[{"_1":2,"_112":-5,"_113":-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",[32,76,88,100],{"_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":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6605060,"mediaKeyId","2987385-192a84670923ddbfd515ad0402c45750","parentId",2987385,"title","Votes at a glance: Fox Chapel Area School District meeting actions — minutes, finance, instruction, personnel, policies and operations","audioSeconds",1982,"startMs",2163000,"endMs",4145000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2987385-192a84670923ddbfd515ad0402c45750&start=2163&end=4145","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2987385-192a84670923ddbfd515ad0402c45750/thumbnail_2163000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6605060/Pennsylvania/Votes-at-a-glance-Fox-Chapel-Area-School-District-meeting-actions-minutes-finance-instruction-personnel-policies-and-operations","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6605060-561e4ae6f21721b5e8e8a15f8cd3cde7/orig.mp4?Expires=1770984475&Signature=FQ8w0KtNHwr6W38BzTcELNGhRNDtOfvOT3ONHgc7K42gmkko0eMDipykdsFJqha6jTMS~mOSyRFWlvAmTU34YDOn22mL09PmIP4zTA9bWj9vKXYPasVnCsarg36bFWF8ScVl2UP0iZBgyH2LkDl0kj5H-AHKk3ps3YNarCUkEmEkCk2jlh0A7OZMU3tGF~O6HRzvA4WFqWoENIBqko0CDRQjQ8SowCq4vRXdL7do1VEnMQMPKZwrCRs-5ozlJENh33I4OM~IqV9LQ0n2mTVVQ-0G7VI4kkjbTavSl6qs2QyPbHIWtnxsZkKbsX6B7hfjUWcE0U547rxWeIpEUDepxg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Fox Chapel Area School District","date","2025-04-15T03:17:05.723Z","article","This meeting included several roll-call votes and formal actions. Below are the items the board voted on and the outcomes recorded on the public transcript. Where a roll call was recorded, board members present included: Mrs. Cooper, Ms. Dadd, Ms. Finley, Mr. Frank, Mr. Good, Mr. Hamilton, Doctor. Hasselcorn, Mrs. Lynch and Ms. Zich (nine members). Recorded motions and outcomes follow.

Votes at a glance

1) Minutes — Regular business meeting minutes dated March 10, 2025
- Motion: Approve minutes of the regular business meeting dated 03/10/2025.
- Outcome: Approved (roll call: all members recorded “Yes”).

2) Finance report (6 items) — disbursements, capital reserves, finance report filed, tax collector depositories, deputy tax collectors, awards of athletic bids
- Motion: Approve 6 finance items including general fund disbursements ($11,738,920.60), capital reserve disbursements ($54,542.17), acknowledgment of February 2025 finance report for audit, approval of depositories for elected real-estate tax collectors, appointment of deputy tax collectors, and awards of athletic bids to vendors listed in the agenda.
- Outcome: Approved (roll call: all members recorded “Yes”).

3) Instruction report (4 items) — special-education plan, MHY ESY addendum, Global Wordsmiths renewal, stipulated adjudication
- Motion: Approve 4 instruction items, including the K–12 special-education plan (07/01/2025–06/30/2028) and an ESY addendum for MHY Family Services (06/09/2025–07/11/2025).
- Outcome: Approved (roll call: all members recorded “Yes”).

4) Policy revisions and first readings (multiple items)
- Motion A (adoption/second reading): Move to approve second reading and adoption of a set of revised policies (policy numbers listed in the agenda, excluding policy 2-22 which was moved out for separate consideration).
- Outcome: Approved (roll call indicates motion carried).

- Motion B (first readings): Move to approve multiple revised and new policies for first reading, including new policy 815.2 \"Use of Generative Artificial Intelligence in Education.\" The board discussed the AI policy’s scope (ethics, FERPA compliance, human review expectations, staff and student coverage) and noted planned professional learning and handbook integration.
- Outcome: Approved for first reading and further development (roll call indicates motion carried).

5) Policy 2-22 (Tobacco and vaping products) — split out and voted separately for first reading
- Motion: Approve first reading of policy 2-22 (Tobacco and vaping products), including board authorization language for the use of tobacco- and vaping-product surveillance equipment.
- Vote: Motion carried on roll call with eight in favor and one no vote (Ms. Zich voted no). Outcome recorded as approved for first reading.

6) Personnel report (multiple resignations, appointments, sabbaticals, agreements and STEAM camp staff)
- Motion: Approve the personnel items as listed in the agenda (resignations, appointments, leaves, employment agreements, STEAM camp instructors and AP exam proctors).
- Outcome: Approved (roll call indicates motion carried).

7) Operations and Cooperative Services (three items)
- Motion: Renew agreement with Precision HR Solutions for substitute staffing services (07/01/2025–06/30/2027) and extend portrait services agreements with Interstate Studio and State Studio for 2025–26 (no cost to district).
- Outcome: Approved (roll call indicates motion carried).

8) Non-resident speaker waiver
- Motion: Waive the policy limiting group presentations so that Jill McConnell, executive director of Cooper Siegel Community Library (a non‑resident), could speak on the library’s behalf.
- Outcome: Approved (roll call: motion carried). The board recorded the grounds for the waiver as that the speaker provides direct services to residents within the district boundaries.

Notes on vote counts and procedure: Where roll-call tallies were read aloud, they are recorded above. Several votes were unanimous; the recorded exception at the meeting was the 2-22 policy first-reading vote (8–1).","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Fox Chapel Area School Board Combined Meeting & Committee of the Whole Meeting (4/14/25)","oneSentenceSummary","The board approved routine minutes and a package of finance, instruction, personnel and operations items; it adopted multiple policy revisions and advanced a new generative-AI policy for further work, and voted to allow a non-resident library representative to speak.","taxTitle","Fox Chapel Area SD, School Districts, Pennsylvania","taxId",58073,"location","Pennsylvania","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6605064,"Cooper Siegel board asks Fox Chapel for recurring subsidy; trustees and residents press for municipal partnership",590,5148000,5738000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2987385-192a84670923ddbfd515ad0402c45750&start=5148&end=5738","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2987385-192a84670923ddbfd515ad0402c45750/thumbnail_5148000.jpg","/articles/6605064/Pennsylvania/Cooper-Siegel-board-asks-Fox-Chapel-for-recurring-subsidy-trustees-and-residents-press-for-municipal-partnership","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6605064-9d04de6737c3f493709c6b6f7641fc32/orig.mp4?Expires=1770984475&Signature=BUmtrsp2x3GTw9pXOz-9kQWBSsUWi3QH~uYhDP1I3Blr7jV5s-BmsQTdqKQc1YnW9uTm6ua9TBIWNeAJKuuRe02u~EeoZ16U8ftGNfT8vW-gN6oRs-to8O5rxAzXKYr1Bsk9kvhAFQoZbn3DNMHJFayoFuvti9QSvfWkh8Ibj-C8Yjk2qUaH2IrVRqwSto3a2QRADS9IMICsaH3rGgaI~6kVoXGzn~iYTFY9nXt~QvwY5lzg5aJhCAzBv8Rfovm8OGbe46R2s7n1NZjzA7p5~9b6jwuVoFpmK6tJgtU2ov8cenO8TRrF3fjuTA~otPFbCE2cozVCwFc5eT40zYt22g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Representatives from Cooper Siegel Community Library and the library’s board appealed to the Fox Chapel Area School District board for regular, modest annual funding to sustain library operations. Library officials and local residents described services for district students, summer reading programs, classroom partnerships, student volunteer opportunities and targeted supports provided at the Sharpsburg branch.

Speakers included Jill McConnell (executive director, Cooper Siegel Community Library), Dave Bennett (Community Library Association treasurer and O’Hara resident) and Heidi Breyer (library board member and Sharpsburg resident). They described circulation and participation statistics, summer and after‑school programs that serve Kerr Elementary and other district students, and the financial strain the libraries face under current municipal funding and regional resource allocation.

The library requested a regular municipal-style subsidy equivalent to 0.1 mill (about $370,000 annually, as the presenters and board staff calculated) to keep library operations sustainable. Board members discussed several options and concerns:

- Several directors said the district mission aligns with the library’s educational role but questioned whether the school district is the appropriate long-term funding source for municipal library operations. Members urged coordination with the six municipalities in the school district to identify a sustainable municipal funding solution and discussed options such as municipal contributions or a referendum/ballot measure run by local governments.
- Some board members signaled support for finding a smaller, short-term contribution or for identifying other pathways (municipal subsidy, ballot measures or targeted district support tied to specific programming). Others said adding a recurring $370,000 subsidy would be a significant long-term commitment outside the district’s core education mission and could constrain funding for mandated services given the district’s current budget pressures.
- The board suggested that the library present to committees (Academic or Committee of the Whole) on budget priorities; administration offered to include the library item in upcoming Committee of the Whole budget discussions and to route the topic for committee review.

Ending: No board vote was held on a subsidy request. Board members encouraged intergovernmental discussion; several members said they would contact municipal officials and suggested the library pursue sustained municipal funding, or a structured referendum, rather than rely on the district’s operating levy.","Representatives from Cooper Siegel Community Library and local residents requested a regular subsidy from the school district and described library services that support students; board members discussed municipal responsibility, alternative funding approaches and possible committee follow-up.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6605068,"Board approves special-education plan; parents press for stronger family-facing supports",465,2632000,3097000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2987385-192a84670923ddbfd515ad0402c45750&start=2632&end=3097","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2987385-192a84670923ddbfd515ad0402c45750/thumbnail_2632000.jpg","/articles/6605068/Pennsylvania/Board-approves-special-education-plan-parents-press-for-stronger-family-facing-supports","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6605068-1c5b4c451790b7ea9a26e505dbac7a9e/orig.mp4?Expires=1770984476&Signature=fVj7GGH1fn4SCnfsWvsb8UJTqMl7Nb3swL5jWbd4pKzYaD-QaNjG47T~O5Qbo9ZMH4WyO9mhsEkYGtp4vVPRfsH6dwxn5-CCp0Rczc5fbLxZr-BjIPpNuY0JHy2PxPJ3~qa8cV8PeVT2YAvQIRyUbSPpf0jsVruTEQIFZ0dd3fQM6VY7lUKSEx~lUvaQlNv6PO72ixnIBWPpfBvBkb5VsPHJqMUbewhcVsYzeYQKHxZytpLVNWM8yyzbCiV~4uGCnkdByc~LcDqAQ-S1kSrZQhA5gRjUoiFWD~y85HYL28YfG3MtMNrgDdW9Om51~ULMXIq2R~aStg9AuLYXlxQboQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Fox Chapel Area School District board approved the district’s K–12 special-education plan for the period July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2028, as part of the instruction consent items moved earlier in the meeting.

The plan is the state-formatted document required under Pennsylvania rules and federal IDEA indicators; administration told the board the plan was developed beginning in January 2024 with input from educators and parent groups, placed on public display for 28 days, and that staff incorporated feedback where it mapped to required indicators. Officials said some community feedback related to the State’s confidential survey process — which districts cannot time or directly publicize because of federal and state-survey protocols — and that the district received one public comment during the required display period.

During the meeting, a resident, Susan Hans, used the public-comment period to press the board for stronger family-facing special-education services and supports. Hans said her granddaughter has learning disabilities and that Hans has had to seek out information and mediation on behavior supports, parent training and IEP development. She described a student-led IEP event that was successful but said families still need clearer guidance on available services and connections between home and school. Administration responded: district staff encouraged specific student‑level concerns to be raised with building principals or special educators and invited program-level feedback to be directed to district-level administrators (Doctor Mahoney, Doctor Constantine, Doctor Patterson or the superintendent) for consideration in committee work. Administrators also noted the work of the district’s PALS/Fox Chapel family groups in advising the plan and said the district has added professional learning and focused trainings in response to past parent requests (for example, training previously added for epilepsy supports).

Board discussion clarified that the special-education plan is a rigid, indicator-driven document required under Pennsylvania procedures; administrators said it does not encompass the full range of special-education work and that many program changes are implemented outside the statutory plan through professional development and local practices. The board and administrators encouraged parents to bring programmatic feedback to building principals or the appropriate administrators and noted the academic committee’s long-term attention to special-education issues.

Ending: The board approved the plan and related instruction items by roll call; administrators said they will continue community outreach and work with parent groups to improve clarity and training on ESY (Extended School Year), behavior supports and IEP processes.","The board ratified the district's Pennsylvania-required K–12 special-education plan for 2025–2028 and discussed outreach and program clarifications after a public comment urging better parent training, behavior supports and IEP assistance.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6605072,"Fox Chapel officials present preliminary 2025-26 budget showing a $1.6 million recurring shortfall without revenue changes",7202,6730000,13932000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2987385-192a84670923ddbfd515ad0402c45750&start=6730&end=13932","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2987385-192a84670923ddbfd515ad0402c45750/thumbnail_6730000.jpg","/articles/6605072/Pennsylvania/Fox-Chapel-officials-present-preliminary-2025-26-budget-showing-a-16-million-recurring-shortfall-without-revenue-changes","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6605072-6828ef15487309a5c39f3436d3b0510b/orig.mp4?Expires=1770984476&Signature=JKeY3CiHxqpwQXdy-sDbEKkLGFAyHJWJS3BE17s44KtdZwp6dGBS-oPsVxcV~xfwT54YfjZeWr5X9C7~6i~B8Vi9zsB0tbfmGSllsLRm8~~789ayJEzBoCd0DJIT60EgKCB~Nj2e7dGmUk2B83x6KqUUGxpNFomB-w-g~9yHyTuw8MpdXsDovhGo5VNOaqE1M5VCWeSzAWNrBhshCs0ac3iAGAUISgRKTMulNOgI5cgmH8uUTcOSPpaRBslMUhelN95gA5wIOL8ZVnQYPrADt83cPAUJ3gx8df483Cu~qbGsTgjsBomdkFdW4cUP1mN-LYbqt~NaFrU0n8g2RmksoA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","At a Committee of the Whole meeting, Fox Chapel Area School District administrators presented a preliminary 2025-26 budget that projects $118.77 million in revenues against $121.50 million in expenditures (excluding a $1.5 million budgetary reserve), leaving a year-one imbalance that administration figures as a $1.6 million gap after planned one-time fund balance uses.

The budget matters because two largely uncontrollable pressures — a year-over-year decline in property-assessment values and a roughly $1 million increase in student-transportation costs tied to a newly bid contract — are recurring and reduce the district’s ability to balance future years without raising recurring revenue or cutting recurring programs.

District staff told the board that estimated actual revenues for 2024-25 are projected at $118.81 million, roughly 1.23% above the original 2024-25 budget, and that projected expenditures for 2024-25 are about $118.38 million, producing a small positive ending balance now being allocated into fund balance for use in 2025-26 planning. For 2025-26, major changes from the current year include:

- Real estate tax revenue: administration reported a 0.65% decline in certified assessed values compared with May 2024, reducing real estate revenue by roughly $443,000 versus prior projections. That represents the first year-over-year drop in assessment values the district has seen since 2015–16. The district said appeals and the changing common level ratio are drivers.
- Transportation: a new contract for student transportation raised mandated transportation costs by about $1 million for 2025-26 (a roughly 20% increase over the current year), a recurring expenditure.
- Personnel and benefits: the personnel total rose by about $1.7 million; salary growth in the draft budget is under 1% (reflecting board direction to slow wage growth) while benefits increased about 3.8% (roughly $1.2 million), driven in part by pension (PCERS) employer contribution changes and health-insurance premium increases (medical premiums shown at a 5.7% increase for 2025-26).
- Federal funding: the district is returning to pre‑ESSER federal-revenue levels after the end of ESSER spending; staff budgeted conservatively for Title and IDEA allocations that will not be known until later in the spring.

Because roughly $1.5 million of the draft imbalance is recurring (transportation plus assessment-driven revenue loss), administration told the board that those items cannot be covered with one-time fund balance indefinitely. The presenter recommended the board anticipate a tax increase when the proposed-final budget is presented in May. Administration gave an illustrative figure: the $1.6 million gap would equate to about a 2.25% millage increase; a separate community request for 0.1 mill (from Cooper Siegel Community Library) would be about $370,000 annually and would raise the pressure on needed millage further if the board chose to fund it from the district levy.

Board members asked for further detail on the timeline for curriculum pilots and federal allocations, for comparisons of local tax burden measures, and for contingency plans if state or federal revenue streams fall. Administrators said they are preparing scenarios to show programmatic adjustments (including delaying capital projects, holding positions vacant, or using limited fund balance) and will return to the board with revised figures before the May proposed-final budget.

The board did not vote on a final millage or on the 2025-26 budget at this meeting; administration said it will return with updated May certified values, state subsidy figures, and other updated collections so the board can set a proposed millage rate at the next public meeting.

Looking ahead, the board will consider a proposed-final budget in May that will include any updated state allocations, May-certified assessed values and more precise federal allocations. Administrators flagged that multi‑year capital needs exceed $30 million across planned phases and that work to prioritize projects and potential funding strategies (including bonding options and multi-year scheduling) is ongoing.

Ending: The board left the draft budget open for further review; administration will present revised numbers and scenarios at the May proposed-final stage, and any recommended millage change would be voted as part of the formal budget calendar.","District finance staff presented a preliminary 2025-26 budget that holds revenues near 2024-25 levels but shows recurring pressures driven by lower property assessments and a higher student-transportation contract; presenters recommended the board consider a tax increase at the proposed-final stage in May.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Votes at a glance: Fox Chapel Area School District meeting actions — minutes, finance, instruction, personnel, policies and operations

Cooper Siegel board asks Fox Chapel for recurring subsidy; trustees and residents press for municipal partnership

Board approves special-education plan; parents press for stronger family-facing supports

Fox Chapel officials present preliminary 2025-26 budget showing a $1.6 million recurring shortfall without revenue changes