The Salisbury Township School District Board of Directors held a regular school board meeting June 18 where board members honored one of three retirees, voted on a final budget and approved several personnel changes.

The meeting began by honoring retiring kindergarten teacher Jean Schey who has spent 22 years nurturing countless children at the start of their academic careers. Salisbury Elementary School Assistant Principal Brian Muschlitz held back tears as he read a proclamation recounting how Schey worked tirelessly to engage her students in creative and interesting activities and how much she will be missed.

Superintendent Lynn Fuini-Hetten remarked how visiting her classroom was a buzz of happiness, songs, dancing and movement. She acknowledged the amount of energy it takes to create such an environment for kindergarten students.

Schey expressed her appreciation for having had the opportunity to be a teacher in the district and while teaching was a second career for her she was glad she chose to become a teacher. She went on to say how she will miss the students who make her feel like a rock star with their hugs, waves and calls to her whenever they see her. She also noted she has informed her colleagues that much like “Sign up Genius” she is creating “Sign up Jean Yes!” and they can call on her to be a mystery reader or ask for help and she will be there to assist whenever she can.

In lieu of a retirement gift and aligning with her giving nature, Schey requested the district make a contribution in her name to the Peaceable Kingdom Animal Shelter.

During the citizen’s comments portion of the meeting, resident Dennis Engle expressed his concern with regard to tax increases and its burden on taxpayers causing financial hardships. He said the current method of funding at the state level is broken and questioned how the state is using tax money for education. He listed ways he believes the current system violates the Pennsylvania State Constitution and he hoped some creative solutions at the legislative level can help to alleviate the burden on taxpayers while providing a “thorough and efficient education for all students” as written in the state’s constitution.

Curriculum and technology committee chair, Director Carol Klinger, brought several motions to the board for approval including agreements with the Center for Humanistic Change, Behavioral Health Associates, Da Vinci Science Center membership, Moravian University, Special Education Services Agreement with Bucks County IU 22, Colonial Intermediate Unit 20 for services and for partial hospitalization program services and Catasauqua Area School District agreement for life skills support program. All agreements were approved.

The board also approved the 2025 graduation list and both student and VAST handbooks for 2025-2026.

Approval was granted for De Sales University student teachers Barbara Yurchishin and Julie Jones who will work with Ashley Merkel and Erin Williams and Rachel Monte who will work with Cara Sepcoski.

Additionally, approval was granted to Lehigh University students Rebecca Harten who will work with SES/Salisbury Middle School psychologist Dana Kosman and Alyssa Perez who will be paired with Salisbury High School guidance counselor Allison Moyer.

Moravian University student teacher Jenna Deegan was approved to work with learning support teacher Vicky Evener.

In the operations portion of the meeting, the board approved Dawn Nickischer as the board secretary for the term of July 1 through June 30, 2028.

Next on the agenda was the task of appointing a new board treasurer. Board President Joseph Gnall nominated Director Ian Riccaboni and Director Thomas Spinner nominated Director Laura McKelvey who respectfully declined. Votes were cast and Riccaboni was appointed to serve as treasurer for a term July 1 through June 30, 2026.

Spinner made a motion for a roll call vote to approve the district’s 2025-2026 final budget reflecting total expenditures of $48,782,741 and a tax increase of 3.75%. All nine members voted to approve the budget.

The board also approved an agreement with CLEAR Residency for software to assist in identifying and supporting a case for disenrolling non-residents who attend schools within the district or cyber/charter schools. The 36-month agreement comes at an annual cost of $11,161.92.

The finance portion of the meeting gave approval to the administration to make additional budget transfers for the 2024-2025 fiscal year and approval was granted for the 2025 Homestead/Farmhouse Exclusion Resolution in the amount of $240.69.

Personnel committee chair McKelvey brought several personnel matters to the board for approval starting with approving the retirement of teachers Gregory Laub, business (29 years), Rachel Reinecke, music (33 years) and Schey, kindergarten, (22 years.)

The resignations of Christine Russell, full-time business/IT, SHS, Megan Templet, assistant basketball coach, Ashley Nagy and Maia Geiger, head unified bocce coaches were also approved.

New hires include Britteny Csaszar, full-time instructional assistant, Diane Keiser, full-time instructional assistant, Olivia Neal, full-time autistic support teacher, Amber O’Brien, full-time mathematics teacher, Erin Bross, full-time long-term substitute, business/computer and information technology teacher and Grollinsky Pierre, long-term substitute custodian.

The following have been approved as building substitutes for the 2025-2026 school year: Isabella Caban-Echevarria, Joseph Lynn, SES, Preston Kuscan, April Ziegler, SMS, Lee Posivak and Wendy Brody, SHS.

Individuals approved as summer help to assist the technology department include Gavin Grym, Michael McWhorter, Charles Smith and Christopher Smith.

Three individuals were approved as summer custodial help including Malae Mayck, Jared Specht and Reily Cady.

Approval was granted to employ the following to provide tutoring for the STEAM program: Dara Ackerman, Emily Amato, Wendy Brody, Heather Cumello, Angela Hagenbuch, Diane Kasaczun, Jennifer Kowaliski, Lee Posivak and Shannon Stokes.

Amber Goodwin, Leanne Adamcik, Constance Keller and Maryann Kelley were approved as instructional assistants and Michelle Peters and Danielle Walters will provide nursing services.

Susan Knight and Joseph Lynn were approved as substitutes for the STEAM program.

Educational liaisons approved for the 2025-2026 school year are Heather Cumello, Diane Kasaczun and Laura Nogueira.

The board granted approval to the following staff members to serve as department chairs for the 2025-2026 academic year: Megan Basile, science, Angela Xander, mathematics, Anne Ruiz, ELA, Laura DosSantos, world language and Tanya Kennedy, social studies.

Leah Saliby was approved to serve as the summer school facilitator effective June 30 through Aug. 1.

Two transfers approved by the board include So Choi from part-time long-term substitute art teacher to part-time art teacher and Danielle Walter from full-time, long-term substitute school nurse to full-time school nurse.

Tenure status was granted to Kathleen Shermetta effective Aug. 18 as a result of three years of satisfactory service.

The board approved a list Act 93 administrative salaries as well as non-union confidential support staff/administration assistants salaries for the 2025-2026 school year.

A list of extracurricular activities positions list and game worker rates received approval.

Agreements with Gifted Healthcare, School Operation Services Group, Inc. Judge Healthcare, Interim Healthcare, Amerigas Healthcare Staffing, Inc, Soliant Healthcare and Elite Educational & Therapeutic Support Services were approved.

The board also approved service agreements with independent contractors Janine Wargo, Susie Sepulveda, Donna Hopstetter, Emily Laracy, Kirsten Truman and Lakia Kearson.

Also approved was a list of substitute rates for the 2025-2026 school year.

The policy committee brought 33 policies to the board for final reading and adoption. The motion passed.

During board member reports, the board approved a Carbon Lehigh Intermediate Unit 21 Discovery Education agreement for the 2025-2026 fiscal year in the amount of $2,825.

Lehigh Carbon Community College liaison Sam DeFrank reported the Pennsylvania budget is still gridlocked and probably will not be passed until September. He noted the 2026 budget looks to be even more challenging with shrinking federal funds in the offing.

The board unanimously approved the Salisbury Township School District 2026 legislative platform which advocates for educational equity and accountability and addresses public funding for public schools.

In her superintendent’s report, Fuini-Hetten highlighted several ceremonial events that have recently taken place including SHS graduation, an Arts Academy dedication for Bill Fitzpatrick and the swearing in of Fuini-Hetten and Assistant Superintendent Kelly Pauling to their new terms.

She congratulated the SHS theater department on its Freddy nomination for outstanding use of costumes for the production of “The Hello Girls.”

She noted kindergarten registration numbers currently reflect 83 completed registrations with 11 pending. These numbers will be closely monitored over the summer as families continue to register.

She also shared a federal grant update and pointed out a significant reduction in Title I funding from 2024-2026 to 2025-2026 totaling $43,310.

A COPS grant has been submitted to help fund electronic locking, security cameras and intercom upgrades which could result in $320,000 in grant money and an $80,000 district match.

In other news, $85,150 of $190,000 has been recouped from the American Rescue Plan that provides support for homeless children and youth.

The Salisbury Township School board will hold an operations and finance committee meeting 7 p.m. Aug. 6 and a regular school board meeting 7 p.m. Aug. 13. All meetings are held in the administration building 1140 Salisbury Road, Allentown