The East Penn Board of School Directors passed a resolution to discontinue bussing for Willow Lane students who live within three-quarters of a mile from the school.

The school board voted to adopt transportation policy 810 in the board policy manual. The new policy includes a specific minimum distance for district bussing set to begin the 2013-2014 school year.

Superintendent Thomas Seidenberger said between 125 and 140 students live within the allotted walking distance from Willow Lane Elementary School. Only special education students or students with other mitigating circumstances would receive district funded transportation within three-quarters of a mile.

Seidenberger said he wanted to assure parents the district will measure the distance for any parents who are in doubt about the exact distance of their home from the school.

"What we're going to do is use discretion. We're not going to go to war with a parent over a foot or a yard. We're going to do something that makes sense," he said.

He said the school district will realize a savings of over $54,000 annually from the reduction in bussing.

The resolution was adopted after public comment from Susan Coenen, who encouraged the board of directors to adopt the three-quarter-mile distance but reminded them to look into the still unresolved improvement issues to the site, including the loss of 12 drop-off spaces for parents' cars.

Coenen had conducted her own survey of Willow Lane parents and combined results with those of the board's February 11 survey. Cohen's report determined between 89 and 186 vehicles would be dropping off at the school every day.

Seidenberger said plans for site improvements could not be posted publicly until approved by Lower Macungie Township. He said the plan is contingent on township engineer's approval of site improvements including school zone signals and crosswalks.

Seidenberger released the budget books to the board of directors Monday evening as well. The superintendent was optimistic, "[more] than I've been in a long time." He emphasized three pieces of legislation.

Legislation currently under consideration in the state might save the district $102,000 in cyber and charter school costs.

Additional security measures are being considered at Emmaus High School in the wake of a recent bomb threat as well as the Sandy Hook tragedy.

Another new bill's introduction may allow for district parents to waive their option for district transportation. Parents deciding not to use busing would be able to opt out of it.

"In essence [parents could] give up rights to transportation if the district offers it," Seidenberger said.

Despite talk of increased educational budget from Harrisburg, Seidenberger says the district will not include that number in its budget for the 2013-2014 school year.

East Penn School Board director Julian Stolz came under fire from a district parent who asked Stolz to resign from the school board for his response to a comment posted on Twitter.com March 8.

Parent Lou Schuler addressed the board about a conversation between Stolz and Todd Kincannon on the subject of the failing public education system. Kincannon tweeted, "There is nothing more brain rotting than public schools. God I pity the proletariat for having to send their inferior crotchfruit to them."

Stolz's response: "As a School Board director, I wish I could disagree. As a sentient being, I cannot."

Schuler questioned, "Why does a person who holds in contempt our children, and their parents, and all the taxpayers of our district, take up one of just nine positions on our school board?

"Again, my issue is not with the fact that Mr. Stolz holds these repellent views," Schuler continued. "My problem is that Mr. Stolz uses his position on our school board as the source of his authority to support those repellent views."

After his statement, Stolz said, "I don't agree with the language that Mr. Kincannon used ... I agree that there are many problems with public education in this country. East Penn School District is an exception to the rule where children in certain districts are trapped in very poor schools. I do not consider that to be the case in our school district. I think we do a great job. I look forward to continuing to take part on this board.

"We have a lot of excellent schools in this district but a lot of that is because we have de facto private schools because of the cost of living," Stoltz said.

"I agree with [Mr. Kincannon's] sentiment, not his language," Stolz said.

Schuler said he moved to the district with his family 15 years ago for the promise of better schools for his children.

"Those of us who take pride in our schools, in our case who moved here deliberately, who believe in our schools, who gladly pay our taxes and don't complain about our taxes we just want the schools to be good," Schuler commented Tuesday morning. "When he says he agrees with the sentiment, the sentiment is that somehow we are inferior because we send our kids to public school."