During the Nov. 12 Catasauqua Area School District Board of Education meeting, Dr. Christina Lutz-Doemling, superintendent of schools, and Lindsey Wallace, business manager, provided a brief budget update.

Wallace noted the work continues to go smoothly with the auditors, and she expects a positive contribution to the fund balance.

The 2025-26 budget process is underway. Wallace noted budget worksheets are going out to administration later in November. They will take the next few months to compile data and information, identify needs, review capital projects and revenue sources and more. Due to the loss of ESSER funds, Wallace reported they are looking for possible cuts and revisions to avoid unnecessary increases.

A vote is expected in January 2025 to approve the district to not exceed its adjusted Act I index of 7%. A special early budget meeting will be held in March or April 2025, with the proposed final budget approval in May 2025. The budget will be available for at least 30 days before final approval in June 2025.

In other business, the board approved new appointments to the district. Erika Proctor was approved as the new head softball coach, Arianna Stallworth will be a student worker at Catasauqua Middle School, and Kimberly Flueso joins the team as a K-12 career connections coordinator and business/computer and information technology teacher at Catasauqua High School.

Proctor is no stranger to the district; not only is she an alumna, but she has served in coaching roles for the district before. According to Eric Dauberman, assistant to the superintendent, Proctor was unanimously chosen by the committee.

“Thank you for the opportunity to continue to coach for my alma mater,” Proctor said at the meeting.

Flueso has a background in business and finance education and instructional technology. She said she was happy to return to teaching in a smaller district.

“She brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to our district,” Dauberman said.

“Helping students explore and connect is something I’m passionate about,” Flueso said.

The resignation of Jalyah Rosado, a student worker at CMS, was also approved.

Shaborn Henderson, Maria Rivera, Maria Pereira and Karolyn De Los Angeles were approved as substitute non-CDL drivers, and Kaitlyn Bird was approved as a substitute teacher.

A change in employment status was approved for Charlotte Britto. She will change from a guest teacher to a daily building substitute at CHS.

A handful of extracurricular positions and stipends were approved or revised, including Tara Belfield, head girls basketball coach at $6,000; Hector Garcia, assistant girls basketball coach at $1,500; Stephen Bradley, assistant girls basketball coach at $4,800; Robert Skipper, assistant girls basketball coach at $1,800 and volunteer indoor track and field coach; Anthony Cunningham, assistant girls basketball coach at $3,300; and Kevin Carter, volunteer assistant boys basketball coach.

Job descriptions were approved for the new K-12 career connections coordinator/high school BCIT teacher, instructional aide, food service utility person, kitchen manager and general kitchen help. Additionally, the board approved a new Holy Trinity Memorial Lutheran Church of Catasauqua Scholarship account.

The board members also approved the second readings of revisions, renamings and renumberings to a number of policies.

Approval was granted for the authorization of a contract with the Commonwealth Financing Authority for the Public School Facility Improvement Grant for $1,000,000 to partially fund the CHS roof repair project for an activity period of Oct. 22-June 30, 2027.

An agreement with First Student Inc. to provide limited alternative transportation services for a period of Nov. 1-June 30, 2027, was approved.

The board members had a moment of silence to honor the late Mary Alice Hartranft, a former CASD board member.

At the end of the meeting, Lutz-Doemling thanked Dr. Lisa Greenawalt, executive director at Lehigh Career and Technical Institute. Before the meeting, the board members were treated to a dinner and tour of the facilities. Lutz-Doemling recognized Greenawalt’s leadership and vision.

“We are thrilled with the level of education students are receiving,” she said.

The next board meeting will be held 7 p.m. Dec. 3, including the annual reorganization. Note: This meeting is the first week of the month, a departure from the usual second Tuesday schedule.