[{"_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",6501767,"mediaKeyId","5784618-807a06907ab4d6f13792bb6ce5a58c4b","parentId",5784618,"title","Votes at a glance: Northwestern Lehigh board approves personnel actions, booster club recognition, contracts and bills","audioSeconds",341,"startMs",633000,"endMs",974000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5784618-807a06907ab4d6f13792bb6ce5a58c4b&start=633&end=974","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5784618-807a06907ab4d6f13792bb6ce5a58c4b/thumbnail_633000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6501767/Pennsylvania/Votes-at-a-glance-Northwestern-Lehigh-board-approves-personnel-actions-booster-club-recognition-contracts-and-bills","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6501767-89ef89bd3fbf9bffae87a3e651aaf25e/orig.mp4?Expires=1770917929&Signature=WC4Jjz-uezQPkh~tFSfhQo7vj5Dg5Lut5f0XNxyu1UcEQat0YyL6Px7IGFHuVpeIGBYpX7lfQ2WQNBrMlXbcj5GUGxzFFXa3u18tJU0rPTl5-kTQ3v5t9TuF1qGYh5be9UkCPFrxKqHmgdxgzElipZ73y4eAlUYoeCv~MAuOJWoadB10G-WlwUMKBlFljVsRKi7eWL~O-74jF4bzhTirnwfgBJeaqdLnsutg~B7tTvLqCBe8q7XiRJKd3-OkCxOBkPt7L9SLbnkYltcidVsAlwVZcJhEi8PTwd3mPJom~0FXWzy9JNAGcNMrecbytC3rzRAcPaXzjJsiqNCVgAzjxg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Northwestern Lehigh School District","date","2025-09-18T04:32:48.637Z","article","The Northwestern Lehigh School District board approved several routine and business items at its September meeting, taking voice votes on personnel actions, booster‑club recognition, contracts and service agreements, policy rescissions and payment of bills.

Key outcomes (voice votes unless otherwise noted):
- Personnel: The board approved retirements, resignations and new employee appointments as presented; one previously listed personnel item (Matthew Johnson) was removed at the employee’s request.
- Boosters: The board approved a student-run drama booster club application; administrators said the booster will operate as a student activity (student-directed with adviser support) and that no district funding will be provided.
- Policies: First readings were held for policies including building security and video surveillance; the board gave final approval to policies covering property records, facility use, lending of equipment and food services, and voted to rescind older policies that were superseded.
- Operations/contracts: The board approved a first-aid/transportation agreement (reviewed by the district solicitor), a proasis agreement and an annual maintenance contract; staff said solicitor suggestions were incorporated where applicable.
- Mail machine lease: Trustees authorized a five-year lease for a new mail/postage machine from STR (staff said the vendor’s machine costs $1.19 per month versus the district’s current $180 per month), with staff estimating more than $3,000 in savings over five years.
- Community education: The board authorized a spring adult/infant CPR class through LVHN; staff said classes will be offered to staff first, then to community members if space remains (class capacity: 35).
- Student activity and field trips: The Valley Guild of the Lehigh Valley student activity for Weisenberg Elementary (a Nutcracker scene) was approved.
- Bills: The board approved payment of bills, including capital reserve items tied to roofing and generator projects.

Several items were described as previously vetted at the workshop and carried forward for approval. Where the meeting record shows voice votes, the board did not record roll-call tallies in the transcript.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","September 17, 2025 Board Meeting","oneSentenceSummary","At its September meeting the board approved personnel items, recognized a student-run drama booster club, adopted several policy updates and approved multiple contracts and bills; many items were approved by voice vote with no roll-call tallies recorded.","taxTitle","Northwestern Lehigh SD, School Districts, Pennsylvania","taxId",75388,"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},6501772,"Board approves district subscription to Magic School AI platform; rollout, training planned",352,1367000,1719000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5784618-807a06907ab4d6f13792bb6ce5a58c4b&start=1367&end=1719","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5784618-807a06907ab4d6f13792bb6ce5a58c4b/thumbnail_1367000.jpg","/articles/6501772/Pennsylvania/Board-approves-district-subscription-to-Magic-School-AI-platform-rollout-training-planned","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6501772-fad369938e781f857400d97c24957678/orig.mp4?Expires=1770917929&Signature=E4hc6zxNN1oNf7Arf87zCSThpYa5SULNqTRZxAvPZ3YrW~5kqKjW73gMdRvD37DfucFboaQ2lytnn2ISlg0pJR0gv3hl5~R0wwpjqtaRMvKrewPGwia6BgwLhsQzFjEZpxBdzq0sVgPSUL3hfK~BX7Gt1xCCBobsJlh01qJrq0lrnkAyPHqYauzYqu-SKM3xGCPG0iLZwGR9DBS6CRZJ3RfmPcBO8FpvwPExTQLSrQCoRH8qFm~wziqWOXKrcjy7Kthz83e7PididX4ovGogF6RQSQKRWMFx0WRDDJDKv9AvK2oIMh7dFFPzknnS4yJ96vP6DPsvBf3j8GYgNcpWeQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Northwestern Lehigh School District board approved a contract for Magic School, a K–12–focused AI platform, and directed administration to proceed with implementation and training that district staff said is built into this year’s budget.

Staff described Magic School as an education-focused AI platform with tools designed to reduce teacher planning workload, support differentiated instruction and provide student-facing supports. Administration said the district conducted a vetting process that included input from classroom staff and a technology integrator and selected Magic School because it offered school‑specific tools and multiple underlying models rather than a single general-purpose AI model.

Administrators said the contract is under solicitor review and that the district plans a phased rollout: staff development this fall (October–November), a student AI kickoff at the secondary level in the second marking period and a train‑the‑trainer model using building-based technology mentors to support classroom teachers. Staff also said they will return to the board with progress reports on the platform’s classroom use and benefits.

Board members asked about vendor selection, training formats and how the district will measure benefits. Staff said Magic School was evaluated against other education-focused AI vendors and that the contract was chosen for its combination of functionality and longevity. The board approved the contract by voice vote; meeting minutes show the motion passed and no roll-call tally was recorded.","Trustees approved a district contract for Magic School, a K–12–focused AI platform, and staff said the purchase was budgeted this year and will be implemented with train‑the‑trainer professional development and ongoing reports to the board.",{"_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},6501777,"Northwestern Lehigh board to prepare resolution withholding part of charter payments amid state budget impasse",2498,264000,2762000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5784618-807a06907ab4d6f13792bb6ce5a58c4b&start=264&end=2762","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5784618-807a06907ab4d6f13792bb6ce5a58c4b/thumbnail_264000.jpg","/articles/6501777/Pennsylvania/Northwestern-Lehigh-board-to-prepare-resolution-withholding-part-of-charter-payments-amid-state-budget-impasse","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6501777-3ec0b0787a7bde775f999b8a0b2c002a/orig.mp4?Expires=1770917929&Signature=QdodxQf5QwD-thCcYCQpTFYi4YkWMu5mKv5hHW3yKHwNRuW2Rym~j1WOSRE8xeuuA7YvWTxsQt3HVsSzx8DOuRR7A6iozsPW9fItvnR86Cg4kdY7lSmHEW--pPQoqVxq4pYnq-Y4NrEPwuEmwg1qHuXCcRTWTRNTZGxdUT~G3wUxqOUnxxNB8McXebnk5hjr0Pva5eMJqJ~tJG~LHV45jEDBaC3RcAVJgNd7a9F3XIBwQQp3lkucvX8icK5-u4fDDsvZYiNp7auw8eoIcIMkH4GpXNo~09GBwQ7EEI9rL-~-7ZE2ZLbaBQ6utw2~gNOb7hVDRGMSzpMHXf-AEDOiuw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Northwestern Lehigh School District board directed staff at its September meeting to prepare a resolution that would withhold a portion of charter-school payments until the Pennsylvania General Assembly and the Department of Education resolve the state budget impasse.

Board members agreed to bring the draft resolution to the district’s October 1 workshop for formal consideration. The draft follows a template circulated by Bethlehem Area School District and would withhold 29% — the district’s state funding proportion — from charter payments until the state budget is finalized. The board did not vote to implement withholding at the meeting; it instructed administration to return with the prepared resolution for action at the workshop.

The matter arose during the superintendent’s report, when staff described two related items: the Circle of Seasons Charter School’s renewal application and a separate, wider proposal that districts temporarily withhold a proportional share of charter payments while the state budget remains unsettled. Staff said other local districts are considering either partial withholding (a percent) or full withholding and offered a sample resolution for board review.

On the charter-renewal timetable, staff said Circle of Seasons submitted a renewal request on Aug. 25 and that the district has asked the charter to provide a packet of documents covering student performance and accountability, curriculum and standards, special education and student services, English language learner supports, human resources, technology, safety and security, overall school design and future plans. After receiving the documents, staff said they will conduct an on-site visit and then bring a recommendation for renewal or nonrenewal to the board.

Finance staff explained how the proposed proportional withholding would be reconciled if the budget is later passed: the district would withhold the state-share portion of payments, track deductions in a separate spreadsheet, and reconcile actual tuition rates once state calculations are finalized on Nov. 1. Staff acknowledged additional administrative work for the business office to perform two reconciliations — first to apply the temporary withholding and later to reconcile final rates — and said the district undertook a similar withholding process during the 2015–16 budget impasse.

Board members who spoke said a proportional withholding is a fairer approach than selectively withholding full payments, because it mirrors the portion of state funds the district itself has not received. No final action was taken; preparation of the resolution for the Oct. 1 workshop was the only formal direction recorded.

Trustees also confirmed that the district will request and review Circle of Seasons’ requested documents and perform an on-site visit before issuing a recommendation. The board set an October schedule for further discussion and potential approval of the resolution.","Board directed staff to prepare a resolution for the Oct. 1 workshop that would withhold 29% of charter payments until the Pennsylvania budget is passed; trustees also outlined document review and an on-site visit for Circle of Seasons Charter School’s renewal application.","actionData","errors"]

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Votes at a glance: Northwestern Lehigh board approves personnel actions, booster club recognition, contracts and bills

Board approves district subscription to Magic School AI platform; rollout, training planned

Northwestern Lehigh board to prepare resolution withholding part of charter payments amid state budget impasse