The Bethlehem school board voted 6–0 May 10 to adopt a budget with expenditures of $315,479,684 and revenues of $307,751,363. Six members were present; Dr. Dean Donaher, Craig Neiman and Angela Sinkler were absent.

Superintendent Dr. Joseph Roy recommended increasing tax millage by 2 percent and using $3.8 million from the district’s fund balance to close the $7.7 million gap. Raising taxes 2 percent would cost the owner of a median-value home in Northampton County an additional $89.32, with an increase of $28.34 in Lehigh County. The final budget adoption vote is scheduled for June 14.

Curriculum updates

The board also heard a recommendation for a new Spanish curriculum, received updates on educational programs for next year and on potential grading changes, and discussed amendments to agreements with Colonial Intermediate Unit 20 (CIU20) for non-public schools. The changes to CIU20 allocations to non-public schools apply to Title I and Title II contracts approved Aug. 24, 2020, and stem from an adjustment made by the Division of Fed. Programs at the state Department of Education.

Additionally, Assistant Superintendent Dr. Jack Silva announced that (barring significant changes in the coronavirus landscape) all BASD students will be physically in school five days per week next year. Dr. Silva also gave an update on the district’s work on changing the way it grades student work. Having worked with assessment expert Dr. Thomas Guskey for the past two years, the district plans to pilot a new grading system for secondary schools in the 2022–23 year.

Amanda Hinkel and Maureen Leeson, assistant principals at Liberty HS and Freedom HS during the curriculum review, headed a committee of Spanish teachers in the district to assess options. After hearing presentations from two invited publishers, the committee unanimously selected Vista to recommend to the board for secondary Spanish language education. The package’s rigor, breadth and ease of integration with the district’s technology were factors in the decision.

Facilities updates

The facilities portion of the meeting included an update on the 2011 General Obligation Bond from Scott Shearer of PFM Financial Advisors and a recommendation to approve an agreement for Moravian College to use the Liberty HS and Freedom HS pools for its new swim teams. The pool-sharing agreement is delineated to ensure that Moravian College athletes only use BASD pools when they are not already in use for district or Special Olympics events.

Shearer advised the board that the interest rate market “looks quite good,” informing them that refinancing the 2011 series of bonds would allow the district to take advantage of roughly $33 million worth of debt, saving more than $2.5 million. In order to make the Nov. 15 bond redemption date, the board will vote to begin the transaction paperwork at the May 24 meeting.

The details of all items scheduled for a vote May 24 are available online (https://go.boarddocs.com/pa/beth/Board.nsf/Public).