November 19, 2018 – NASD School Board Meeting
Absent: Kathryn Roberts/ Denise Glaros arrived halfway through the meeting
Career Institute of Technology
The Nov. 12th Open House at CIT went well with high attendance.
Presentations
Principal Davis of the High School, did a presentation for a new flex-scheduling program. This new software will be used to schedule the 45 minutes Eagle Block time. Davis reported that the old system is outdated, requires manual data entry and is very time consuming. The new software will allow students and teachers to make immediate changes instead of waiting for a 6-day cycle for them to take effect. This system also offers an E-Hall pass option, where student cell phones or devices can be used to track their movements through the school when they leave the class. The program would cost $3,800 for January to June and $8,750 for the 2019 – 20 school year. The High School will continue to use Sign-up Genius for parent teacher conferences. (will be voted on at the Nov. 27th meeting)
The Green Power Racing Club & Green Power Car Purchase wants to do a pilot program where the club will include students from both the Middle and High School. Students fundraise, seek sponsorships, build an electric car from the ground up and then race it. The club went to Alabama for a race last year—they’d like to go to Georgia with this year’s entry. NASD is the only district in the Northeast participating in this program (will be voted on at the Nov. 27th meeting)
Construction Maintenance Projects
Proposals for the High School – would be paid for by taking money from the roof replacement budget
- Complete the power washing of the auditorium ($20,080)
- Repair of bricks in the auditorium ($8,460)
Proposals for Intermediate School
- Replace the roof during Summer 2019
Proposals for Lower Nazareth
- Replace 65% of the roof next summer. The roof is 20 years old.
- Replace the HVAC system. The replacement will have to be electric because Lower Nazareth doesn’t have access to natural gas
Draft Presentation of the 2019-2020 budget
Expenses are up 5% over last year’s budget with Revenues up $1.8 million. This leaves the budget short $2.6 million dollars
- December 10th – Preliminary presentation of the budget
- January 7th – Budget will be posted for public review
- January 29th – Vote on the tentative adoption of the budget
Proposed Calendar for 2019 – 2020 presented to the Board
Dr. Riker presented the proposed calendar to the Board. Once again, school will be in session during election days—something which has caused a great deal of controversy in the past. School is scheduled to begin on August 26, 2019 and end (barring snow days) on May 29, 2020.
Agenda Items
Items 7, 9 & 11 passed.
Stubits and Glaros voted ‘no’ on 7 A& B, Stubits objecting to the new software programs that teachers don’t have time to master and students having to complete them as homework.
A link to the agenda and minutes can be found here: https://www.boarddocs.com/pa/naza/Board.nsf/Public
Becky Bartlett covers these meetings because citizens have the right to know what their government is doing.
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