School Board Meeting Highlights
12-6-16
Agenda:
For a complete agenda, please visit us at:http://www.boarddocs.com/pa/parkland/Board.nsf/Public
All motions were approved.
Reorganization Meeting
David Kennedy was re-elected as President and Lisa Roth was re-elected as Vice President. They were both unanimously approved. Jef Reyburn was absent.
Business Meeting
New Money Borrowing and Parameters Resolution
Scott Shearer from Public Financial Management, Inc. was present to explain a New Money Borrowing Plan and Parameters Resolution that will allow the Parkland School District to borrow $10M in early 2017 to pay for capital improvements, technology, buses, and some soft costs related to the planning for a new elementary school. He also reviewed plans to borrow money over the next three years, in total citing a plan that includes the borrowing of approximately $48M. The four-year borrowing plan includes borrowing of funds to build a new school as well as to maintain existing facilities and infrastructure through a capital improvement plan that is the result of a feasibility study that was performed last year. This is just an estimate and can change based on a number of variables over the next few years. The new school is projected to cost approximately $30M and will alleviate enrollment in the southern schools which have witnessed a lot of growth from new construction that continues to occur in Upper Macungie Township. The plan is to build a new elementary school that would open in the fall of 2020. Mr. Shearer explained that the district is in good financial health with limited debt and a schedule that shows that debt service will drop off significantly in 2023. He explained that new borrowing can be structured so that the majority of the debt service comes due when the current debt service drops off, thus allowing a minimal impact to the taxpayers for a new school building project. A link to the handout is here.
Recognition for Mr. Mark Hanichak
Mark Hanichak a member of the Parkland school board, received recognition for 8 years of service on the School Board. He has been honored with a certificate adding him to the PSBA “Honor Roll of School Board Service.” Richard Sniscak, Superintendent of Schools, spoke about Hanichak and his years of dedicated volunteer service to children, the community and public education. “School directors continually are spending more of their personal time on school-related activities,” he said. “Fifty-four percent of them devote 16 hours or more a month to school board business. They exemplify leadership and dedication, giving unselfishly to their communities, students and public school,” he said.
Roundtable
Everyone welcomed Steven Behr as the new Coordinator of Elementary/Middle School Special Education. They also congratulated Mark Hanichak for serving 8 years on the School Board.
David Kennedy wished everyone a happy holiday as he will not be present on December 20th. He stated that he really enjoyed the Heroes and Helpers event that took place today at Target when Parkland students who were in need of some cheer were paired with Police Officers to shop for their family holiday gifts. Check out pictures on our facebook page here.
When approving accounts payables, two Board members Rob Cohen and Lisa Roth, declined approval for payments to the cyber charter schools in an effort to emphasize their disgust in paying mandated payments to underachieving cyber schools.