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Auditors report no findings as board weighs field-house costs and access‑road estimate
Summary
Klasick and Associates reported no findings on the district’s financial and single audits; board members and attendees raised questions about operating costs for a proposed field house and an estimated $4 million access road, and a board member cited recent fund‑balance increases.
Klasick and Associates told the Hazleton Area School District board that its most recent financial and single audits yielded no findings, while board members and members of the public pressed for detail about costs tied to a proposed field house.
"There's no findings for the audit," Tony Gallardi said, summarizing the firm's review of financial statements, depreciation, capital outlays and the federal programs sampled in the single audit. Gallardi also noted revenue increases tied to state and local funding and cautioned that COVID-era funding streams are winding down.
The audit presentation preceded a series of questions about item 29 on the agenda, a field-house proposal. An attendee urged the board to consider recurring operating costs — transportation, security, maintenance and equipment — that would continue after construction. A district official estimated the access road tied to the field-house project could be "in the neighborhood of $4,000,000" and said staff are pursuing several grants, some of which require matching funds, to help cover site work and clearing.
A board member also emphasized the district’s current reserves while urging attention to future operating needs. The speaker said the district recently added about $16 million to its fund balance, bringing it to roughly $53 million, and noted that about $18 million has been designated for the field-house project; the board member urged dedicating additional funds to academic priorities and warned that annual operating costs will rise.
Board leadership said planning for the new school and related projects will move forward early in the new year. No formal vote specific to field‑house design or construction financing was recorded during the meeting; multiple consent‑agenda approvals and personnel items were adopted by voice vote.
What’s next: district staff said they will continue pursuing grant funding for the access road and begin planning work on the new school and associated projects in the coming months.
