[{"_1":2,"_100":-5,"_101":-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],{"_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",6491282,"mediaKeyId","5560274-91c415c1b641ae4780d37d2293948697","parentId",5560274,"title","Board opens first reading of new special-education confidentiality policy (Policy 113.4)","audioSeconds",28,"startMs",2364051,"endMs",2392751,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5560274-91c415c1b641ae4780d37d2293948697&start=2364&end=2392","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5560274-91c415c1b641ae4780d37d2293948697/thumbnail_2364051.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6491282/Pennsylvania/Board-opens-first-reading-of-new-special-education-confidentiality-policy-Policy-1134","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6491282-b22a358364f71c593ab222e4a6c81ee1/orig.mp4?Expires=1773597229&Signature=aIikea2o8Kq01NW-lRYO5dxj8kcYYQ0DwTkM41qA3YowjG2BbOAl1vCuNypDVwD-2QtZb5E49DuMMeWrDcq7~Kcy0o69oFeG89B5cuH9PQrbMGQoMm0yaknPsy~z0YevMsWknlgYNRdGV8HARjVpAHOtYDiXfsc1YZSxMBEAlJ-yf9DqOAxKyfYFTHjvpr4~t9e5t3UOl4pJiCT0r2EUp-5vFCL0MQbR58Pvy1W7FLrIC6APgqGTW3VM1vV7W3iStHmpqmxkDOdVOuiY0DudG2Pia86tn403s4rG1E1POZPu8RI7Zd8ZdRlu6JUlsi6SiLBn4jS8TRV4d-6QjsO7tA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Bethlehem Area School District","date","2025-08-11T21:44:22Z","article","The Bethlehem Area School District board on Aug. 11 held the first reading of proposed Board Policy 113.4, a new policy addressing confidentiality of special-education records.

A district staff member speaking in the record said, \"This policy is part of the corrective action from the CMCI audit from PDE,\" and noted that the policy was reviewed by Christine Roderick of King's Spry. The item was presented as a first reading; the presenter said the board would see the policy two more times before a scheduled approval in September.

Board members did not raise substantive objections during the presentation on the record; the meeting record shows the item described as \"brand new\" and placed on the agenda as part of audit-related corrective action. Administrators said follow-up appearances will occur at subsequent meetings for formal adoption.

","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","BASD School Board Special Board Meeting and Combined Committee Meetings - August 11, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The board held a first reading of proposed Board Policy 113.4 on confidentiality of special-education records; administrators said the policy is part of corrective action from a CMCI audit by the Pennsylvania Department of Education and was reviewed by outside counsel.","taxTitle","Bethlehem Area SD, School Districts, Pennsylvania","taxId",12921,"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},6491287,"CFO says state budget impasse leaves Bethlehem Area SD about $30 million short in July-August receipts",386,2422191,2809151,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5560274-91c415c1b641ae4780d37d2293948697&start=2422&end=2809","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5560274-91c415c1b641ae4780d37d2293948697/thumbnail_2422191.jpg","/articles/6491287/Pennsylvania/CFO-says-state-budget-impasse-leaves-Bethlehem-Area-SD-about-30-million-short-in-July-August-receipts","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6491287-8898d943ca0a07b6432e8b5f90938646/orig.mp4?Expires=1773597229&Signature=Bl4vJL04e8AVkHwa7S4FRZR-b7PCHspE7PVaxfdeMKVUo1zXyry7a-pcsBmoaZFYtJI3zhUolEUa8sVB1cVedstb9DzB-18zBbeQQ2ShBJodIgbdYzXzaV5bEoT82JMS25RZb6cWzQxhKcv4f8fOJASSUhhxehbVDu3wFDK28-d1p0g0Mhb-8odBHh22Ef4Kq0-BaHMMf8wsGvmUhyRq1skSr9ib8HJqPTWf1juLuHS~Db3UfgKSyQDUI2ClGckcsRnNDRJPghSXCBPED9-UkCfmC83DsdWDL6Pa5A9CQD5h7wFJmYfVTCRuba52ONgGwm9HL4WjSiqYnuM7y0kWYw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Bethlehem Area School District's chief financial officer told the board on Aug. 11 that the district is operating without roughly $30 million in expected state revenue for July and August because of a state budget impasse.

The CFO said the missing $30 million primarily affects cash flow and interest-earning offsets the district uses to balance its budget. \"Had everything been going as predicted, we would have about $30,000,000 of revenue in our bank accounts now,\" the CFO said in the meeting record. The CFO said the district has strategies in place and a healthy local tax base that have so far prevented the need for short-term borrowing, but cautioned that if the impasse continues past October the district would begin contingency planning and consider options including temporary financing.

Board members raised federal funding uncertainty as an additional risk. The CFO highlighted proposals in the president's budget that the administration described as a \"skinny\" budget, and said departments that serve English learners and migrant students face proposed reductions that could translate into a roughly $1 million to $2 million loss for the district under certain scenarios. The CFO said these figures are estimates and that the district is tracking potential \"clawbacks\" and federal changes closely.

Dr. Beck Pulley asked whether the district might need short-term loans to meet payroll; the CFO said the district should be able to manage through October using committed local fund balances but that any delay beyond October would trigger more active contingency plans.

The CFO and administrators said they would continue to monitor state and federal developments and report any material changes to the board.

","The district's CFO warned the board that state funding delays and federal uncertainty are creating cash-flow pressure for July and August'about $30 million not yet received'and that contingency planning would begin if the situation persists beyond October.",{"_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},6491295,"Financial adviser recommends terminating 2021C swap, issuing fixed-rate bonds for Bethlehem Area SD",1131,1248181,2379381,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5560274-91c415c1b641ae4780d37d2293948697&start=1248&end=2379","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5560274-91c415c1b641ae4780d37d2293948697/thumbnail_1248181.jpg","/articles/6491295/Pennsylvania/Financial-adviser-recommends-terminating-2021C-swap-issuing-fixed-rate-bonds-for-Bethlehem-Area-SD","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6491295-6a13c98c2395197b781ecea898096ce6/orig.mp4?Expires=1773597229&Signature=ETefryF3NyuvmrmzuKZgi3FL~NNvQGJ4CxytseFlQlXawUw45wqMXmMwKP-QZ8TFEj9eHci4~PKNtVM--i6ZxVegwEbbPm3nUhn3776ksV~aV3AZiJFXfNcULPTM2f9JaNs8HySNttYpqmjVC2kmAI7KmtBn6v-mf9GQMi6V64GqEORPrEqCHQ3rR522wSa6t5YZ~HQVnUTO7086HgIXxlTYt8hqwqVapwnrcadxsw2SPIyeYnFx1Ar2YclOFhvQZJpQMeVxyhz9Ncgn1iM~DomRvbQ4LAzmMEPy6OHD11UqxBgUTsFi29mMemTqrnKJ7mMypGCO9uAg46-KVjAYgQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Scott Shears, a consultant with PFM, told the Bethlehem Area School District board on Aug. 11 that the advisory team recommends terminating the interest-rate swap tied to the district's 2021C variable-rate bonds and refunding those bonds with a fixed-rate issue.

Shears said the swap termination and refund would convert about $30 million of the district's roughly $204 million total debt portfolio into traditional fixed-rate debt. He described two options: (1) issue a fixed-rate bond and terminate the swap, or (2) replace the existing variable-rate bonds with new variable-rate notes and keep the swap in place. \"The present value cost . . . is about a $886,000 cost,\" Shears said, adding that the roughly $886,000 present-value cost translates to an increase in annual debt service of about $185,000 a year for roughly six years under current indicative pricing.

The firm also reported a swap-termination amount if done immediately of roughly $2.2 million but said the full financial comparison should be viewed as a package that includes the termination payment and the lower fixed rates available in the current market. Shears said bond-market proposals returned to the district showed Raymond James as the strongest underwriter for a fixed-rate option; Wells Fargo provided the most attractive variable-rate proposal among the variable-market respondents but did not beat the fixed-rate outcome on a present-value basis.

The recommendation matters because the 2021C bonds and their swap represent nearly 15% of the district's debt portfolio and because an action must be taken before a Nov. 1 deadline the advisors cited. Shears outlined a short timeline: the authority will consider a resolution on Aug. 20, the school board could consider a bond-related resolution on Aug. 25, pricing and rating steps would follow in September if the fixed-rate option is chosen, and closing would occur in October.

Board members asked about tradeoffs. Dr. Beck Pulley said she favors the predictability of fixed-rate debt given the district's swap history and other uncertainties. Dr. White asked about timing relative to national political and market uncertainty and how a fixed structure would affect annual budgeting; Shears and other district staff said a fixed-rate portfolio provides consistent annual debt service the district can budget around. One board member, identified in the record as Harry, summarized the tradeoff: \"The basic cost would be over 7 years, about $1,000,000, which would add about a $185,000 a year to our annual debt service cost.\"

Shears and district staff said they will bring a resolution forward to the authority Aug. 20 and expect to present a formal bond resolution to the board on Aug. 25 if the board chooses the fixed-rate path.

Questions remain about final pricing and the exact structure, and advisors said they will keep the business office and board updated if market conditions change before pricing.

","PFM presented two refinancing paths for the district's roughly $30 million 2021C variable-rate bonds and recommended terminating the interest-rate swap and refunding with a fixed-rate bond issue; the board will consider a resolution later this month and the authority meets Aug. 20.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Board opens first reading of new special-education confidentiality policy (Policy 113.4)

CFO says state budget impasse leaves Bethlehem Area SD about $30 million short in July-August receipts

Financial adviser recommends terminating 2021C swap, issuing fixed-rate bonds for Bethlehem Area SD