Albert Gallatin Area board deadlocks on $3.5 million bond for solar and capital upgrades

The Albert Gallatin Area School Board considered but did not approve a plan to issue up to $3.5 million in general obligation bonds for a package of capital improvements that included solar arrays at South Middle and Friendship Elementary schools, sidewalks, fire alarm system upgrades and HVAC work.

Presenters Michael McCaig and Anthony Ditka provided information on the proposed solar projects before the board discussed two separate motions. The first, moved by Dan Janesko and seconded by Betty Moser, sought to table adoption of the bond resolution; the board recorded four ayes (Janesko, Eric Miller, Moser, Jeff Myers) and four nays (Dave Howard, Ryan Porupski, Carl Planiczka, Doug Sholtis), and the motion failed. A second motion, moved by Doug Sholtis and seconded by Dave Howard, to adopt the resolution to authorize issuing the bonds likewise resulted in a 4–4 split (ayes: Porupski, Planiczka, Howard, Sholtis; nays: Janesko, Moser, Myers, Miller) and failed.

Because both motions failed, the board did not authorize incurring nonelectoral debt under the Local Government Unit Debt Act at this meeting. The bond package discussed would have covered multiple projects districtwide, with the solar arrays explicitly named for South Middle and Friendship Elementary.

The failure to pass the resolution leaves the proposed solar project and the other listed improvements without the bond financing discussed at this meeting. Board members who voted against the motions expressed concern during the discussion about aspects of the package and the financing approach, while supporters emphasized potential capital and energy benefits; the transcript records the roll-call results but does not record detailed, attributable floor statements from every member on the specifics of financing terms.

The district may revisit financing options at a future meeting; no follow-up motion adopting a different financing plan was recorded on Nov. 19.