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District to recommend Lifetouch contract, rebid propane and hire Valbridge Advisors at legislative meeting
Summary
Finance staff said the April 1 finance committee will forward three items to the district’s legislative meeting: a Lifetouch picture contract, a two‑year propane contract for the bus fleet with lower second‑year pricing, and a small Valbridge Advisors contract to evaluate tax parcels for equalization.
The Cheltenham School District finance committee on April 1 reviewed three items staff said they will recommend at the next legislative meeting: a Lifetouch student‑picture contract, a rebid propane contract for the bus fleet and a small contract with Valbridge Advisors to evaluate township tax parcels under the district’s tax‑equalization policy.
Staff described the Lifetouch contract as a flow‑through arrangement in which Lifetouch bills parents directly and the agreement carries minimal direct financial impact to the district. The committee was told staff will recommend the contract for approval at the legislative meeting.
On propane, staff said the district rebid fuel for the propane‑powered bus fleet and received similar pricing to the last bid: the previous bid had fallen from $2.22 to $1.15 per gallon; the new bid carries the same initial price and a reduced second‑year price of $1.05 per gallon, which staff said yields significant savings compared with historical levels.
Staff said they will recommend a small, roughly $7,000 contract with Valbridge Advisors to perform tax‑parcel evaluations in line with the township policy of equal taxation across parcels.
During the discussion, a board member praised the district’s decision years earlier to operate a propane bus fleet, saying propane offers lower emissions, reduced maintenance and cost advantages compared with diesel and that the fleet choice remains appropriate while electric school buses have not yet reached widespread economic viability without subsidies. The committee did not take final votes on these items at the finance meeting; staff will present them for action at the legislative meeting.
