Board approves tax-appeal addendum, student-placement agreements, school-improvement plan, donations and personnel appointment; several consent items pulled for

The Chambersburg Area School District board approved multiple consent-agenda items and several separately pulled items during its meeting, including a tax-appeal settlement addendum, student-placement contracts, a school-improvement plan, gifts and donations and a personnel appointment.

Why it matters: Consent-agenda votes move routine but consequential business — contracts, school plans and personnel — into the official record and authorize staff to proceed on contracts, placements and grants that affect service delivery and facilities.

Key votes at a glance: • Meadow Haven — First addendum to stipulation of settlement of tax appeal (agenda item 7.05). Motion by Mrs. Gogler, second by Mr. Raber; roll-call vote passed 8–1 (Mr. Norcross voted no). Board commentary noted this is a renewal of an agreement entered five years earlier and that the addendum renews the agreement for another five-year term.

• Chambersburg Area Education Association — collective-bargaining agreement (agenda item 7.15). (See separate article for full debate.) Approved 7–2; contract had been ratified by the association prior to the board vote.

• Third-party student placement agreements (agenda item 7.21). Motion by Miss Harbaugh, second by Mr. Hajduk; board members described the item as consolidating multiple external services into a single agenda item to reduce agenda length. Passed (voice vote recorded as “ayes have it”).

• ATSI School Improvement Plan, 2025–26 (agenda item 7.22). ATSI stands for Academic Targeted Student Improvement. Motion by Mr. Hajduk, second by Mr. McKee; passed (voice vote recorded as “ayes have it”).

• Gifts, grants and donations (agenda item 7.25). The board unanimously approved monthly gifts and grants. Board members publicly thanked donors, in particular a roughly $13,000 donation to reduce student meal debt from Giant and a $5,500 donation from Bethel Assembly for Trojan Stadium press-box improvements.

• Appointment of high-school principal (personnel item). The board approved nomination of Rod Bernice as high-school principal; Bernice joined the meeting remotely and spoke briefly to thank the board. (No roll-call tally was recorded in the public transcript for that nomination.)

• Policy readings: The board approved first reading of Policy 707 (facilities/administrative regulation) and related language, and approved second readings for a set of policies (policy numbers recited on the agenda). First-reading motion for Policy 707 passed by voice vote; second-reading motions passed without recorded objections.

Board members pulled items 7.05, 7.15, 7.21, 7.22 and 7.25 from the consent agenda for separate consideration and votes; the rest of the consent agenda was approved as a block.

The board also heard public comment (Valerie Jordan urged perspective on the proposed $240,000,000 capital program and encouraged calm discussion of tax impacts) and received multiple community thank-yous for district donors. Several board members asked staff to provide more financial detail in future reports (for example, net facility rental revenue after custodial costs).