The Saucon Valley School Board addressed multiple noteworthy agenda items at its lengthy May 9 meeting.

Perhaps most significantly, the board considered a 2023-2024 final budget proposal in the amount of $59,191,901. Of that amount, the district has earmarked $7,418,626 for capital improvements such as facility maintenance.

The proposal keeps landowners’ property tax millage at 54.6589, with no increase, and pulls $7,929,026 from the district’s fund balance to cover the resulting revenue deficit.

Before the board voted, Business Manager David Bonenberger gave a presentation that provided a detailed breakdown of anticipated revenues and expenditures. Ultimately, the budget passed unanimously.

The other major topic of the evening was the first reading of several revised policies, many of which affect broad swaths of the district.

Discussion among directors and Solicitor Mark Fitzgerald took a substantial amount of time, although it did not appear that any newsworthy changes to any of the policy topics – which included attendance, immunizations, enrollment ages, and more – took place.

However, in a move that appeared to take board President Susan Baxter by surprise as she called for a vote, director Michael Karabin abruptly asked for a roll call.

When Baxter asked him why, he said the policies, “weren’t studied hard enough” in Academic and Personnel Committee meetings, which Baxter reminded him he was a party to. Karabin was the sole objector against advancing the policies to their next and final reading.

In other news, Athletic Director Robert Frey came before the board with a presentation summarizing the recent accomplishments and upcoming changes affecting the district’s sports teams. He took questions for about half an hour, notably mentioning that the district’s PIAA Class will decrease by a level in several sports due to shrinking enrollment.