The East Penn Board of School Directors received welcome news from Business Administrator Robert Saul at the May 13 regular meeting.

“The budget is a continuing process,” School Superintendent Dr. Kristen Campbell said as she introduced Saul to report updates. She noted a final vote on the budget takes place June 10.

Saul reported there were some changes in wages, insurances and other fringe benefits that allowed for reducing the previously proposed tax increase from 5% to 4.2%.

“Obviously we will continue to evaluate those revenue and expenditure areas throughout the budget to try to sharpen our pencil, if you will,” Saul said as he provided his briefing on the 2024-2025 budget.

The board and administration gratefully accepted a donation of $13,695.34 from The GIANT Company through their Feeding School Kids initiative, The donated funds are to provide financial support toward reducing student lunch debt.

The board quickly voted unanimously to reappoint Saul as treasurer for the term effective July 1 to June 30, 2025. “I don’t know what we’d do without Mr. Saul,” Director Alisa Bowman remarked.

In other personnel matters, the directors accepted the retirement of Lower Macungie Middle School Grade 6 Teacher Michael Barker effective June 10. Campbell remarked Barker taught for 24 years at LMMS of his 29-year-long career as an educator.

The board also accepted the resignation of five district teachers. They include Eyer Middle School special education teacher Kaitlyn Keeley, Emmaus High School English teacher Stacey Yapsuga, Alburtis Elementary School teacher Kristin Morozzi, Willow Lane Elementary School first grade teacher Bethany Matase and Wescosville Elementary School fourth grade teacher Alison McKane. All are effective June 10.

Approved new hires to fill positions left vacant by retirements include Taylor Mattocks as special education supervisor – elementary effective May 14. Campbell introduced Mattocks to the board and noted she is moving up from teaching at Wescosville Elementary School having served as interim special education supervisor.

Five teaching positions are being filled with Heather Molnarko as a special education teacher at EHS and Taylor Getchius as an elementary teacher at Shoemaker Elementary School (both effective Aug. 15) along with Spencer Koppenol as EHS music teacher and band director (effective July 1) and Madison Weidenhammer as an elementary teacher at Alburtis Elementary School (effective Aug. 15). Julia Sledz was approved for a special education teaching position at Eyer Middle School effective Aug. 15.

At their last meeting for the school year, EHS Student Government Association School Board Student Representatives Julena Patel and Elizabeth Samer reported on spring sports and club activities. While Patel focused on athletes named as Eastern Pennsylvania Conference all-stars, Samer highlighted the high school’s music program and club activities, including the recent Shave for the Brave event that raised $81,000 for pediatric cancer research.

“You have certainly been a tremendous asset to our student body, to Emmaus High School and to the school community as well,” Campbell remarked to the SGA reps as she presented each with a token of the board’s appreciation. Both are graduating seniors with Samer headed to Thomas Jefferson University as a physical therapy major and Patel pursuing a career in engineering. She is undecided between attending Duke University or University of Pennsylvania.

In her district update, Campbell proudly announced the EHS cast and crew of “Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella” has garnered 16 Freddy Award nominations. She congratulated Julia Wallace and the chorale students for their Gold level performance at the Heritage Festival held recently in Boston. Campbell recognized the EHS History Day Club and student athletes’ recent accomplishments.

The superintendent reminded families with children turning age 5 by Sept. 1 that kindergarten registration continues.

While the information is correct on the online version, she pointed out an error in the printed district calendar. May 24 will be a half day for students with 11 a.m. dismissal at EHS and the middle schools. Elementary schools will dismiss 12:30 p.m.

Directors Timothy Kelly, Gabrielle Klotz and Shonta Ford stepped up and were appointed to serve as voting delegates for the Pennsylvania School Boards Association Delegate Assembly being held Nov. 2.

Lehigh Career & Technical Institute Joint Operating Committee Member Adam Smith reported LCTI advertising design instructor William Childs is the author of “Childs Play: A Guide to Help Reclaim and Harness Your Creative Power,” a recently published book.

Smith mentioned there are more students applying than there are classroom seats for them. He also spoke about Mack Trucks’ $10,000 donation to Pennsylvania DECA to produce 8,000 lapel pins designed by LCTI student Julia Jachowicz. Pennsylvania student delegates traded those pins with others at DECA’s annual international conference.

There were seven requests to comment at the board meeting. Six are district instructional assistants requesting the budget include more full-time positions for IAs. So far, the proposed 2024-2025 budget calls for six part-time IA positions to be made full-time and three new IA positions be added.

East Penn Education Support Professionals President Keri Crawford and Tammy Hughes, of Macungie, Lisa MacDonald, Nicole Maranki and Kristina Schware, of Allentown and Melody Arndt, of Alburtis, all spoke about the importance of their work, as well as describing the frustration they, the teachers they work with and the students who need the extra attention, feel when sessions are cut short because they are working part time.

Crawford asked if the three new positions were full- or part-time. She stated the minimum cost to the district to upgrade these paraprofessionals to full-time status would greatly benefit the students in their care.

Hughes mentioned that, per contract, they are supposed to have student-free lunch breaks, but some IAs often have to spend breaks monitoring a student as they are so short-handed.

EHS Drum Major Stavros Marangos, of Emmaus, asked that with rising fuel prices, more funding for transportation be added to the music department budget.

President Dr. Joshua A. Levinson mentioned an executive session was held 6:15 p.m. before the public forum on “matters of litigation and negotiations.”

He announced the district will be closed May 27 for Memorial Day.

The next regular school board meeting is scheduled 7:30 p.m. June 10. 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.