The Salisbury Township board of directors held a regular school board meeting April 17. An executive session was held before the meeting to discuss negotiations and personnel matters.

At the start of the meeting Superintendent Lynn Fuini-Hetten summarized important points brought up during the last operations and finance committee meeting where five additional positions were built into the 2024-2025 budget with a 5.3% tax increase creating a gap of $200,000. She invited the board to discuss the topic before the May 8 operations and finance committee meeting.

Director Joseph Gaither quickly brought up an issue previously discussed at the last operations and finance committee meeting concerning eliminating a middle school bus route in favor of reaping the benefit of an estimated $50,000 in savings. At the board’s direction administration looked into the issue and ultimately recommended not eliminating the route due to students having to sit three to a seat carrying backpacks, sports gear or musical instruments. It was also pointed out many middle school students are adult-sized and three to a seat is a tight squeeze.

Gaither pressed the issue positing how many students can legally ride the bus.

Fuini-Hetten remarked that while it is legal to have 72 passengers on the bus sitting three to a seat, administration feels it is not what is best for students.

Board President Joseph Gnall asked for board consensus on this issue and it was decided the elimination of a bus route was not a viable option.

Board members also discussed the fact that due to higher interest rates the district is earning a significant amount of interest on cash and investments. This prompted a discussion about whether the money should be used for funding new positions or capital projects.

Director Thomas Spinner cautioned the board about having a long-term plan for when interest rates decrease emphasizing board members need to be on the same page.

Director Laura McKelvey raised concerns about treating interest revenue as recurring revenue. She remarked “adding five positions without commensurate cuts is concerning.” She wondered whether the district could reallocate staff to fill some of the needed positions so fewer positions will need to be added. She reflected on the past and expressed her fear about hiring new staff and then having to reduce staff for lack of funds.

Fuini-Hetten addressed some of these concerns by explaining recommendations are based on data and the data has shown the district needs to reduce class size.

Additionally, the nursing staff are seeing more stsudents daily and there is not enough coverage for nurses.

As for facilities, to maintain them properly, the district needs an additional maintenance position.

Fuini-Hetten acknowledged it is possible positions may need to be reduced in the future but there should be natural attrition in some elementary positions as well. As for reallocating staff, each teacher has a full teaching load and the reallocations would come at the cost of eliminating programs like intervention or full day kindergarten which administration would not support.

Gnall polled board members to get a feel for where they land on assuming a 5.3% tax increase so administrators plan appropriately before the May operations and finance committee meeting. Some members expressed their reluctance but ultimately the majority of the board indicated they would be in favor of a tax rate of 5.3%.

During the curriculum and technology portion of the meeting, the board voted to approve two overnight trips for students participating in the Pennsylvania Junior Academy of Science and the Pennsylvania Music Educators Association All- State Wind Ensemble.

Also approved was New York University speech and language student teacher Jami Simmons to work with Lauren Mackay, Cara Sepcoski and Ashley Merkel May 9 through July 29.

A revised special education plan and a special education service agreement with Bucks County Intermediate Unit #22 for the 2024-2025 school year was also approved.

Finance committee chair Ian Riccaboni brought a motion to approve a public school facility improvement grant in the amount of $1.8 million from the Commonwealth Financing Authority to be used for HVAC equipment and health and safety upgrades. Approval of the grant commits the board to paying 25% of the total amount awarded.

The motion was passed.

The board accepted the resignation of part-time health and physical education teacher Rocky Wilson at Salisbury Middle School and approved the retirement of Kathleen McNally, part-time ESL teacher at Salisbury High School, Sherry Wetherhold, full-time technology teacher at SHS and director of student activities Monica Deeb at SHS.

New hires include Julianna Giardina, part-time SMS health and physical education teacher, Christopher Butynski, full-time English teacher at SHS, Jason Laky, SHS head girls basketball coach, Carissa Kluska, SMS cheerleading coach and Richard Sikora, assistant SMS swim club adviser.

New gameworkers approved by the board include Nicoll Spinner, Kevin DiZenzo and Jessica Chong.

Extended school year hires for 2023-2024 include teachers Cara Sepcoski and Tracy Kehm and instructional assistants Karen Vitalos and Linda Gardus.

The board also approved an agreement between Salisbury Township School District and Carbon Lehigh Intermediate Unit #21 to participate in the Technology in Education Legal Counsel Consortium for 2024-2025. Also approved was a Multiple Disabilities Functional Support classroom at SHS for grade 9-12. This classroom is housed in the high school but comes at no cost to the district.

During his report on the Lehigh Carbon Community College, Sam DeFrank noted a budget gap of $866,000 was closed by not filling open positions and a growth in interest income. A reduction in enrollment at LCCC was the cause of the budget gap.

Director Sarah Nemitz reported Lehigh Career and Technical Institute has received a total of 1,208 completed applications and 70% of these applicants were placed in their first choice lab. A process management team is now being formed to address the issue of the lack of space for all students who apply to be placed. Currently 188 students were not able to be placed.

Nemitz also spoke about the Pennsylvania School Boards Association legislative agenda which advocates on behalf of school boards about issues that affect public education. She offered to write up a proposal for submission and opened the floor for suggestions of specific issues and board concerns. Most of the issues centered around cyber/charter school reform.

In her superintendent’s report, Fuini-Hetten highlighted the many legislative events she and other administrators as well as Nemitz have attended in order to advocate for budget funding and cyber/charter school reform.

State Sen. Nick Miller, D-14th, recently visited Salisbury Elementary School which afforded the opportunity to highlight some of the facilities improvements that need completing.

Salisbury Education Foundation awarded two mini-grants to Angela Xander to explore technology integration in calculus and Christina Attar for STEM activities.

During the month of April the district celebrated school librarian week and paraprofessional day.

For those who plan ahead, commencement ceremonies for the graduating class of 2024 will be held 7 p.m. June 2 at the SHS stadium. In case of inclement weather graduation will be held June 3.

In new business, Gaither suggested holding a voter registration event at the high school in the fall for eligible students and community members. Administrators are looking to partner an interested student group with the League of Women Voters to coordinate and run the event.

The next regular school board meeting will be held 7 p.m. May 15 immediately following the curriculum and technology meeting. All meetings are held in the administration building, 1140 Salisbury Road, Allentown.