Board approves personnel actions, policies and contracts; special education plan cleared for PDE submission

The Northwestern Lehigh School District board approved a slate of routine and substantive actions, including personnel appointments and tenure, support‑staff rate changes, health care contribution schedules, the special education plan and several contracts.

Personnel and rate items Board action included standard personnel motions (appointments, resignations and tenure recommendations) and approval of the 2025–26 support staff rate sheet, which reflects reorganizations in the operations department and clarifies that extracurricular stipends listed under a separate section are per activity (per event), not hourly. The board also approved the district’s 2025–26 employee health‑care contribution schedule.

Special education and truancy The board approved the district special education plan, which administrators will submit to the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE). Dr. Sysnovik thanked staff for finalizing typographic and portal changes and noted no substantive edits since the workshop review. The board also approved the designation of truancy officers; administrators said the list will be submitted to the Lehigh County court system so those staff members may cite truancy summary offenses.

Policies The board accepted three first‑reading policy proposals to be considered next month (621 local taxpayer bill of rights; 622 governmental accounting/GASB; 623 indebtedness) and gave final approval to five second‑reading policies: 202 (eligibility of nonresident students), 616 (payment of bills), 617 (petty cash), 618 (student activity funds) and 619 (district audit).

Operations and contracts The board approved facility master‑plan roof agreements for the middle and high schools; administrators said the agreements protect the district if contractor or subcontractor failures occur. The board also approved a DJ agreement with Groovin Enterprises for the eighth‑grade farewell (cost paid from student activities) and a package of vendor agreements (trash removal, health‑care resources, home health agreements, CLIU facilities plan) that had been vetted at the workshop meeting.

Bills and routine reports Board members approved the monthly bills and received enrollment, foundation and committee reports. The Northwestern Lehigh Education Foundation reported about $35,000 in teacher mini‑grant funding awarded this cycle; Dan McCauley (foundation) described robust teacher requests.

Votes at a glance - Personnel appointments and tenure (motion: moved/second not specified) — outcome: approved; vote: aye (unanimous; one absence noted later in meeting). - 2025–26 support staff rate sheet (motion: moved/second not specified) — outcome: approved; note: extracurricular rates listed are per event. - 2025–26 health care employee contributions (motion: moved/second not specified) — outcome: approved. - Special education plan (motion: moved/second not specified) — outcome: approved; next step: submit to Pennsylvania Department of Education. - Truancy officers designation (motion: moved/second not specified) — outcome: approved; next step: submit list to Lehigh County court system. - Policies (second reading): 202, 616, 617, 618, 619 — outcome: approved (final). - Facility roof agreements (middle school, high school): approved. - Groovin Enterprises DJ agreement for eighth‑grade farewell: approved (student activities to pay cost). - Vendor agreements (trash removal, home health, CLIU facilities plan) and related contracts: approved. - Monthly bills: approved.

Ending Most votes were taken by voice and recorded as aye/no with no roll‑call detail; the meeting record shows standard motions, seconds and unanimous voice approval for items presented, with one board member absent noted later in the meeting.