The Salisbury Township School board of directors held a regular school board meeting April 22. An executive session was held before the meeting to discuss safety and personnel issues.

After paying bills and approving meeting minutes, Amber Sams addressed the board during the citizen’s comment portion of the meeting. She made three requests of the board expressing the need for a librarian in every building to help students and teachers navigate and understand the world of AI.

Her second request centered on the need for world languages to be taught at the elementary level in an effort to prepare students for the global workforce.

She also expressed a need for the formulation of a DEI committee that reflects the district’s diversity.

Director Carol Klinger brought several items to the board for approval during the curriculum portion of the meeting. The board approved an overnight trip for Pennsylvania Junior Academy of Science trip and service agreements for students through LearnWell, CHOP Hospital and Bucks County Intermediate Unit 22.

The operations committee was granted approval for agreements with NavigateHCR, Under Armour, Kampus Klothes, Community Services for Children, Inc pre-K Counts, Right at School, LCC and change orders for additional concrete work at the administration building.

The finance portion of the meeting centered on discussing the budget and detailing the foregone revenue over the next five years should the board decide to raise taxes at the maximum allowable level of 3.5% or assign a lesser tax rate of 3.25% or 3.0%.

The current budget is balanced but is estimated at the 3.5% tax rate increase.

The administration laid out a plan of budget items that would need to be cut in order to achieve a balanced budget using the 3.25% and 3.0% rates so the board can make an informed decision.

If a 3.25% tax rate is chosen, items that may need to be eliminated include the dual enrollment tuition program, reduce legal expenses and eliminate two technology subscriptions used by teachers at Salisbury Middle School.

If a 3.0% tax increase is budgeted for the fourth grade in-school instrumental program would be eliminated or the teacher on special assignment position which would make it necessary to reallocate a staff member instead of hiring a sixth grade science teacher. Additionally, the board budget/legal expenses would be reduced to close the gap.

Another option on the table is to remove $100,000 from the capital/vehicle equipment fund.

Directors Sarah Nemitz, Rebecca Glenister, Klinger and Joseph Gnall expressed a comfort level with reducing the tax rate to 3.25% but no lower.

Director Dr. Barbara Chomik recalled a presentation from the curriculum and technology committee meeting wherein Director of Special Education Dr. Tracey Jacobi explained how the district faced an $600,000+ deficit in one year due to a large number of students moving into the district requiring special education services.

Chomik pointedly asked where the money comes from if the budget is reduced and there is a similar case where a large number of students move into the district and need special education services?

Nickischer answered, “We would actually pray that our expenses across the board come in under what we’ve allocated in everybody’s budgets.”

Additionally, she noted that a $250,000 reserve is built into the budget for any unforeseen emergency issues.

Director Joseph Gaither remarked businesses go through this all the time and have to make cuts if they have a bad year. “It is what everybody goes through.”

Director Thomas Spinner noted he does not feel comfortable with the 3.0% rate and does not want to jeopardize cutting the instrumental music program. He expressed the cuts that need to be made for the 3.25% are realistic and seem to be sensible ways to alleviate the burden on taxpayers.

Director Laura McKelvey backed a 3.0% rate increase acknowledging that she is in the minority but she pointed out that the budget includes two new positions and possibly a third. She took issue with adding staff because as she put it “we hinder our ability to pay our staff well which I am concerned about.”

She also proposed running an activity bus to shuttle students home from after school instrumental lessons in lieu of hiring a teacher to teach lessons during the school day as one of the barriers to participating in the instrumental lesson program was the after school hours.

McKelvey continued by pointing out that according to her calculations the board has raised taxes 21% over that last five years, which she believes is the highest of any district in the county.

Superintendent Lynn Fuini-Hetten clarified by saying, “we are not adding three new positions but rather reallocating a portion of a special-education teacher to a teacher on special assignment. We are adding, potentially, the music teacher and also adding a contingent kindergarten teacher if needed.”

In the end, the administration will revise the budget to reflect a 3.25% increase and a vote will be taken at a later date.

Personnel changes include the retirement of science teacher Gary Schweyer and the resignations of Emily Gittlelman, full-time instructional assistant, Carol Monaghan, part-time nurse, Patria Porto, custodian and coaches Bevin Beckage and Jason Laky.

New hires include Tanya Hilbert, full-time/long term substitute custodian, Brandi Haja, full-time school nurse and Jessie Hunt, SMS softball coach.

Extended school year hires include teacher Lucy Reinsmith, daily substitute Paige Mathieu and instructional assistants Samantha FaRante and Diane Keiser.

Students approved to assist the technology department over the summer include Gabriel Gnall, Grayson Gnall, Christopher Smith and Michael McWhorter.

Approval was also granted for an assignment transfer for Tom Smith from computer technician to coordinator of technology/transportation assistant.

Carbon Lehigh Intermediate Unit #21 representative McKelvey brought several items to the board for approval such as her nomination for a three-year term as the CLIU representative, an agreement with the CLIU to provide Title I services to Salisbury students attending nonpublic schools, a Technology in Education Legal counsel consortium, a 2026-2027 facilities plan, adopt the policies, procedures and use of funds by the district and agreement for the Overdrive/SORA consortium in the amount of $2,300.

All motions passed.

The next meeting of the Salisbury Township School District board is scheduled May 6 and expected to include an operations and finance committee meeting 5:30 p.m. A curriculum and technology meeting will be held 7 p.m. May 13 followed by a regular school board meeting.

All meetings will take place in the administration building, 1140 Salisbury Road, Allentown.