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Commonwealth Secretary Visits Jefferson School

Two classes at Thomas Jefferson School got a lesson in the legislative process and the importance of voting from Secretary of the Commonwealth Carol Aichele.

  Fourth graders at Thomas Jefferson School got a lesson in how laws are made and how elections work from Secretary of the Commonwealth Carol Aichele on Wednesday. Aichele visited the classes of Anita Hozza and Kim Grube, where students have been conducting a mock state legislature. With students acting as Pennsylvania Senators and Representatives, they passed a mock bill to modify the length of the school day while still keeping the number of hours of instruction as required by the state. Several amendments were added to the bill, including one that would require the serving of ice cream on every Friday. At issue for debate, in addition to ice cream versus a “healthy-food” option, were the merits of eliminating recess in favor of a …

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Freedom Gym to Be Named for First Principal

Freedom High School Gym will be officially named the “Joseph J. McIntyre Gymnasium.”

Freedom High School's gymnasium will be known as the “Joseph J. McIntyre Gymnasium,” the Bethlehem Area School Board agreed unanimously Monday evening. Joseph J. McIntyre, who worked for the district for a total of 43 years, first as a history teacher and assistant principal at Liberty High School, became Freedom's first principal when it opened in 1967. He retired in 1982. “He served on the District XI Committee for many years and fought to bring about Title IX legislation, which provided equal opportunities for female athletes. He embraced the philosophy that sports and extra-curricular activities played a large part in a student’s total educational experience, and the lessons learned on the playing field are as important as those in the…

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School Board Passes Preliminary 2012-13 Budget

School directors stressed the document is preliminary and will go through further changes before it's final passage in June.

The Bethlehem Area School Board passed a preliminary budget 7-2 for the 2012-13 school year Monday evening. The early submission of the nearly $211 million budget to the state is a legal requirement, school board president Michael Faccinetto reminded the board. The document calls for a four percent tax increase and the elimination of nearly 12 teaching positions due to an expected decline in enrollment. “This is a formality we need to go through,” he said. Changes can, and very likely will, be made before a final draft is approved in June. “This is something we have to do,” said Director Aurea Ortiz. “We are not going to be cutting any more teachers or programs, and that is why I'm voting 'yes.'” Board members Basilio Bonilla and Irene …

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Audit Report Yields Good News for District

Auditor says school district's management and accounting have improved greatly.

  After years of poor management and decisions, the district's accounting practices have improved immensely, auditor William Gorman told Bethlehem Area School Board members at their finance committee meeting Tuesday evening. He added school administrators were to be commended for the positive changes. “This is my fourth year as your auditor, and this first year I have good news to report,” Gorman said. “You have eliminated 75 percent of the problems you've had in past years. You have only five remaining items to address. Last year, you had 20 items. “My opinion states you are completely in accordance with generally accepted accounting standards,” he added. Board members and district officials received the news warmly. “We've been getting …

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BASD Faces $5 Million Shortfall for 2012-13

In addition to 4-percent tax increase, preliminary budget would cut 11 teaching positions.

  A preliminary budget for the 2012-13 school year that includes no new programs or initiatives nor restore any of those that were eliminated due to financial necessity will still require a 4-percent tax increase, Bethlehem Area School District administrators said at a budget hearing Wednesday evening. Additionally, 11 or 12 teaching positions will be eliminated due to projected declining enrollment. The district will also put off some technology purchases and maintenance projects, they said. But despite a $5,067,025 deficit in the nearly $211 million budget that will likely require a 1.79 mill tax increase, the district is in better shape financially this year, and no further cuts are pending. “I'm optimistic we're in a better position …

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Three Vying for School Board Appointment

Three applicants for the vacant Region 2 seat interviewed for the appointment Monday evening, answering one question from each of the eight seated members.

Three applicants, Shannon Patrick, David Sanders, and David Weikert, interviewed for the vacant ninth Bethlehem Area School District board seat in front of school directors Monday evening. Each interviewee was asked the same questions, one from each member. Patrick, originally from southern New Jersey, is an 11-year resident of the Bethlehem area who owns a doggie daycare business in the city. Mother of a 4-year-old, Patrick said she thinks district offers a wonderful education, but parents need to get more involved. Financial challenges to the district are probably the biggest hurdle the district faces in coming years, she said, but finding ways of minimizing cuts and preserving programs for students should be a priority. “My concern is …

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School Tax Hike Likely for 2012

Preliminary budget estimates predict a 4 to 5.2 percent increase, though some program cuts are still likely, administrators said.

Taxpayers in the Bethlehem Area School District are likely to see a tax hike of between 4 and 5.2 percent in the 2012-13 school year, administrators told school directors Monday evening. During a briefing for the newly reorganized school board, Superintendent Joseph Roy said that the growth of legally mandated and contractual expenses is continuing to outpace the district's revenue, particularly in a flat economy, but that “more cuts of any substance will seriously start to undermine the education in this district.” Additionally, costs associated with charter and private schools continue to rise, Roy said, adding that in the current school year, the district paid out about $12 million to such schools, and paid another $1.8 million to …

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School Board Members Honored for Service

Thanks, and refreshments marked the last meeting for three outgoing school directors.

Exiting members of the Bethlehem Area School Board were honored for their years of service at the board's regular meeting Monday evening. Rosario Amato, board member for 16 years, and Loretta Leeson, who served for 12 years, along with Benjamin Tenaglia III, who was appointed most recently in August 2010 to fill the term of former school director Judith Dexter, were thanked for their efforts on the unpaid board. Board members and the public took a brief break to enjoy a cake made of cupcakes made by BAVTS culinary students, along with punch and coffee. The BASD school board will reorganize at its next meeting on Monday, Dec. 5, which will be held at the district's administration offices at 6 p.m.

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School Board Plans to Refinance $35 Million

Two school district loans are being refinanced to save money in interest payments and reduce risk.

The Bethlehem Area School District Authority will meet at 6 p.m. in Room 506 at Freedom High School prior to the regular school board meeting to authorize the refinancing a 2010 floating note in the amount of $30 million. Additionally, it has been announced the school board will be introducing a resolution to refund and refinance $4.915 million in Series A 2001 bonds to take advantage of better market conditions at its meeting, scheduled for 7 p.m. in the auditorium following the Authority meeting. Both moves are consistent with and follow the school district's plan to improve its financial standing, said Scott Shearer, managing director for the district's financial advisor, Public Financial Management Inc. “As of today, you have about $…

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