Route 329 project.

“In essence, the project is going to continue to move forward until the school board tells the administration to stop it, based on the contracts being approved in November and based on the parameters,” Kovalchik said.

Contracts for the $75,858,529 elementary school and education center were awarded at the Nov. 13 school board meeting. Preparation work at the Route 329 and Seemsville Road site began Dec. 1.

“They started doing the layout, which is the limit of disturbance, and started installing some of the erosion-control measures,” Chris Haller, senior project manager at D’Huy Engineering Inc., said before the meeting.

D’Huy is the district’s consulting engineer.

During the meeting, Soldridge requested a motion to stop the Route 329 project.

District Solicitor Avery E. Smith, partner at King, Spry, Herman, Freund and Faul, said the Pennsylvania Sunshine Law for public meetings requires advance advertising for such a motion.

“It would have to be advertised, and the public would have to be notified,” Smith said.

“Even if you vote down the funding, the project is still moving forward,” Smith said before the parameters resolutions vote. “If you were to terminate those contracts, that could cost $10,000 per contract and the district would have to pay for any costs incurred. There would have to be a discovery process.”

Soldridge asked if a special meeting concerning the Route 329 project could be held instead of waiting to place the matter on the agenda of the next school board meeting, set for 6:30 p.m. Jan. 8, 2024. Soldridge said she would look into scheduling a special meeting.