School Board Meeting Highlights
7-26-16
Agenda:
For a complete agenda, please visit us at:http://www.boarddocs.com/pa/parkland/Board.nsf/Public
All motions were approved.
Business Meeting
Parkland Community Library Presentation
The Library made a presentation to the School Board to provide information about their intent to seek a 0.18 mill tax increase on the Parkland School District's special library tax. The bump would bring the 0.1 millage rate up to 0.28 mills. A home valued at $200,000 could expect to pay about $56 per year to support the project while a property assessed at $325,000 could expect to pay approximately $91 more each year. The wording of a referendum question must receive approval by the Parkland School Board before going on this November's ballot on Election Day. Money collected by the tax hike will go towards the construction of a new 30,000 square foot library (the current library is 5400 sq. ft.). The proposed location sits on Orefield Rd. and is centrally located in the School District. Jef Reyburn pointed out that it was not necessarily centered around where people live, but rather took into account the geographic boundaries of the district.
The School Board asked many questions about the proposed project, citing concerns about fundraising efforts, location, what will happen to the current building, intersection/road improvements to Route 309 and Orefield Road, and whether or not there would be a sunset clause to the tax increase as well as whether other building plans and locations were considered. They cited population growth that is occurring in the southern region of the District and a growing population of families who speak English as a Second Language. LIsa Adams recommended that a sunset clause be included in the referendum question to make it more appealing.
Here is a link to their presentation.
Here is a link to the new library's Frequently Asked Questions document.
Roundtable
The Board thanked the library for their presentation and for answering the many questions that were asked during the meeting. Superintendent Sniscak and the Board thanked the HR Department for their assistance with the hiring process during a very busy hiring season.