Hazleton Area SD board approves consent agenda, removes two items and denies HAESPA grievance

The Hazleton Area School District board, meeting in December 2025, approved a broad consent agenda covering curriculum, special education, security, transportation, facilities, technology, athletics and finance while noting the removal of two items from the published agenda.

An external auditor from Classic and Associates, Tony Gabiardi, presented the district’s financial audit and the single audit for federal awards and reported no findings, commending the business office for a growing fund balance and sound internal controls. "There are no findings with the audit," Gabiardi told the board, adding that grant compliance testing did not reveal issues.

The board approved a series of grouped consent items by single motions across sections: curriculum items 1–6; special education items 7–9; security items 10–12 (with minor wording clarifications, e.g., "x-ray machines" written in the plural and cost phrasing clarified as "per machine"); nutrition/transportation items 13–15; facilities items 16–18; technology items 19–21; student activities/athletics items 22–24; and finance items 25–38 (item 27 had been removed from the agenda). A motion to pay the bills (item 39) passed; a board member recorded a recorded 'no' vote limited to letter d on that bill and the objection was noted in the minutes.

During consideration of items 43–55 the board moved to table item 47 and conducted a roll-call vote on the tabling motion; the motion to table carried and item 47 will be returned for further discussion. The record also shows one abstention on item 49. The board approved items 56–72 with item 70 previously removed; the record names two appointments (Terrence McNealis and James Raypatch) as part of item 72 and confirms Carmen Salt will join early intervention work under items 73–76.

On labor relations, the board considered a motion to recommend denial of an HAESPA grievance (transcript records the grievance reference as a multi-digit sequence). After brief public input and board discussion the motion to recommend denial passed.

The meeting included a proposal to form a standing policy review committee (to meet the second Thursday of each month) to revisit policies that have not been reviewed in years; the board agreed to add the committee to the listing and publicize meetings. Several members asked for follow-up reports on specified items (noted in the record) and reminded conference attendees to return with written or verbal reports as required by district policy.

What’s next: several tablings and removals mean a small number of agenda items will return for further study; the newly formed policy committee and the labor grievance process are likely next steps on the board’s calendar.