Pottsgrove School District board approves $1.88 million in invoices, personnel items and counseling contract

The Pottsgrove School District Board of School Directors on Feb. 11 approved payment of $1,877,815.73 in invoices covering Jan. 1 through Feb. 11, 2025, multiple personnel items, and service agreements including an Ethos counseling contract and student affiliation agreements with pediatric therapeutic services.

The board moved through routine and action items in the meeting’s business session. “I’d like to make a motion; we approve payment of invoices in the amount of $1,877,815.73 from 01/01/2025 through 02/11/2025 as presented,” a board member said when introducing the granting of orders. Following a motion and second, the motion passed. The board later approved personnel items that combined multiple personnel appointments, retirements and resignations, and supplemental athletic appointments; one board member abstained from the athletic appointments because her husband is a coach.

Why it matters: The approvals allocate district operating funds, finalize staffing decisions and authorize student services contracts that affect schools, staff and students across the Pottsgrove School District.

Votes at a glance - Approval of minutes (agenda items 7.1–7.3): motion passed (voice vote). Specific roll-call tallies not recorded in the public transcript. - Granting of orders (payment of invoices: $1,877,815.73): motion passed (voice vote). - Personnel motions (agenda items 9.1–9.9, including retirements, appointments and supplemental athletic appointments): motions passed. The board recorded one abstention on athletic appointments (9.9) citing a conflict of interest (spouse employed as a coach). - Montgomery County Intermediate Unit membership budget (agenda item 10.1): motion passed following a requested roll-call vote; roll call was completed and the item passed. - Student affiliation agreements with pediatric therapeutic services (agenda items 10.2 and 10.3, considered together): motion passed (voice vote). - Ethos counseling contract (agenda item 11.1): motion passed (voice vote). - Committee minutes for operations/finance, curriculum/instruction/technology, and athletics/co-curricular/community relations (agenda items 14.2–14.4 combined): motion passed (voice vote).

During reports, Superintendent Dr. Finney told the board that Pottsgrove Middle School hosted the Pennsylvania Music Educators Association (PMEA) District 11 choir festival, with nine Pottsgrove students participating and three advancing to regional choir. Dr. Finney also said the district’s annual single audit is later than usual because of changes in the business office and software, and that the audit is expected to be presented to the board in March.

Board members also heard updates from the Montgomery County Intermediate Unit representative and from the Western Montgomery Career and Technology Center joint operating committee. Western Center Administrative Director David Livingood reported the center received an $80,000 competitive equipment grant to purchase a robotic welder. Business manager Donna Wilson reported a return of excess funds to Pottsgrove in the amount of $56,845.72.

Superintendent’s operational note: Dr. Finney announced weather-related messaging would be sent after the meeting; he said the district planned a two-hour delay for schools the following day.

Policy committee: Dr. Lucas summarized recent committee work, including second readings and reviews of policies, notably the wellness policy (policy 246), an opioid-antagonist policy previously titled naloxone (policy 823), and policy 5 (organization and committee names). No final board action on those policy revisions was recorded in the public portion of the meeting.

The meeting adjourned after public comment closed; no substantive public comments were recorded during the evening session.