Eight BASD school board members met March 23 – some in person, some on the phone via GoToMeeting – to appoint a new director to fill the Region 1 spot vacated in February by Rogelio Ortiz. They also paid routine bills; authorized the payment of next month’s bills (in view of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic); paid hourly workers for the time they would have worked during the state-mandated school closure March 16 to 27; approved the budgets submitted by Bethlehem Area Vo-Tech School, Colonial Intermediate Unit 20, and Northampton Community College; and awarded landscape maintenance service contracts.

Superintendent Dr. Joseph Roy reported that Governor Tom Wolf extended the coronavirus-related school closure through April 7, with employees to report back April 8 and students April 9, subject to further updates.

Three candidates applied and were interviewed on March 16 for the Region 1 seat. At the board meeting, Angela Sinkler nominated Winston Alozie; Dr. Kim Shively seconded the motion. The board voted unanimously to approve the motion, and board president Mike Faccinetto thanked Basilio Bonilla Jr., and Dr. Sam Hopp for their interest in the position.

Alozie is the CEO of the Boys & Girls Club of Bethlehem, where he previously served as a program director; he has also been an afterschool coordinator at Communities in Schools of the Lehigh Valley. He is a 2010 graduate of Edinboro University of Pa.

The board authorized Faccinetto to execute a Memorandum of understanding with the clerical, custodial, bus drivers and monitors, food service, educational support personnel, and professional staff to pay them according to their regular pay schedule during the state-mandated closing of schools between March 16 and 27.

A previous bid request for landscape maintenance services for all district properties had generated too few bids to ensure competitive pricing. District Chief Facilities Officer Mark Stein then split the bid request, put it out to 13 vendors, and received five bids. The board selected Zachary Bittner Lawn Care (dba Perfection Landscaping & Lawn Care) to service the properties on the south and east sides of the district and Stephen F. Searock IV (dba Searock’s Lawn Care) to take care of the north and west properties. Both contracts cover three years; the Perfection contract is for $275,358, and the Searock contract totals $218,378.

Faccinetto notified the board officially that the Pa. School Boards Association has been working with the Pa. Department of Education to waive the 180-day requirement and the standardized tests (PSSAs and Keystones) for this year. He also noted with regret that the Foundation for the BASD dinner has been canceled, but that the silent auction will still go on at a later date.

The vast majority of donors have chosen not to seek a refund of their donations. Faccinetto thanked the generous donors who said, “It’s not about the food or the bar; it’s about the students of the district.”

The budget workshop scheduled for March 30 has been canceled; budget information will be posted on BoardDocs as it becomes available. April committee meetings will be held jointly April 20, with a board meeting (including voting) April 27. Roy mentioned that the board and administration are quickly becoming more proficient at Zoom and GoToMeeting sessions. One board member noted that the mandatory coronavirus-related business shutdowns have had serious repercussions on individual and family finances, which the board will take into consideration as it works on the budget.

All motions passed 8-0.