Schools

Phoenixville Area School District Looking for Committee Volunteers

A Budget Advisory Committee will be formed; board also discusses real estate, other financial items.

The Phoenixville Area School District voted Thursday night to establish a Community Budget Advisory Committee beginning next school year.

The board plans to advertise for volunteers to serve on the committee after processes and procedures for it are established at the Aug. 20 board meeting.

Superintendent Dr. Alan Fegley said that the committee will have between 15 and 18 members, with board president Paul Slaninka holding the right to appoint anyone to a committee seat. At the first meeting, the new committee members will receive the district’s financial reports and other documents so they can read and be aware of the district’s plans.

Find out what's happening in Phoenixvillewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The board is looking for input on the 2012-2013 school year budget.

“This is an advisory committee,” Fegley said.

Find out what's happening in Phoenixvillewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

“If next year’s budget goes to referendum, and that’s looking likely, we have to know that before we pass the preliminary budget,” Slaninka said.

Because 2012 is a presidential election year, the district’s preliminary budget will be due earlier in January because primary elections are scheduled earlier in the year. The board will consider recommendations from the advisory committee before passing a preliminary budget.

In other news, the district will be implementing a pay-to-participate policy next year as part of the plan to reduce some of the costs associated with extracurricular activities. Activities will be divided into major and minor categories and will cost either $75 for major activities or $50 for minor activities if the policy is approved. Using band as an example, Fegley said that he will recommend that the district not charge pay-to-participate fees for activities that are also a graded class (graded meaning it can affect a student’s GPA).

Dr. Daniel Cushing pointed out that marching band is graded on a pass/fail basis.

“If it’s a class, let’s call it a class and not an extracurricular activity,” he said.

Fegley agreed, and said he was not sure why marching band is a pass/fail class and that is something he would have to investigate.

Policy committee head Jill Slawecki said the committee wants to get the policy in place before school starts and students are charged any activity fees.

The returning world languages program was also on tonight’s agenda. The program will be a once-per-cycle class focusing on Spanish for first- through fifth-graders. The intent is that by the time these students graduate to sixth grade, they will have had the equivalent of one year of Spanish and can start Spanish II in middle school.

Fegley said this world languages program is different from the previous program because it is standards-based and will be evaluated regularly where the previous program was not.

In other board news:

  • The high school track will be under repair beginning Mon., June 27, for a period of approximately four weeks. Signs will be posted around the track to let the public know that the track is closed.
  • Johnson also said that the new district administration office will be open for business on Tues., June 28 after staff moves in on the 27th.
  • Fegley announced five appointments to the district’s administration staff including a new supervisor of curriculum, a community relations director and an accountant.
  • The administration is recommending Dr. Margaret Pearsall to replace Dr. Karen Coldwell as principal of the kindergarten center. Coldwell is retiring next week.
  • The board recognized three retiring staff members with a resolution commending them for their service to the school district.
  • The district tax office will be open on Wednesday evenings until 7 p.m. beginning July 20 for people to come in after work and pay their tax bills. Tax bills will be mailed in early July.
  • District residents who speak Spanish and need to discuss their tax bills with someone will be able to call a new hotline, leave a message and receive a return call. Residents can also call the hotline to request a Spanish-language tax bill. The hotline number is 484-927-5006.

The board will not meet in July. The next meeting dates are Aug. 8 (workshop meeting) and Aug. 18, 2011.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here