[{"_1":2,"_85":-5,"_86":-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],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":44,"_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":73},"mediaId",6505333,"mediaKeyId","5680926-49fc6bb3a08ae2106e4f2d0ea78fd022","parentId",5680926,"title","Pine‑Richland board reviews stakeholder survey, faces $4.9 million operational shortfall; approves routine finance and facilities items","audioSeconds",0,"startMs",2247000,"endMs","viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5680926-49fc6bb3a08ae2106e4f2d0ea78fd022&start=2247&end=2247","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5680926-49fc6bb3a08ae2106e4f2d0ea78fd022/thumbnail_2247000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6505333/Pennsylvania/PineRichland-board-reviews-stakeholder-survey-faces-49-million-operational-shortfall-approves-routine-finance-and-facilities-items","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6505333-7a7e1562a1f748cf400fbfd099a1b7a2/orig.mp4?Expires=1771168832&Signature=gktDu9yuvHyaaKWt-wgRXi7AWlGrvcXotAUd0ccZKQgh3d0u3LSnMNRqmolz6W5qk5~c7p1bY1RLzPGEKHKoIsxlgKPsPMYtOrZL6-01lbSNLAcTBG-pG~rPocCpJUExgmTnau0KErwYsSsXbYyjP5JTzy9P2OrL4gvSgFRebS-02wBcyhIoMgSwR2vrfGvKStgCeGTcYJWaT2EVw~OVKsoLRzfGywaDwvk1-UrnZ0X2xIc5ta5mZSapIqVuRjQNlKuqDXGfoUrtKeeoI43IOS2cNYni7TSxHbPSNkolh8eib8epWFOLz-jzdSAjCcbofHEFhfMQ0NOLn7eIBNOdFQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Pine-Richland School District","date","2025-08-26T12:35:32Z","article","The Pine‑Richland School District Board on Aug. 25 reviewed results of the district's most recent stakeholder survey, heard staff analysis of an expected $4.9 million operational deficit for 2025‑26, and approved several routine finance and facilities items, including financial reports and purchases for athletic and library equipment.

District administrator Dr. Miller said the district expects a $4.9 million structural deficit for the coming year. \"We are going to need to have difficult conversations,\" Dr. Miller said, noting that the Act 1 index was forecast at 3.6 percent and that the index increase would cover about $2.3 million of the gap. He said prior staffing reductions last year reduced the deficit by roughly $2 million and that the district previously cut 10.5 positions (non‑teaching) to reduce costs.

Why it matters: The operational deficit drives planned joint governance meetings this fall on finance and program delivery, and board members said they intend to increase engagement with staff and schedule school visits to better understand operational impacts.

Board discussion and next steps

- Board members discussed three board goals proposed during the meeting: active engagement in future‑focused finance discussions, scheduled school visits (formal and informal) to review programs and facilities, and completion and review of a board self‑evaluation. Several trustees emphasized choosing visit dates that allow multiple board members to attend.

- The board noted concerns about communication: one trustee cited a stakeholder survey finding that only 39 percent of respondents said they were satisfied with the board's level of communication.

- The administration said the stakeholder survey had 1,059 respondents; staff reported about 2,750 unique families served in the district, which has approximately 4,600 students. Board members said lower response rates complicate interpretation of community‑wide trends and asked administration to use the survey to identify priorities and trends.

Facilities and contract updates

- Buildings and grounds staff reported summer project progress: phase 1 HVAC work at Richland Elementary and Wexford Elementary was completed enough to receive students; remaining HVAC hookups and phase 2 units are scheduled for next summer. The high school terrazzo flooring (phase 1) and a middle school gym renovation were reported complete; an auditorium relamping project is scheduled for September.

Votes and approvals (summary)

- The board approved routine minutes and the consent agenda (items 3.02–3.07).

- The board approved the financial reports dated 06/30/2025 and accounts payable dated 08/25/2025 in the amount of $180,004.06 and paid accounts for July in the amount of $5,280,929.23. The administration noted that the 06/30/2025 financial reports are not final until the annual financial audit is completed.

- The board approved the purchase of two replacement diving boards and bases for the high school natatorium from B & R Pools and Swim Shop for $41,554.58 and approved installation not to exceed $10,000.

- The board approved the purchase of new elementary library books for Hance and Wexford schools and accepted several program agreements and personnel items, including letters of agreement with the Watson Institute and various personnel supplements and practicum placements.

- The board approved an agreement between Wesley Family Services and the district for child and adolescent partial hospital services; that motion passed with one recorded abstention.

Ending

Board leadership said it will place school visits and a board self‑evaluation on a future agenda for scheduling. Administrators and trustees emphasized that the budget will require additional public engagement during the fall joint governance sessions scheduled on Sept. 15, Oct. 6, Oct. 20 and Nov. 10.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","August 25, 2025 (Regular)","oneSentenceSummary","At its Aug. 25 meeting the Pine‑Richland board discussed a $4.9 million operational deficit described by administrators, endorsed board engagement goals and school visits, and approved multiple routine finance and facilities motions including the financial report and purchases for district facilities.","taxTitle","Pine-Richland SD, School Districts, Pennsylvania","taxId",53139,"location","Pennsylvania","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":42,"_43":78,"_45":78,"_46":79,"_48":80,"_50":81,"_52":82,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":83,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":84,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":71,"_72":73,"_74":73},6505339,"Students and parents tell Pine-Richland board books saved lives as critics press for removals",240000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5680926-49fc6bb3a08ae2106e4f2d0ea78fd022&start=240&end=240","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5680926-49fc6bb3a08ae2106e4f2d0ea78fd022/thumbnail_240000.jpg","/articles/6505339/Pennsylvania/Students-and-parents-tell-Pine-Richland-board-books-saved-lives-as-critics-press-for-removals","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6505339-a27808b47d37e34f07b7d86b84e7a577/orig.mp4?Expires=1771168832&Signature=PdsM7SZhkIK4ETnFyEivlknCaqskkPh1ly04R34iuAkkdvBZpVFuOTuXHPXVYM3gJMzvZwb4qmcW3yJX5wR-sXoyNTs4oSTRyql1TuHUx3FTwUTLvS7rH3C2ibbf6KBKtbXHPgi8uxWF2~uButVeVPhnJe1xKQCQBzjZP5vuQVSZ02aHVvfCezNP1ZC1kugSWZ-Mk0c-FkS7fFWVraYCAzgPe8809vRtXGC0ixlPyxJqQfrcHH7sJeTQ3ultSs5tXEz5e~HDXocgne4eZK2Rk2AF5Cks8MRy94c5BjtmhXIHE-5B4eTB49fx3IOcGtuGMzXq9BUJyo3nFwWR5kH3Lg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Public commenters at the Pine‑Richland School District board meeting on Aug. 25 urged the board to act on a years‑old set of challenged library titles and criticized trustees for what they said has been a politicized, inconsistent approach to curriculum and library materials.

The remarks came during the meeting's public comment period and included personal testimony from students and parents. Ben Ward, a senior at Pine Richland High School, told the board that books helped him through a period of isolation after he came out: \"Books became my lifeline. They spoke to me about losing friends, feeling out of place, about questioning identity, and most importantly, about the strength it takes to be yourself.\" Ward urged the board against removing titles he said helped him survive.

Speakers made a range of related charges and requests. A visitor who identified himself as Steve Kettlenius said some library materials are \"pornographic and explicit\" and criticized trustees for not following through after the board adopted policy 109.1 on March 17, 2025; he said no requests had been filed to remove 14 books that were challenged in 2023. Other speakers accused board members of grandstanding and of undermining teachers; several urged trustees to respond to emails and public commenters.

Why it matters: The comments tie into an ongoing dispute over challenged books in the district and broader questions about board‑staff relations, curriculum decisions and how the district handles requests to remove materials. Students' first‑hand accounts, like Ward's, underscore the emotional stakes for some community members.

Details and context

- Multiple speakers referenced 14 books challenged in 2023 and said no removal requests had been completed since the board adopted policy 109.1 on March 17, 2025; that chronology was reported by public commenters in the meeting record, not as a formal staff report or board action. The transcript shows speakers saying it has been \"a hundred and 61 days\" since the policy passed and that the challenged titles remain on library shelves unless a formal removal request is filed.

- Britney Kendersmith, a Richland Township parent, criticized continued use of opt‑in forms for counseling curriculum and said time staff spend chasing forms is a budget and operational burden. Jen Buse and Anne Myers, parents who spoke later in the public comment period, criticized the board majority's relationship with teachers and called for greater responsiveness to commenters and to staff concerns.

- Several speakers connected the book challenge debate to the upcoming Nov. 4 election and urged voters to weigh candidates' positions on curriculum and governance.

Board response and formal action

No formal board action on library removals or appeals was taken at the Aug. 25 meeting. The record shows the matter was raised repeatedly during public comment, but the board did not place a related agenda motion or vote on removals that night.

Ending

Speakers asked the board to take specific next steps (for example, processing book‑challenge requests and responding to public correspondence). The board did not announce a timeline or formal follow‑up on those requests during the meeting; public commenters said they will continue to press the issue at future meetings.","At the Aug. 25 Pine‑Richland School District board meeting, multiple speakers urged action on books challenged in 2023 and criticized the board\u0000\u0000for perceived inaction and strained relations with teachers; a high‑school student described books as a life-saving resource.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Pine‑Richland board reviews stakeholder survey, faces $4.9 million operational shortfall; approves routine finance and facilities items

Students and parents tell Pine-Richland board books saved lives as critics press for removals