Parkland School Board approves energy upgrades, university affiliation agreements and equipment purchases

The Parkland School District Board approved a series of committee recommendations at its December meeting, including university affiliation agreements, curriculum updates, energy-savings project amendments and equipment purchases.

The academics, arts and athletics committee recommended approval of an affiliation agreement with Kutztown University to host two graduate reading specialist interns for the 2025–26 academic year; the district will pay the in-state graduate tuition cost for 24 credit hours per semester up to $15,500 per student per year (speaker 9). The board also approved an affiliation agreement with Point Park University to establish a Parkland student-teaching center under a five-year term (speaker 9). The board approved the Parkland High School program of studies for 2025–26 and a set of overnight field trips in January–February 2025.

Buildings and Grounds reported multiple facilities and energy items. The board authorized Boyle Construction Management to provide construction management services for the Setronia, Kernsville and Fogelsville projects with a combined fee of $227,544 and a minimum of 2,208 labor hours (speaker 5). The board approved amendment number 5 with McClure Company for additional energy-conservation upgrades with a total fee of $271,212, and amendment number 6 with a core company (transcribed as 'a core company') that added upgrades with a project fee of $5,613,012 (speaker 5). The board also accepted a John Kennedy Ford quote to purchase a 01/2024 Ford E-450 utility truck for $71,631.25 (speaker 5). All four items were moved, seconded and approved by voice vote.

On personnel and policies, the board approved a bundled personnel motion that included resignations, retirements, status changes and employment of staff and the day-to-day substitute list (speaker 8). The board advanced two policies for first reading (005, local board procedures; 622, finances/GASB statements) and adopted several policy updates on second reading, including policies addressing student and employee tobacco and vaping and controlled substances (speaker 8).

The board adopted the Pennsylvania School Boards Association (PSBA) Principles for Governance and Leadership to serve as the district's guiding standards; President Cohen requested a roll-call vote and the transcript records a unanimous 9–0 adoption (speaker 2).

During the accounts-payable motion, one board member noted that their yes vote excluded line items related to cyber charter school payments and criticized cyber charter funding and associated litigation (speaker 8). The accounts-payable motion passed by voice vote.

What’s next: Several items will return for later procedural steps (policies scheduled for reconsideration at the next meeting and first-reading policies to return in January). The district’s January committee meetings and the next board workshop/meeting were announced.

Quotes

"The total project fee for the energy conservation measures listed in schedule A-6 is $5,613,012," David Hine said during the Buildings & Grounds report (speaker 5).

"I will ask that we adopt the PSBA principles for governance and leadership as attached," President Cohen said before the roll call (speaker 2).

Meeting context and attendance

The actions were presented as committee recommendations and the board generally adopted them by voice vote; the PSBA adoption was recorded by roll call as 9–0. Several administrators and committee chairs were present to answer questions during committee sessions, the board president said (speaker 2).