In accordance with Pennsylvania School Code, a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) or CPA firm must annually audit the district. The district pays for this audit. The audit is an examination of the districts’ financial statements by an independent, external person(s) to ascertain whether or not the district-prepared financial statements fairly represent in material (significant) respects its financial position and operations. The auditor offers an opinion on this matter.

The audit for the 2021/22 school year was completed by the audit firm, Maillie LLP., which specializes in school district auditing. The 2021/22 audit was presented at the December 2022 Work Session Meeting for the Board of School Directors to review and then the Board voted upon to accept the report at its Regular December 2022 Board meeting. Because the District collected in excess of $750,000, another audit review called a single audit was triggered and was also included with the regular audit report for the 2021/22 school year. The current audit, as well as many previous audits, can be found at https://www.lmtsd.org/site/default.aspx?PageID=13642 and are located in the middle of the page.

Every year the district crafts a professional development plan in order to support teachers, staff, and administrators in their continued growth and development. The plan, called the Act 48 plan, is submitted for PDE review as a component of the Comprehensive Plan. The Act 48 plan is locally reviewed twice a year. Professional development goals are established based on the focus areas articulated in the Strategic Plan, the Comprehensive Plan, and a needs assessment. This year the goals include Differentiated Instruction, technology integration, curriculum clarity, learning intentions and success criteria, and creating a sense of belonging. The professional development calendar also includes trainings mandated by PDE on an annual, ongoing or cyclical basis. So far this year the following topics have been presented for professional learning: Universal Design for Learning; English Language Development; Suicide Prevention Training (6-12); Learning Intentions and Success Criteria; Diversity, Equity and Inclusion; Threat Assessments for School Counselors; Canvas Training; and Using Data to Inform Instruction. The upcoming professional development day on January 23, 2023, will include a continued focus on Learning Intentions and Success Criteria; Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion; and Trauma-Informed Instruction. All of these efforts assist in maintaining the district's focus on meeting the needs of all learners in the educational environment.

The Technology Department supports information technology systems and instructional technology programs and practices in the district. Each month, we highlight how our students and teachers engage in 21st Century learning activities. We also share updates on new initiatives and tips and tricks related to devices and technology tools used in the district.

Skype a Scientist

Murray Avenue librarian, Reesha Grosso, hosted a Skype a Scientist event with an entomologist. The special guest was Marisa Cole, a PhD student at North Carolina State University who studies the microbiome of termites. Prior to the session, students completed a Google Form to record the questions they wanted to ask and what they wanted to know about the scientist’s educational background. Ms. Grosso said students showed great curiosity regarding the eastern subterranean termite!

Pine Road Topic

Students in Mrs. Banavich’s fifth-grade class recently read the book Number the Stars by Lois Lowry and were tasked with creating a newspaper to reflect on portions of the book. Working in teams of two, students used Google Slides to create virtual newspapers complete with articles, images, and advertisements that are reflective of the location and time period that the book took place (Copenhagen, Denmark in 1943). This allowed the students to demonstrate an understanding of the book while working on their team-building skills. The project was followed up by a virtual guest speaker, Daniel Goldsmith, detailing his experiences during the Holocaust to give the students a first-hand look into the time period.