001You're ready. Good evening everyone. I'll call the August work session meeting to order and we'll start with the pledge of allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the stands nation. >> Okay. But before we get started, I'm gonna ask Dr. Bower to explain for next month how we're going to modify this evening in terms of both of our meetings. Thank you. >> Yes. Thank you, President Mc Merry. Good evening everyone. Uh welcome to the August work session. Uh just of note for record and for the community and certainly from Mr. Laneir who invests quite a bit of time attending our meetings. Um, so our finance meetings have become a little bit shorter and um, we used to have finance starting at 6:00 and work session starting at 7 and often
002finance would run till like 7:30 and we would start work session late. um in order to if finance is shorter, let's say it's over at 6:25 like it was this evening, to begin our work session immediately thereafter, we are going to publicly advertise both meetings for six o'clock. So that way when finance is over, we will begin our work session immediately thereafter. So some nights that might be seven, some nights that might be 6:20, but we will advertise the two meetings for six o'clock so everyone's aware that it could start anytime after 6. U Mr. Summers, anything to add there? Just want that on record. So you'll see that reflected on the website. You also receive that see that reflected in board docs. So >> right, perfect. Thanks, Dr. Bower. All right, we'll start with
003the audience of citizens. Would anyone like to make public comment? All righty. I'll read the um disclaimer. Tonight's This meeting is I'm sorry. This meeting is being I'm sorry. This meeting is being videotaped for the community cable channels and streamed live. Individuals attending the meeting and intending to speak to the board should be aware that they they are being videotaped. In order to meet the requirements of Pennsylvania sunshine law, it is necessary to record the names of all citizens who speak to the board during the meeting. To assure compliance with this requirement, it is essential that those planning to address the board state their name and municipality. Members of the audience are asked to limit their questions and comments to three minutes. As a reminder, the audience of citizens portion of the meeting is designed
004for residents and taxpayers of the district to provide comment and feedback on matters which are or may come before the board. It is not designed for debate or discussion with the board. When appropriate, individual school directors may choose to respond to public comments that have been made once the audience of citizens period has concluded or request that a member of the administration follow up with the speakers after the meeting. And this is in reference to board policy 903. >> Good evening. Uh Jason Laneir Lansdale. Um, I want to kind of pick up where I left off prior and I appreciate the explanation in terms of the uh capital improvement plan and the high school plan and how they overlap or how they don't overlap and the total amount that's going to be spent in the
005next 10 years. Uh, I guess you can draw out some of the high school pro project further than that. However, we're talking $500 million, $550 million uh just in the on the capital improvement plan. You have it listed at, excuse me, $375 million over 10 years. That's a lot of money. And I know we're borrowing money, selling bonds to pay for the high school renovation. What's the intention for the rest of the 375 million? It's 20 some odd 27 million per year according to the the diagram here. So, how are we paying for that? It just seems we're getting locked into paying more and more and more and more taxes. The question is also is what to what benefit, right? We need to improve the schools, but our performances in education are not keeping up
006to our paying for education. I was talking to Dr. Ber about this. When we look at the Keystone exams, the 2015 Keystone exams, the kids were at 90% proficiency in everything, at least 90%. Now, this past year, half the kids weren't proficient in math. Just the the graduates just now in 2025, half of them are proficient in math. Moreover, the kids that were the historically underperforming in 2015 did better than every category of the kids in 2025. Every category except one group that's broken out as Asian kids were doing very well. Every other group not as well. So 2015 hor historically underperforming did much better than our current graduates across the board. Why is that? I argue that the equity and education has been a terrible failure. Now, there might be some argument that you're
007getting kids more involved who don't typically go into to dual enrollment classes and things. Maybe that's so, but proficiency rates are down. And when you talk to professors in ed in in higher education, which I've talked to many, they talk about how the kids come in wholly unprepared in their STEM classes. wholly unprepared. Now, of course, it's not across the board, but there's a lot of kids that come in that need to take remedial classes, and we're going to be paying $550 million or $600 million or whatever it is over the next 10 years for this type of education. We need to fix what's going wrong. >> Would anyone else like to make public comment this evening? >> Okay, hearing none, we'll move on in our agenda. I'll turn it over to Dr. Bower for
008our non-consent items. Thank you. >> Uh my pleasure. Good evening again everyone. First I recommend approval of the personnel items as per the attached. >> May I please have a motion? >> Second. >> Did I? >> Okay. Mr. Rash and Mrs. Ramage. Any comments or questions. >> Okay. Hearing none. All in favor say I. >> I. >> There are no opposed. Motion passes. Thank you. >> Next. I recommend to seek board approval for the concrete replacement bid award to the lowest responsible bidder as follows. Drumheller construction in the amount of $54,677. >> Okay. Thank you. May I please have a motion? >> So moved. >> Second. This is St. Mrs. Ramish. Any comments or questions? Just for clarification, Mr. Slaughter, this is for routine yearly concrete work. Since you're here, I'll ask How could you
009not ask? >> Good evening everyone. Uh this is for concrete replacement at York Avenue Elementary School and Walton Farm Elementary School for deteriorated sidewalks. Uh we plan on making this an annual uh uh bid process to address items on the capital project list. >> Okay. So will this will stay, just to be clear, this item, this type of work will stay on the 10-year capital project plan. >> It will be worded the same, but it will be different sidewalks. Yes, >> different location. >> It'll it'll be extended on the capital projects list. >> Okay. Thanks a lot. >> Thank you. >> Any other comments or questions? >> All righty. All in favor say I. >> I. >> There are no opposed. Motion passes. Thank you. >> Next, I recommend award of the third party testing
010and inspection services for Northpen High School bid pack one and two to Geo Structures in the amount of $355,50. >> Okay. May I please have a motion? So moved. >> Mrs. Stole second. Is there a second? >> Second. >> Mr. McBain. Any comments or questions. >> All righty. Hearing none. All in favor say I. >> I. >> There are no opposed. Motion passes. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Slaughter. >> And this concludes the superintendent report. Thank you, President Mcer. >> Thanks, Dr. Bower. Is there any other business from any of the board directors? >> Can I uh just make a quick comment? I should have made it um when we were talking about the personnel committee or personnel report. Um I saw there's a quite a few people that have retired that have signed up
011for the substitute list. So I think that's really great. Um I mean they just left here and are signed up to sub again. So that I think speaks really well to North Penn and um enjoying working here. So thank you for um putting it out there as a suggestion at the retirement dinner. I think it works. Yep. Sounds good. Thank you, Mrs. Stole. Any other comments or questions? >> All righty. Hearing none, I'll ask for a motion to adjurnn, please. So moved. So Oh. Oh, I should say our next meeting will be. >> So our next uh meeting of the full board is next week on the 14th, I believe. Next Thursday is our >> Okay. All right. Thanks. And then we'll talk about the work session date next time. All right. Thanks everyone. Have
012a great week. Thank you.