McKeesport Area School District pauses $70,000 boardroom tech upgrade; discusses PowerSchool contract and facilities change orders

McKeesport Area School District board members on Sept. 4 removed a proposed $70,000 boardroom technology upgrade from the consent agenda and asked staff for an itemized presentation, after extended discussion about existing audio-visual problems, recent contracts and multiple facilities change orders.

Board members said they wanted a clearer breakdown of costs, system components and benefits before approving the spending. Board members also heard from district technology staff about an existing contract with PowerSchool and received an update on several facilities change orders tied to high-school construction and maintenance projects.

The board sought a motion to adopt multiple consent-agenda bundles (curriculum and special education items 5.2–5.5; technology, safety and security items 6.2–6.4; facilities items 7.2–7.14; finance items 9.2–9.5; and personnel items 11.2–11.3), but the $70,000 line item for boardroom upgrades (agenda item 7.11) was pulled for more information. A board member said, "We remove that from the agenda and get some more information about what... presentation or information or... explanation of why it's needed." The board did not record a formal vote on that specific line in the transcript excerpt.

On PowerSchool, district technology staff said the district is "currently under contract with PowerSchool" and described a three-year renewal offer in which "the first year would be free... and then the following year we would just have to pay years 2 and 3" if the board accepts the three-year contract. Board members pressed for clarity on prior and future payments, asking whether the district had paid for services it had not been using, and asked staff to break the contract cost down by fiscal year (for example, '25 and '26).

Facilities discussion focused on three change orders for the high school related to demolition and construction of a vestibule; the board was told those three change orders "will still be covered under the PCCP grants and will not affect any general funds." Separately, board members were told a replacement of a void and an additional boiler at Twin Rivers is necessary to regulate temperature in that building and "that'll be paid for out of capital funds." The facilities presenter said final quotes were pending and that a firm amount would be available at a subsequent meeting.

Board members also discussed security upgrades for the district maintenance building to protect tools and equipment, described as upgrades to access control and video. One member said the improvements were intended to ensure property is "maintained where they need to be, being returned, and are... secure." The board asked staff for details about the specific equipment, serial numbers, and intended applications before authorizing the $70,000 expenditure.

Several members criticized the district's current meeting audio and remote participation setup. One board member called prior spending on an unused product a "complete and total waste of taxpayer dollars." Another noted, "these microphones are 20 years old," and urged an upgrade that would improve in-room audio, capture speakers on camera and produce short clips suitable for social media. Staff said the construction schedule for projects discussed currently lists a completion target of about Dec. 1 and that material delays and unforeseen structural conditions have affected timelines.

The board also referenced a student-discipline item in the agenda (identified in the transcript as "resolution 14 40, student discipline"). The transcript does not record a clear motion, vote tally or final outcome for that resolution in the excerpt provided.

The board asked staff to return with an itemized proposal and a presentation explaining what equipment is included in the $70,000 estimate and how it would improve remote participation, audio quality and the district's ability to produce short video clips of meetings or presentations. The board's next regular meeting and the consent votes referenced on the agenda were scheduled for Sept. 11, 2025.