Marple Newtown committee previews PA-system upgrade, facility repairs and budget items ahead of February board meeting

Marple Newtown School District officials on Feb. 11 reviewed several upcoming budget and facilities items for the full board, including a $168,272 replacement of the public-address system at Paxon Island Middle School that the district said is largely covered by a School Mental Health Safety Grant, with roughly $22,000 expected to come from the district’s general fund.

The discussion included a report of a clean annual audit, a motion to accept $3,000 in gift-card donations tied to Acme Markets’ Nourishing Neighbors campaign, and requests to place purchases — including a specialized wheelchair van and new percussion equipment for the high school drum line — on the board’s February agenda.

Why it matters: Administrators said the PA-system replacement is intended to improve reliability and safety communications at the middle school, and district leaders signaled that several purchases are being scheduled to avoid pressure on next year’s operating budget.

The district’s finance or business-staff presenter told the committee the PA project is under a COSTARS cooperative-purchasing contract and that Delco Solutions is recommended to remove and install the system. "It is a much more advanced system," the staff member said, adding the vendor demonstrated modern functionality beyond a simple microphone-and-speaker setup. The staff member also said the work is planned as a summer project.

Officials said the School Mental Health Safety Grant will cover the bulk of the PA-system cost; the remaining roughly $22,000 would come from the general fund. The presenter said the district would circulate an executive summary describing the new system’s capabilities before the full board meeting.

The committee also discussed a gymnasium divider replacement at Paxson Hollow (listed in the packet as a commercial procurement under COSTARS). The finance presenter said the divider item is listed at about $41,000 under COSTARS and includes an electrical component the presenter read aloud as "$73.50"; the transcript audio was unclear on the precise figure for the electrical work.

On donations and audit findings, the presenter said the district has a motion to accept $3,000 in gift cards from the district’s gift-card bank, supplied in partnership with Acme Markets for distribution to families via the district social worker. The presenter described the district’s annual audit as "a clean audit" and thanked staff for completing a more complex review this year.

The committee heard a request to place an outright purchase of new percussion instruments for the high-school drum line on February’s agenda; presenters said the district had obtained quotes that reduced the cost from an earlier estimate and that leftover funds this year would be used so next year’s budget is not burdened. The speaker described the purchase as intended to allow inventory and readiness for summer programs.

Similarly, staff described a planned CoStars purchase for a specialized wheelchair van to replace a leased vehicle; that item was presented as timing-critical to have the vehicle ready for summer transportation and the next school year.

In the Curriculum, Instruction and Technology portion of the meeting, administrators said students will attend the state FBLA competition in Hershey in April, that the district plans to pilot an AI product called "Magic School" in a closed, school-controlled environment and that the district is piloting new science materials aligned to state standards for adoption next year.

No formal votes or final board actions were recorded in the committee discussion captured in the transcript; presenters repeatedly framed most items as recommendations to be acted on at the full board meeting at the end of February.

The items will be placed on the full board agenda for formal consideration and any votes at the district’s regular February board meeting.