Twin Valley School District finance committee recommends budget adjustments, capital projects and legal settlement for board consideration

The Twin Valley School District finance committee on April 2025 recommended that the full school board place several budget and contract items on next week's agenda, including a recommended stipulation to settle an assessment for Poindexter Properties, the district's share of the Berks County Career and Technology Center (CTC) general fund budget, contracts for graduation and public-relations services, and a proposal to renovate the district's tennis courts.

The committee said these recommendations were intended to give the board an opportunity for formal consideration and final action at the next scheduled meeting. The items were presented during the finance committee portion of the April meeting and include cost figures and legal documentation the committee asked to forward.

The most detailed finance items recommended to the board for action are: Poindexter Properties stipulation: the committee recommended approving a stipulation to settle an assessment involving Poindexter Properties and authorized the district solicitor to execute the stipulation. The committee referenced court documentation recorded as a Berks County Court case, citation 23-16303.

Berks County CTC budget: the committee recommended placing on the agenda approval of Twin Valley's share of the Berks County Career and Technology Center general fund budget for 2025-26. The finance report listed Twin Valley's allocation at $558,559, a 2.26% increase from the prior year.

Graduation venue and PR services: the committee recommended sending to the board an agreement with ASM Global to hold the 2026 graduation ceremony at Santander Arena. Separately, the committee recommended a professional-services agreement with the Berks County Intermediate Unit for contracted public-relations services for the 2025-26 school year in the amount of $57,348.

Tennis court renovation and Miller Sports contract: the committee recommended the board consider awarding a construction contract to Miller Sports for tennis-court renovations. The proposal includes a base bid (Option 1) of $121,000 and an additional Option 2 for fence-line posts priced at $3,000. The committee stated the procurement has a contract number and has been routed through the district's contracting review.

Budget and revenue changes: committee presenters summarized updates to the district's 2024-25 budget and planning for 2025-26. Presenters said projected expenditures decreased by roughly $179,000, driven by a lower-than-expected medical-rate increase (from an anticipated 8% down to 6%), lower dental costs under the district's self-funded plan, and an expected professional-staff retirement that reduced projected costs by about $27,000. On the revenue side, the presenters reported a $220,000 reduction tied to a reduced millage increase; that was partially offset by an expected $45,000 uptick in real-estate transfer revenue. The net impact described in committee materials was an approximate $179,000 improvement versus the earlier budget draft. The committee said the proposed final budget will be presented for board approval in May and must be placed on public display prior to final adoption in June.

The finance committee framed these recommendations as preparatory: the committee voted to recommend the items for the full board's consideration next week rather than taking final action at the committee meeting.

The finance committee report and its recommendations will appear on the board's next meeting agenda for formal vote and, where applicable, solicitor review and signature.

Ending: The committee also listed several capital and maintenance projects in progress for 2024-25 and proposed for 2025-26, including roof replacement, HVAC phase work expected to be complete in June, stage lighting upgrades at Honey Brook, and athletic equipment purchases. The committee said additional details and final contract documents will be made available with the board packet for the upcoming meeting.