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Quakertown Community SD board schedules Act 34 hearing for Quaker Elementary and approves tech-school budget and consent items
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Summary
On March 26 the board approved advertising an Act 34 hearing for Quaker Elementary (hearing set for April 23, advertisement by April 3), adopted the Upper Bucks Tech School operating and capital budgets, and passed routine consent items including a drone show agreement and multiple finance and HR consent items.
The Quakertown Community SD board voted on a package of actions March 26 that included approving a resolution to advertise a public Act 34 hearing for the proposed Quaker Elementary project, adopting the Upper Bucks County Technical School (UBCTS) general fund and capital budgets, and passing multiple consent-agenda items.
Act 34 hearing: Administration explained the scope of an Act 34 hearing is limited to the project site; numbers previously presented that included work at the sixth-grade center were removed from the Act 34 advertisement packet. Mr. Schrader (project presenter) told the board the timeline requires advertising the hearing a minimum of 20 days before the scheduled April 23, 2026 hearing, making April 3 the advertisement cutoff. The board approved the resolution and advertisement by roll call.
UBCTS budget: Representatives from Upper Bucks County Technical School presented a proposed general fund budget of $12,791,649 for 2026'27 and discussed the five-year ADM formula used to allocate costs across sending districts. The presentation noted a small fund-balance usage (about $37,000) and a separate capital reserve budget; Quakertown's estimated net cash obligation including the capital reserve and refund adjustments was presented at roughly $237,144.59. The joint budget and the capital-reserve contribution (Quakertown share $109,204.50) were approved by roll call vote.
Consent and fiscal items: The board approved routine items including budget transfers for January and February, the bills list, the year-to-date financial report, a Starflight drone show agreement for graduation, human-resources consent items (professional, confidential and support staff approvals), and policy committee contract recommendations. The board also approved a contract amendment related to bus-patrol technology (phone/GPS systems) after administration explained the net operational benefit and committed to providing additional data on violation patterns and outreach effectiveness.
Why it matters: The Act 34 advertisement marks a formal step in the Quaker Elementary construction process and opens a statutorily required public hearing window; the tech-school budget vote sets the district's inter-district obligations for the coming fiscal year and will affect local budget planning.
Votes at a glance (selected): - Approval to advertise Act 34 hearing for Quaker Elementary (hearing April 23, 2026; advertisement by April 3) ' Outcome: Approved (roll call, unanimous yes). - Upper Bucks Tech School general fund budget, $12,791,649 ' Outcome: Approved (roll call, majority yes). - Capital reserve budget / Quakertown contribution $109,204.50 ' Outcome: Approved (roll call, majority yes). - Fiscal consent items (10a'e: transfers, bills, financial report, drone show) ' Outcome: Approved (voice/roll-call). - HR consent agenda (professional, confidential, support staff, longevity pay memorandum) ' Outcome: Approved (voice/roll-call).
Administration said the Act 34 booklet for the project will be available at the district front desk beginning April 3 to provide transparency prior to the April 23 hearing. The board did not alter project scope in this vote; cost differences between prior presentations and the Act 34 packet were explained as the result of excluding sixth-grade center work from the Act 34 project site.
