Board of Education Meeting - Reorganization Meeting

The Moon Area Board of Education held its reorganization meeting on December 1, 2014, electing a director as president (7-2 roll call) and another director as vice president (7-2), with a third director serving as temporary president. The general meeting followed, where the board approved the treasurer's, investment, board summary, activities fund, and food service reports, and authorized payment of the monthly bills. Two directors dissented on the payment, objecting to a progress payment to MM Architects. One director pressed administrators on the fee percentage and whether the amount included construction management services, prompting a promise from an administrator to supply documentation.

The board received the audited fiscal year 2014 financial statements from Hosack Specht Muetzel and Wood, along with a management response disclosing a general fund overspend roughly equal to an unbudgeted MAESPA arbitration award. Three directors disputed the report's characterization that the former business manager had unilaterally reduced MAESPA hours, insisting the cuts followed board direction. The board endorsed the strategic plan and endorsed the exploration of repurposing Richard J. Hyde Elementary after rejecting a motion to table the matter and amending the original motion to add the word "exploration." Two directors dissented on both.

The board approved remediation and middle school math and English language arts lab facilitators, extra pay for a middle school bus duty position held by a teacher, and a restoration of health sabbatical for a Grade 6 teacher running from January 13 to June 13, 2015. The superintendent presented a draft 2015-2016 calendar proposing an August 17 start and May 27 close with a two-week winter break. The education committee reported in-service training on academic rigor and the new Evidence Based Selected Response PSSA format, a teacher visit to Avonworth regarding classroom design, and upcoming third and fourth grade Math Expressions meetings. The finance committee noted the district's switch to line-item variance reporting and the January 2015 launch of the Aptifund accounting system.