Middletown Area SD board approves multiple contracts, authorizes special-education filing and discusses selling Fink Elementary

The Middletown Area School District board approved a series of operational and financial motions at its April meeting, including contracts for furniture, telecommunications equipment and a phone-system replacement, and authorized submission of the district’s special-education plan under state regulation.

During unfinished business on operations, Mr. Meiser said construction and warmer weather have helped the building project progress and asked the board to approve listed change orders; the board approved a motion “to approve the change orders as listed in the attachment.” The board also approved a contract with STS Innovations to provide and install furniture for the new operations building at a total cost of $40,314.80, funded from capital project funds using CoStar pricing.

The board approved a stormwater sewer-line easement agreement with the municipal authority of the township of Lower Swadero to convey rights “to operate, maintain, repair, and replace a stormwater sewer pipeline and related infrastructure and facilities” on district property. It approved submission of a land development plan amendment to the Dauphin County Conservation District and the Department of Environmental Protection at a $500 filing cost and authorized Mr. Meiser to sign those applications. The board also approved a right-of-way agreement with PPL Electric Utility Corporation granting PPL the right to construct, reconstruct, operate and maintain electric and communication facilities upon, across, over, under and along the district parcel identified in the meeting as “30 Six-thirteen-forty 5.”

A motion to purchase MAPS telecommunications boxes for Middletown Area Primary School at a cost of $3,329 was approved.

In finance business, the board approved contracting with Visual Sound Inc. to provide equipment and services for a district-wide phone-system replacement at a cost of $205,009 plus an optional five-year extended service plan for $44,500; the board noted equipment is in stock and that the existing system will continue to work during transition.

Under academic affairs, the board authorized the board president and superintendent to approve the district’s special-education plan presented at the April 1 meeting “as required under 22 PA Code 14.104” after a 28-day public review period and to submit the plan to the Pennsylvania Department of Education. The motion carried.

The board approved multiple consent and immediate action items across personnel, operations and academics, including approval of minutes from the April 1 planning meeting and motions to pay unpaid bills “with totals by fund as detailed and attached.” The transcript records voice votes of “Aye” and “Motion carries” on these routine items; roll-call tallies were not recorded in the transcript.

The administration presented an update on potential future uses of district property. Administration staff reported that repurposing Fink Elementary into a community center would require substantial mechanical, electrical and plumbing work estimated at between $5 million and $6 million and that annual operational costs could run “2 to $300,000” per year. Based on those estimates, administrators recommended selling the building; the superintendent said he is working with the district solicitor to obtain appraisals for multiple properties and will return to the board with appraisal results before further action.

All motions recorded in the transcript passed by voice vote; specific aye/no tallies or named roll-call votes were not provided in the meeting record.