Board moves multiple procurements, grants and partnerships forward in committee; approvals taken at regular meeting
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Summary
At the Feb. 26 Allentown School District meetings the board advanced or approved a package of items: modular classrooms (moved to regular meeting), procurement approvals for servers and signage, acceptance of a Verizon Innovative Learning Schools grant, vendor contracts (Tyler/HR & payroll systems), a McGraw Hill professional-learning contract, a naming of a softball field, participation in a J‑1 international teacher program (no district fee), and authorization to advertise bids for a new K–8 facility and a $15M PSFIG HVAC grant application.
The Allentown School District board used its Committee of the Whole and regular meeting on Feb. 26 to advance a broad set of operational, technology, facilities and programmatic items.
Key motions and approvals in committee and at the regular meeting included:
- Modularity purchase (sonia sotomayor): Committee moved the request to purchase 10 modular classrooms at a cost not to exceed $1,600,000 to the regular board meeting for final action.
- Technology and servers: The board approved procurement items related to a districtwide digital-transformation strategy (Tyler Technologies for finance/payroll and other integrated human-capital/timekeeping systems) and authorized the purchase of a Dell PowerEdge XE7740 high-performance server (presented for Bridgeview) for $33,472.
- Cybersecurity services: To bridge platforms during a security-platform transition, the board approved a CrowdStrike services extension at $54,000 per quarter.
- Grants and partnerships: The board accepted the Verizon Innovative Learning Schools grant (2026–2030) for Dieruff and William Allen High Schools and approved a memorandum of understanding with Penn State Lehigh Valley as a naming partner and site for a district AI institute with a proposed $250,000 capital investment.
- Professional learning and staffing: The board approved a six‑month contract with McGraw Hill for mathematics professional learning and implementation-support services ($52,500, Title I funds) and approved an international teacher-recruitment host agreement with Teachers Lounge / Alliance Abroad (J‑1 program) that carries no fee to the district.
- Facilities, capital and maintenance items: The board authorized advertising and soliciting prime bids for a new K–8 academy facility (Act 34 process) and approved submission of Act 34 PSFIG applications to seek roughly $15 million for HVAC and boiler improvements (with a 25% district match requirement). The board also approved using a real-estate broker for the potential sale of McKinley Elementary School and approved routine emergency repairs for an existing boiler at Harrison Morton.
- School naming: The board approved renaming the William Allen softball field the Ed Stinner Softball Field following a committee recommendation and community nominations.
All motions were moved, seconded and carried by recorded voice or roll-call votes in either committee or the regular meeting; where roll-call votes occurred the minutes record 'Aye' for each director present and no opposed votes were recorded on these items. Several items will return to the regular board meeting or to procurement teams for formal contracting and budget reconciliation.
What’s next: For capital and procurement items administration will complete required bid documents, E‑Rate and grant paperwork, and final vendor contracts for board review where required.