During the May 5 Curriculum Committee meeting, Assistant Superintendent Dr. Jack Silva appeared before the board presenting information about the district's partnership with the United Way and how it will change this upcoming school year if the district decides to continue the partnership.

Each year the board must approve a Memoranda of Agreement with for each BASD community school and provides nominal matching funds, the total cost to the district is $30,000. The expense is included in the BASD educational programs budget.

The goal of the partnership is to best serve BASD students and families by aligning the BASD Roadmap to Educational Excellence with the United Way of the Greater Lehigh Valley's investment plan. This strategy is designed to transform the school into a hub in the neighborhood by organizing a wide range of programs and services around a common vision to serve students and families.

The new investment plan presented by Jill Pereira, of the United Way, outlines the goals organization hopes to achieve in the coming years academically along with investments in community schools and promise neighborhoods of the Lehigh Valley. The United Way has set the goal of increasing the number of third grade students reading on grade level by 50 percent by 2022.

"This is the United Way putting our stake out there to get all third graders reading," Pereira said.

The current schools that participate are Lincoln ES, Fountain Hill ES, Donegan ES, Broughal MS, and William Penn ES starting 2014-15.

Silva told the board he strongly recommends continuing the memoranda of understanding.

"We are happy to keep pushing this ahead," said Dr. Joseph Roy, BASD Superintendent.