[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":56,"_74":56},"mediaId",6345520,"mediaKeyId","2249104-ed9395df17d05614263a594daeb0ae49","parentId",2249104,"title","Charter ad-hoc committee agrees on some charter renewal changes, defers enrollment-cap vote to board","audioSeconds",621,"startMs",3075000,"endMs",3696000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2249104-ed9395df17d05614263a594daeb0ae49&start=3075&end=3696","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2249104-ed9395df17d05614263a594daeb0ae49/thumbnail_3075000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6345520/Pennsylvania/Charter-ad-hoc-committee-agrees-on-some-charter-renewal-changes-defers-enrollment-cap-vote-to-board","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6345520-d59a4f120081db7bfa288360723492af/orig.mp4?Expires=1771193466&Signature=kOTtXEe2CkM9ANS5uoYgN6LUz5sU9SAjPVn9bM49ZEeRhi32XhSg6-hwlKm-Nt~2l~MgCnrh9BJyBAJkSlzAqYPbOWERNaa-tyrXtAn5EXfRUZKdHaj7A3T2lXwZA563BSP14H~vhfGVf2RFgm3FE1i20BSRJBsrYNoHbqc~iNW9~eNN2y1uJbZrra0NffCeLLQtg8H9pnZKg5NNhslq8WmywNuV5Vy4JvMl4sL0FtbiJBhM9Pqm1k1hY55MMMQXVLu7UfN-EjEhIUNOdw95ILLhPzdQdyPEZDWLVjZJuSW8IJNUA2metrRjxF9ujdVkx7g6uRf8ABbZ4GrlX~iDLg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","","date","2025-02-07T12:40:44Z","article","The Keystone Central ad-hoc committee on Feb. 3 reviewed renewal requests from the local charter school and agreed on several procedural changes while deferring a requested enrollment increase to the full board for decision.

Committee findings and agreements
District Superintendent Doctor Redmond told the committee that the charter renewal review must rely on six legal criteria established for charter renewals. Committee minutes show the group found no criterion that currently indicates grounds to deny renewal based on performance data. The charter’s language-arts and mathematics performance showed rebound to near pre-pandemic levels, Doctor Redmond said.

The ad-hoc committee took three actions during its January–February meetings:
- It agreed with a proposed modification to allow students in grade 12 who have successfully completed an Act 158 graduation pathway to be excused from additional district assessments and interventions (committee consensus). The agreed revised language reads that “students in grade 12 who have successfully completed all requirements of a graduation pathway under Act 158 may be excused from additional assessments.”
- It agreed to change the charter’s annual appearance process: the charter school will submit its annual comprehensive data report in advance, and the committee will prepare questions ahead of any in-person presentation so representatives are not “caught off guard.” Committee minutes say the committee will still receive a presentation and public review; the change is procedural and intended to make meetings more efficient.
- The committee did not reach a final decision on the charter’s request to increase enrollment from 475 to 495 (an additional 20 students). The item will be brought to the full board for further discussion and a vote at the next scheduled board meeting; committee members expressed mixed views and raised questions about special-education enrollments and class-size effects.

Board-level concerns raised
Several board members questioned whether the district could lawfully limit the number or type of students the charter may enroll, particularly special-education students. One board member observed that the board is not allowed to use the district’s financial impact as the sole basis for a renewal denial; others asked whether limiting special-education placements would be legally permissible. Doctor Redmond said she would facilitate follow-up conversations between the district and the charter’s special-education staff to clarify how services and IEP decisions are made.

Process and timing
The committee expects to meet the charter on Monday (scheduled meeting) to iron out remaining language and bring final recommendations to the full board for a vote at the next Thursday meeting. Committee minutes also record that the charter requested eliminating a second diagnostic assessment requirement; Doctor Redmond will follow up with the charter’s leadership (Mrs. Kennedy) and report back.

Ending
The ad-hoc committee approved procedural changes and one substantive wording change for Grade 12 students; the 20-student enrollment-cap request will be discussed by the full board. The committee also prioritized collaborative work with the charter on assessment and special-education coordination.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Feb 06, 2025 - Work Session","oneSentenceSummary","An ad-hoc committee reviewing the local charter school’s renewal agreed to let some graduating seniors be excused from additional assessments under Act 158 and shifted the charter’s annual reporting process to require advance submission of its data report.","taxTitle","Keystone Central SD, School Districts, Pennsylvania","taxId",67877,"location","Pennsylvania","headline","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":56,"_74":56},6345516,"Facilities committee details capital projects; district plans to apply surplus to courts, HVAC and other needs",426,2334000,2760000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2249104-ed9395df17d05614263a594daeb0ae49&start=2334&end=2760","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2249104-ed9395df17d05614263a594daeb0ae49/thumbnail_2334000.jpg","/articles/6345516/Pennsylvania/Facilities-committee-details-capital-projects-district-plans-to-apply-surplus-to-courts-HVAC-and-other-needs","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6345516-7e6c03d966162467af231dc0a8860329/orig.mp4?Expires=1771193466&Signature=KKMaj9cXKEv8IGIWaP6eR8NrmcglrUH8HZihy8DtX0I7fYLdrLN0fbpgFeFdu~0JlNS6VUDX2QV0wz1oy0I5f3Pp0oDfo9~v3Jw56IoEMwSJzAGa2vSPLJCCMnY09adxpRN47LqFDmIAzRbN6yyk8HwogWjcGowWkpF8km0CpGs2L1mNkKqetcac85iTaJ~TiIeQuYXeIa7U4RaKfbfReHBI41yH6HAXFcj2mWmExU3KwHnU6YUsPaot13tx2gxuL0je361KjIvTA4UTCpR~XntWwhXm2PkporNoLcZ~shid3HUULlcwBaGKJt-qXnweYo9wdv-0sGYQ2ZmbfpzPeA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Facility directors and committee members reviewed a batch of maintenance and capital projects the district plans to pursue, and they told the board some of the work could be funded from a proposed $1.3 million transfer to the capital reserve.

Key project highlights
- Cafeteria furniture: Students from Central Mountain High School and Central Mountain Middle School worked with food-service director Sharon Berger and a vendor to design new cafeteria furniture; the furniture purchase will be paid from funds saved in the food-service department, the presentation said. Committee minutes note the furniture is planned for installation over the summer and that a few structural repairs in the middle-school cafeteria will be paid from the general fund.
- Solar project feasibility: Representatives from the McClure Group (Alissa Wingenfeld’s team) updated the committee on a proposed solar installation, including a pilot concept at Liberty Curtain (a school name used in the presentation) and projected savings; the committee will continue assessing next steps.
- Auditorium sound system: The Central Mountain High School auditorium has an outdated sound system; four bids were received and the facilities committee recommended awarding the contract (vendor names in packet). The board heard the recommendation in the work session; the winning quote will be on the upcoming action agenda.
- Rooftop HVAC and automation: Several HVAC units at Mill Hall Elementary and rooftop units at Central Mountain High School were described as end-of-life and in need of replacement; the committee recommended replacement of multiple units and a phased approach for the remaining systems and building-automation updates.
- Tennis courts and athletic improvements: The tennis courts at Central Mountain High School and Bucktail Junior–Senior High require full replacement; Sam (facilities) said bids were solicited via CoStars and recommended contractors came from that process. The committee also recommended replacement or repositioning of the Bucktail baseball backstop to meet PIAA regulations. Committee materials cite the tennis/athletic work among projects planned to be funded from the proposed transfer of the $1.3M surplus to Fund 32.

Procurement and local bidders
Board members asked whether local contractors had an opportunity to bid. Facilities staff said tennis-court vendors were procured through CoStars, a statewide cooperative that pre-vets vendors; other projects have local bidders where applicable. The facilities committee noted many items on the agenda have been on a 10-year plan and the current work reflects prioritized replacements reaching end of life.

Funding and next steps
The committee repeatedly referenced the proposed resolution to commit the recent $1.3M operating surplus to Fund 32 for capital projects (resolution on the board agenda). Committee members and staff said that transfer would cover tennis courts, HVAC replacements, and other prioritized items; the board had not recorded a formal vote on the transfer during the work session. Several projects (auditorium sound, HVAC, tennis courts) are scheduled for a vote at the next business meeting with recommended winning bidders and contract awards in the board packet.

Quote
Sharon Berger, food-service director, said students who participated “did a really nice job” in researching furniture and working with vendors; she also confirmed the new recycling bins and updated design will be incorporated into the middle-school drawings.

Ending
Facilities staff will bring contract awards and final cost breakdowns to the board at the next meeting and asked the board to consider the Fund 32 transfer to cover several high-priority capital needs.","The facilities committee presented a package of capital projects — from new cafeteria furniture to full tennis-court replacement — and recommended using a proposed $1.3 million surplus to fund several high-priority items.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":56,"_74":56},6345512,"District presents Future Ready academic gains; board asks for school-level breakouts",636,5994000,6630000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2249104-ed9395df17d05614263a594daeb0ae49&start=5994&end=6630","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2249104-ed9395df17d05614263a594daeb0ae49/thumbnail_5994000.jpg","/articles/6345512/Pennsylvania/District-presents-Future-Ready-academic-gains-board-asks-for-school-level-breakouts","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6345512-870efd7b9ab993df3f33e0a20d5e66b1/orig.mp4?Expires=1771193466&Signature=ljkYEV68UGQOQrJNdUzn6cJvInS9HHktYBl4cnDDD6eydTQSKYn8MjVYOolB14aFiqPK8tXEaLeAivUAKkQzwYCMIjufYi9WgSKRAgCwTMS726Fj6TqAukhD3qKG5yxg6JU-si5Lr8vaPe83JNWRqfPLcASEHrQMc-L7mjLs80PNGXO99B~a8qkYYHvHBZYCJ8nO1~gKcnadJZOY~FP3OQBA-TxLsIdrzn92fTcg0OtnElj6H7FaJfFEuL3t4Z0JQViZAYU~MWV8N6TuLlnlkElU4R0d0l51MSZbx0rbpu5XGjHmr4RrB6wEuR2b4XkqcUDu-MpdUlF20e5Apannsg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Megan (last name not specified), who leads curriculum and assessment reporting, presented a district-level Future Ready report to the board showing year-over-year improvements in growth and several achievement measures across the district.

Findings presented
Megan said the district is above state averages in math and science achievement on the Future Ready index, close to the state in English language arts, and exceeded state targets for growth in all tested areas. She also highlighted career readiness measures and an above-state graduation rate. The presentation noted Central Mountain Middle School exited “school improvement” status based on recent data.

Board reaction and requests for detail
Several board members praised the progress but disagreed about the communication level for the public. Some directors argued the board and the public needed school-level detail rather than a consolidated district snapshot. One board member ran through site-specific figures showing Central Mountain High School trailing state average on several measures while Bucktail High School outperformed the state in several categories. That member urged the district to provide building-level, grade-level and subgroup breakdowns before broad public distribution.

Megan and administration response
Megan said the slide was intentionally a district overview and that school-level detail exists; she committed to sharing breakouts and the underlying charts the district uses for internal analysis. Doctor Redmond agreed to distribute comparative data to the board so members could review school-by-school results.

Why it matters
District-wide improvements can be important for morale and public image, but board members emphasized that targeted improvements require school-level analysis. The superintendent and curriculum staff agreed to provide more detailed data and work with the board on how to frame public communications.

Ending
Megan will circulate more granular school-level and grade-level data to board members; staff will continue school-improvement work on targeted subgroups with the plans already presented in school improvement documents.","District curriculum staff presented Future Ready and state-assessment results showing district-level growth and several areas above the state average; board members requested school-by-school data and more granular breakdowns before using the overview in public outreach.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":56,"_74":56},6345524,"Keystone Central previews 2025–26 budget options, highlights cyber-charter tuition hit and possible millage increases",618,110000,728000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2249104-ed9395df17d05614263a594daeb0ae49&start=110&end=728","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2249104-ed9395df17d05614263a594daeb0ae49/thumbnail_110000.jpg","/articles/6345524/Pennsylvania/Keystone-Central-previews-202526-budget-options-highlights-cyber-charter-tuition-hit-and-possible-millage-increases","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6345524-47f4cfcc509532563019eb2333972424/orig.mp4?Expires=1771193466&Signature=bYMp1Z18ndoidAuC3nLUJqcqu1Q67EuqFaB4n8Zcy4Kdg~3Z9Ys74UFKBaF4-ZnpHrEIp8TzVX2y5mhBM0ZQQBc~NT1NHjA9BkfWIJX8YF1axDRHbYZowdi6DzUk3hx4lGSABoRSUEhjdkbXK8nmNyssuJDKwfZWF2ehxmjzYAiB0tf56UuROc-v5Cv6cJd-9nrxtmk2SjVC1-5RbEnjdp~oBnO89X~eUCSy0TfbJ1qyF~77TcRzmSdanknLVTPrRG4y6Ra9jigpiHnvsVM9vAZuHCZLvwdr~yGEwsdz6YoFHoGobclZ5OjTxWcNj45u0dfu3hOcK4UXj1gz0x8SYA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Keystone Central School District business manager Joni (last name not specified), speaking at the board’s Feb. 6 work session, presented a preliminary 2025–26 budget and scenarios that would close part of a projected deficit through millage increases or by committing reserves.

The district started fiscal 2024–25 with a fund balance shown as about $20.98 million on July 1, Joni said, and officials are proposing a resolution on the board agenda to commit a $1.3 million surplus to Fund 32 for capital projects. She also described a separate proposed $500,000 commitment toward an enterprise resource planning accounting system (ERP) the district hopes to implement July 1.

Why it matters: The presentation showed how rising benefits costs, higher bond principal and interest, and increased cyber-charter tuition are driving budget pressure. The board must decide whether to draw on reserves, raise millage, or both; those choices affect taxpayers and the district’s ability to fund capital projects and operations.

Budget math and options
Joni laid out the district’s current projection and several illustrative millage scenarios. With no tax increase the district’s five-year picture shows a rising deficit driven by a projected 15% increase in employee benefit costs and a higher pension rate (noted in the presentation as PSERS at about 34% for 2025–26). She said the district’s current projected structural deficit is 5.6%.

- A 1.78-millage increase would raise roughly $490,000 and reduce the structural deficit modestly.
- A 3.55-millage increase would raise roughly $980,000, lowering the deficit further.
- A 5.34-millage increase would yield about $1.4 million in additional taxes, with a larger effect on the gap.

Joni told the board these are hypothetical scenarios for planning; she emphasized staff is still trimming line items and discussing attrition and repurposing positions with department heads.

Drivers: benefits, bonds, cyber-charter tuition
Joni said benefit costs are trending up and she included a 15% increase in the draft. She also explained that debt service rose after approval of recent Liberty Curtain bonds: principal and interest climb from roughly $1.8 million in 2022–23 to about $2.7 million in 2025–26 and then level off later.

The presentation flagged a major district expense increase tied to cyber-charter tuition: between 2021–22 and 2023–24 cyber tuition payments rose by about $1.5 million, the speaker said, driven by both higher tuition rates and higher enrollment at cyber providers (Commonwealth Charter was used as an example where regular enrollment rose from 62 to 107 year over year). Joni said a governor’s proposal to cap charter tuition at $8,000 would substantially reduce those costs statewide and for Keystone Central; she estimated a statewide cap could have saved the district roughly $1.1 million last year for just one cyber provider and suggested the savings could be $1.5–$2.0 million overall if enacted.

Board follow-up and next steps
Board members asked for monthly legislative updates and requested additional detail on the adequacy/“local effort rate” calculation used by the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE). Joni and other administrators said they will bring deeper explanations to upcoming finance and facilities committee meetings and provide data comparing local effort metrics.

At the meeting the finance committee had also recommended continuing to examine commitments from the district’s fund balance for capital priorities and the proposed ERP investment; no final board vote on those commitments occurred at the work session.

Quotes and attributions
Joni (business manager) summarized the budget process: “The budget was passed in February for the 2425 school year… when the bills for payment are listed on the agenda, we're telling you how we're spending the budget money.” She also urged board and community outreach on charter subsidy policy, noting a proposed state cap could be “huge” for districts’ budgets.

What remains unresolved
Formal votes on proposed uses of the $1.3 million surplus and on committing $500,000 to ERP were not recorded in the work session transcript; both items appear on the board agenda for future action. The district will present more detailed revenue and expenditure figures at upcoming board meetings and the finance committee’s March preview of the general fund.

Ending
Administrators told the board they will continue to refine revenue assumptions, present school- and program-level budget impacts, and return with the general fund development material at the next scheduled presentations in March.","District business officials outlined a preliminary 2025–26 budget that factors in rising benefits and bond costs, potential millage-rate increases to reduce a projected deficit, and a large increase in cyber-charter tuition that officials say could be partially addressed if the state caps cyber tuition.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Charter ad-hoc committee agrees on some charter renewal changes, defers enrollment-cap vote to board

Facilities committee details capital projects; district plans to apply surplus to courts, HVAC and other needs

District presents Future Ready academic gains; board asks for school-level breakouts

Keystone Central previews 2025–26 budget options, highlights cyber-charter tuition hit and possible millage increases