Abington Heights board unanimously approves personnel report, student account, Act 1 index resolution, Marywood affiliation and business-services contract

The Abington Heights School Board unanimously approved several routine administrative items during its Jan. 7 meeting.

After the superintendent moved the personnel report, the board voted by roll call to approve the personnel changes. The motion passed with affirmative votes from the members present.

The board next approved a motion to establish a student activity account for the "Unified Club" at the high school. The motion was moved and seconded and carried on a unanimous roll-call vote.

Superintendent Dr. Schaeffer explained an Act 1 index resolution the board was being asked to adopt. He clarified that the vote was not an authorization to raise taxes that night but a required annual statement that the district would not exceed the Act 1 index (the maximum general- fund tax increase set by state rules) this year; he said that index was 4.1% and that the state’s provision of adequacy funding has removed many exception options. The board adopted the Act 1 resolution by roll-call vote.

The board also approved an affiliation agreement between Marywood University and Abington Heights School District to provide school-based practicum placements for students in Marywood’s school-psychology program. The motion passed on a roll call with all members voting yes.

Finally, the board authorized a management services agreement with School Business Consultants LLC to perform day-to-day operations for the district office following a recent retirement that the district does not plan to replace. District leaders framed the move as a cost-saving step to maintain continuity of business-office operations; the motion passed on a unanimous roll-call vote.

All votes during the action-item sequence were recorded by roll call with no recorded no-votes; board members present answered "Yes" on each item.