Board approves vehicle purchase, Title I agreements and multiple routine items

The Altoona Area School District Board of School Directors approved a slate of routine business and education items at its August meeting, including a purchase of a replacement athletic van, multiple Title I service agreements for nonpublic schools and a behavioral health services agreement.

The board voted, by voice, to approve the minutes of the Aug. 4 regular meeting, to accept administration reports and lists of payments, and to approve three grouped business items (items 4 a–c). Among those approvals was authorization for the administration to purchase a replacement athletic van at a cost not to exceed $65,000 and preliminary 2025–26 tuition rates for nondistrict resident students.

Under the education consent group (items 5 a–j), the board approved a Devereaux PA Children’s Behavioral Health Services agreement for the period 07/01/2025–06/30/2026; Title I letters of agreement between the district and third-party providers for services at Arrow’s Christian Academy (not to exceed $15,000) and Great Commission School (not to exceed $10,000); and a nonpublic Title I services agreement with E. M. Lindsman LLP for Bishop Guilfoyle Academy and Saint Patrick Catholic School not to exceed $70,000 for 09/01/2025–08/18/2026. The board also approved the district’s Pre-K Counts 2025–26 flexible instruction plan, a new teacher induction completion list, the district fine arts boosters agreement for 2025–26, an attached volunteers list (all required clearances and TB tests reported as received), secondary field trips and one course approval tied to Haley Flegal’s doctoral program.

Board members also approved a service agreement between Honeycomb ABA Therapy and the Altoona Area School District for the period 08/06/2025–08/01/2026, as well as business operations items including a repository bid, capital reserve payments and the approval of STAR/STA bus drivers contingent upon required clearances.

Discussion was brief in most cases. When a board member asked why the Title I allocations to some nonpublic schools differed, district staff member Haley Flegal explained that allocation amounts are based on the number of students attending each nonpublic school and that when a third-party contractor is used, the district negotiates the contract rate with that provider. “The money allocation is determined by the number of students that we have attending those schools,” Haley said. “Schools with more students get more money, and then we negotiate with that third party contractor because they’re the one going in to provide the service for that rate.”

Most approvals were taken by voice vote with board chair calls for “all in favor” followed by “aye.” The record in the meeting transcript shows motions and seconds for grouped items and the announcement “motion carries” after each voice vote; individual roll-call tallies were not recorded in the public transcript.

A single new-business item listed as 9a was tabled and not voted on during this meeting.

Votes at a glance: - Minutes, Aug. 4 regular meeting — Approved (voice vote; motion carried) - Items 4 a–c (payments; student activity club balance; purchase of replacement athletic van not to exceed $65,000; preliminary nondistrict tuition rates) — Approved (voice vote; motion carried) - Items 5 a–j (education consent group including Devereaux behavioral health agreement; Title I agreements with Ignite Education Solutions for Arrow’s Christian Academy and Great Commission School; E. M. Lindsman nonpublic Title I services; Pre-K Counts flexible instruction plan; new teacher induction list; fine arts boosters agreement; volunteers; field trips; course approval for Haley Flegal) — Approved (voice vote; motion carried) - Item 6 a (personnel agenda items, including retirements and new hires) — Approved (voice vote; motion carried) - Item 7 a (service agreement with Honeycomb ABA Therapy for 08/06/2025–08/01/2026) — Approved (voice vote; motion carried) - Items 8 a–c (business operations: repository bid; capital reserve list of payments; STA bus drivers contingent on clearances) — Approved (voice vote; motion carried)

Because most approvals were handled in grouped consent motions and decided by voice vote, the transcript does not include individual roll-call tallies or named vote-by-vote records for each board member.

Ending: Several approvals primarily implemented contracted services and routine operational items ahead of the 2025–26 school year; one item under new business (9a) was tabled for a future meeting.