The Saucon Valley School Board opened its reorganization meeting with the statutory oath and roll call and moved quickly through officer nominations and representative appointments. Solicitor remarks early in the meeting reminded members that the reorganization is “statutorily required under the Public School Code of 1949,” and that only a president and vice president are required, though districts commonly name additional positions.

Director Vivian Demko was nominated and approved as temporary president for the reorganization process. Following the oath and seating of newly elected directors, the board accepted nominations for the permanent officers. Two members — Demko and Don Carpenter — each addressed the board about their candidacy. Carpenter told colleagues he had circulated a written statement to fellow directors and urged the board to prioritize unity, saying, “I sent every board director here a pitch for the reasons I felt that I was the best candidate for the job… I think that we have a tremendous opportunity here and that the board president needs to make it a priority to bring this board together.” Demko framed her bid around empathy and accountability, stressing students as the priority.

The board also filled a number of external and internal appointments: representatives to Bethlehem Area Vocational Technical Authority, PSBA legislative representatives, Chamber of Commerce liaison, Saucon Valley Foundation representative, and TCC delegates were nominated and confirmed by voice vote or by acclamation where only one nominee stood. Committee assignments for Academic & Personnel, Facilities and Finance were reviewed and openings filled, and directors discussed practices for giving every member an opportunity to serve on a committee.

On routine business, the board approved the regular meeting schedule (second and fourth Tuesdays of the month), authorized the temporary use of a signature stamp until a replacement arrives, and approved minutes from the Nov. 11 meeting. The superintendent and directors offered brief remarks congratulating incoming members and thanking outgoing volunteers.

The meeting then moved into the business agenda and presentations, including district academic data and a safety briefing. The reorganization items concluded with no contested final outcome recorded in the transcript for the permanent officer vote; several institutional appointments and procedural motions were recorded as carried by voice vote. The board adjourned for a short executive session and then resumed the public business portion of the meeting before ending for the night.

The board scheduled its next public meeting for Dec. 16 at 7 p.m. and posted that presentations from tonight’s session will be made available on the district website.