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Colonial School District board approves audit, tax resolution and multiple routine contracts
Summary
In a Nov. 20 meeting, the Colonial School District board approved the 2024–25 audit and annual financial report to PDE, certified an Act 1 opt‑out resolving not to raise the real‑estate tax above the 3.5% index, and approved multiple contracts, calendar and curriculum items.
The Colonial School District Board of School Directors conducted routine business at its Nov. 20 meeting, approving the district audit for the 2024–25 fiscal year, adopting a tax resolution to opt out of the Act 1 timeline, and passing motions on contracts, calendar and curriculum.
Board members voted to accept and approve the audit report for the 2024–25 fiscal year and to submit the district’s annual financial report to the Pennsylvania Department of Education. A separate tax-resolution motion certified that the district will not raise the real-estate tax rate above the equity index of 3.5% and that it will not use the equity exceptions available under the Act 1 rules.
The board approved budgeted payments for school productions (BWHS production of Clue and CMS production of Shrek Kids), an independent transportation contract to provide service for two students from Oct. 6, 2025, through June 15, 2026, at the IRS mileage reimbursement rate of $0.70 per mile, and educational service contracts for Overbrook School and Bucks County Intermediate Unit (Bucks County IU) services as presented.
A settlement and release agreement with a district employee identified in the packet as employee number 1043 was approved on motion. The board also approved the annually required list of contracted bus drivers (memo from Christopher Brown to Dr. Christian, dated Oct. 21, 2025), and two board policies on a first-reading basis.
On curriculum, the board approved two new Advanced Placement courses for 2026–27 — AP Cybersecurity and AP Business and Personal Finance — as part of the College Board’s AP Career initiative to expand access to AP career-oriented coursework. The board approved travel for four DECA students and PWHS DECA adviser Beth Ricker to attend the DECA Sports and Entertainment Marketing conference in Orlando, Florida.
Financial context noted during the curriculum report included statewide basic education funding changes: speakers said a $100,000,000 adjustment to basic education funding will support underfunded districts and that Colonial School District is expected to receive approximately $227,000. The transcript also referenced an additional $10,000,000 for early literacy initiatives and the expansion of a student-teacher stipend program (noted as moving from $20,000,000 to $30,000,000 with a stated goal of $50,000,000).
All motions described on the agenda were moved, seconded where indicated and approved by voice vote. The board closed with community updates and adjourned.
Votes at a glance: audit acceptance (approved); Act 1 tax-resolution opt‑out (approved); approval of production budgets (approved); independent transportation contract (approved); educational service contracts for Overbrook and Bucks County IU (approved); settlement with employee #1043 (approved); contractor bus drivers list (approved); policies (first reading approved); K–12 calendar for 2026–27 (approved); AP course additions (approved); DECA trip (approved).
