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Board debates future of printed district calendar as staff seek digital consolidation; Grace Church donates playground to Freemansburg Elementary
Summary
Committee and board members on March 10 debated the value and cost (about $21,000) of the district’s full‑color printed calendar and discussed plans to consolidate web calendars. Separately, the board acknowledged a donation from Grace Church of Bethlehem to fund a new playground at Freemansburg Elementary.
Board members on March 10 discussed the district’s traditional full‑color printed calendar and whether to transition more fully to an integrated web calendar. The board heard that the printing cost was about $21,000 for the district package and that some advertising revenue offsets are nominal.
Members expressed different views: one board member called the printed calendar a promotional piece that captures district culture and called for a gradual transition and targeted print runs; another board member said the printed calendar is often discarded and argued for cutting costs and emphasizing a digital calendar maintained by feeds from school subcalendars. Staff said the district is working to consolidate subcalendars so arts, theater and other program schedules can be downloaded into the web calendar, and noted athletics remains the most challenging feed to integrate.
The board discussed potential alternatives including a shorter printed guide with key dates, making a PDF of the printed calendar available on the website, or distributing printed copies on request, and suggested exploring lower‑cost printing options (IU print shop or BAVTS production) as interim measures.
Separately, the board recognized a donation from Grace Church of Bethlehem to fund a new playground at Freemansburg Elementary. A board official said the congregation collected funds and chose the elementary school for the donation; trustees commended the church and other local congregations for supporting district students through donations and volunteer programs such as reading and backpack drives.
Why it matters: the calendar discussion touches on district communications, environmental impacts and printing costs; the playground donation represents a community partnership delivering a facility improvement at an elementary school.
Next steps: staff said they are working toward an integrated web calendar fed by school subcalendars and will consider alternatives to the full printed calendar ahead of next year’s production; the playground donation will be accepted and processed through typical district gift procedures.
