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Morrisville board approves $45,000 business-office consulting contract despite resident objections
Summary
A Morrisville resident urged the board to reconsider a contract paying an outside consultant $130 an hour (capped at $45,000) to cover business-office work; the board approved the service agreement with Tom Josiah Consulting LLC after discussion about in‑lieu staffing and cost.
The Morrisville Borough School District board voted to approve a service agreement with Tom Josiah Consulting LLC for the 2025–26 school year after a resident raised concerns about outsourcing business‑office work.
Allison Pillow, a Morrisville resident, used the public‑comment period to urge the board not to approve policy 11/2018 authorizing an independent contractor at $130 per hour, capped at $45,000. “This is a significant amount of money even if we cap it at $45,000,” Pillow said, asking whether three competitive bids were obtained and why the district would consider cutting an assistant principal and a librarian while contracting at a premium rate.
McCloskey, the district’s business office representative, responded during the contract discussion that the consultant (identified in the discussion as Pontius) performs accounting and back‑office functions — banking, reconciliations, AFR submission and audit support — and that the agreement is intended to replace the need for a full‑time in‑house accountant plus benefits. McCloskey confirmed the written contract includes a not‑to‑exceed total compensation figure and characterized the consultant as embedded in accounting operations.
After board members asked for clarification about the consultant’s role and the cap on compensation, the board moved and approved the service agreement as presented. The motion record in the transcript indicates the contract was approved by voice vote and recorded as carried.
What happens next: The contract will be administered by the business office for the 2025–26 school year; specific procurement documentation (competitive‑bid information) was not mentioned on the record and was not provided in the public comment exchange.
Context: The consulting contract was discussed in the same meeting that adopted the district’s final budget and tax rate for 2025–26, items that administration said were informed by committee budget work and are attached to board documents for public review.
