East Stroudsburg policy committee posts multiple proposed policy updates for public review

The East Stroudsburg Area School District Policy Committee voted to direct administration to post proposed revisions and repeals of several district policies for public review in January and for board action in February. The items discussed included an update to the district's investment policy to add Act 10 language, repeal of a petty-cash policy, repeal of a duplicate capitalization policy referenced to GASB 34, and a proposed change to the district's gifts and scholarships policy raising the threshold for board approval.

The move to post the items followed committee discussion about each policy's substance and operational effects and a broader discussion about facility-use fees after a local youth association sought relief from Sunday personnel fees. The policy committee's posting directive passed on a voice vote; the administration will publish the revisions for public comment and return recommended language to the full board in February.

Investment policy: Act 10 language added and annual plan timing

Committee members reviewed a proposal to update the district's investment policy to incorporate language from Act 10, which the committee was told expands the allowable instruments the district may use beyond Certificates of Deposit and U.S. Treasury notes to include certain commercial paper and other instruments. The district's chief financial officer said the current practice is to invest in CDs and Treasury notes and described those as "more safer investments" with lower yields. The CFO said the updated policy would require the district to prepare an annual investment plan and submit it after the budget is adopted; "I will submit to you an annual investment plan, which, consists of right now CDs and Treasury notes," the CFO said, and added the plan will be submitted in July, no less than 60 days after adoption of the annual budget.

The committee noted the proposed wording follows guidance suggested by the Pennsylvania School Boards Association (PSBA) to ensure the district's policy reflects the expanded options under Act 10.

Petty cash repeal and capitalization policy

Committee members recommended repealing the petty-cash policy (Policy 617) because schools no longer keep petty cash on site. The CFO explained that the district now uses district-issued credit cards for small purchases and that athletic departments and cafeteria cash handling are governed by separate policies. "Our auditors actually do not want us to have any cash laying around," the CFO said, adding that individual schools do not maintain petty-cash funds.

Separately, the committee recommended repealing a duplicate capitalization policy (Policy 623) after staff pointed out capitalization is already addressed in the district's GASB 34 guidance within policy 6.20. Staff said Policy 623 duplicates the GASB-based language and is not needed.

Gifts and scholarships policy: threshold raised to $1,000, capitalization and program donations

The committee reviewed proposed revisions to Policy 702 (Gifts and Scholarships) that would permit the superintendent to accept donations under $1,000 without board approval and require gifts of $1,000 or more to go to the finance committee for recommendation to the board. The proposed draft replaces references to "community" donors with a broader term and clarifies that district officials approached by donors should consult with the superintendent and the chief financial officer.

Committee members asked whether programmatic donations made through other government programs (for example, library collections or items provided by a homeless initiative) are covered. Staff noted that any incoming donation or in-kind gift with a value at or above the district's capitalization threshold (described in committee discussion as $5,000) must be capitalized and depreciated under accounting rules. "Anything that can as a group go over the $5,000 threshold have to be capitalized and then depreciated," a board member said during the review. The committee agreed language should ensure major gifts and those that create installation or ongoing maintenance costs come to the finance committee.

Facilities use and Sunday staffing: ESYA request prompted broader discussion

The committee spent extended time discussing Policy 707 (Facilities Use), prompted by a request from ESYA (the local youth association) for a waiver of Sunday custodial and personnel fees for an indoor tournament. Committee members and staff reviewed the district's contract language for custodial staff and the practical cost of Sunday events. Mr. Romagna, identified in the meeting as the supervisor of environmental services, summarized the contract provisions: "A custodian can be assigned a weekend day as part of the regular shift, but only 1 day," and "if they work on a Sunday, they shall be paid at 2 times their regular pay rate." He added only newly hired employees may be initially assigned to a Sunday shift and that existing employees who work Saturdays or Sundays generally have transfer rights when a Monday'through'Friday position opens.

Staff told the committee that a recent Sunday tournament required two custodians and one security staffer; staff described a prior Saturday event charge of $333.36 that was waived and estimated the recent in-building Sunday staffing cost using the district fee structure at roughly $173 per hour for three individuals, which staff said equated to about $1,200 for the event (staff cautioned the total would vary with exact hours). Committee members discussed options including asking the bargaining unit for schedule flexibility, hiring a dedicated Sunday position, splitting overtime costs with the event organizer, or keeping current policy and referring the matter to the full board for broader discussion.

Committee action and next steps

After discussion, a committee member moved and a second carried a motion "to authorize and direct the administration to post" the proposed revisions and repeals (including Policies 617, 623 and 702 as discussed) for public review during January and to return recommendations to the full board in February. The committee approved the posting by voice vote. Staff said they will collect additional data about the frequency of Sunday requests and the typical staffing hours and costs to inform the full-board discussion.

Ending note

Committee members agreed that while the district supports community programs, changes that would create recurring fiscal impacts or inconsistent waivers should be addressed by the full board with policy guidance; staff will prepare the posted drafts and provide the committee and board with additional cost and frequency data ahead of the February board meeting.