be held on Thursday, December 11th, and which will be held in the William Tennant High School cafeteria at 7:00 p.m. Our music department also performed with the Warminster Symphony Orchestra on December 6th and the performance went very smoothly and smoothly and we are very proud of our entire choir. Also on December 6th, Breakfast with Santa was held by the FBLA. The event was fully run by students and they had a great turnout. Families and friends came to enjoy fun games, music, face painting, and cookie decorating among other fun activities. William Tennant has also introduced a new two-factor authentication system on Class Link in which students select an image to prove their identity. And this new feature will now protect against hacks and fishing to keep student data more secure. On December 20th, the senior class is holding a craft fair from 9:00 a.m. to 300 p.m. in the William Tennant cafeteria, and all proceeds will benefit the senior class Disney trip in April. The fair will include vendors, music, food, and more. Furthermore, on December 23rd, the school will be hosting the annual Polar Slip and Slide to bring students together and kicking off the beginning of winter break, which is December 23rd through January 2nd. I thank you all for having me and I hope you have a happy holiday season. >> Thank you. >> Hello. You all don't know me yet, but my name my name is Elizabeth Peterson. I'm a junior at William Tennant High School. I'm also proud to be a level 200 student at networking and operating system security program at Middle Institute of Technology. uh for our EMBbit December student report. Uh registration is now officially open at MBIT's adult education spring classes. For more than 40 years, this program has provided flexible, affordable, and up-to-date career technical training for adult learners. A full list of courses and online registration is available at embit.org, our website. Um next, uh MBIT PBA student chapter is proud to host a holiday toy drive, and we're inviting each classroom to support the meaningful initiative. We kindly ask for the donation of one new unwrapped toy suitable for a child between the ages of 9 and 15. All collected toys will be delivered to the North Penn Boys and Girls Club, an organization that provides essential services and support for more than 4,000 families in need throughout our community. Your contribution will help each will help ensure that local children experience joy, encouragement, and a sense of belonging during this holiday season. Next, congratulations to our automotive technology level 300 seniors on earning their ASC refrigerant recovery and recycling EPA 609 certification. This nationally recognized credential highlights their expertise in refrigerant handling, environmental safety, and AC system servicing. Key skills for today's automatic automotive workforce. Their achievement reflects dedication, technical ability, and strong career focus. Next up, if you know somebody interested in attending MBIT, our applications for the 2627 school year are now currently open. Prospective students are encouraged to apply online through the NBIT website. Next, the National Technical Honor Society members uh alongside students and staff from all of our 21 programs have organized a very successful month-long food drive to support families facing food insecurity. After collecting and organizing donations, students de students delivered the items directly to the Doylestown Food Bank. This effort showcased leadership service and a deep commitment to their to community impact. Finally, the Skills USA fall leadership conference was an incredible success. 30 MBIT students attended at Kalahari Resorts in the Poconos and represented our school with pride and excellence. Their achievements include first place spirit award, a first place gold medal in poster design, and a third place bronze medal in pin design. Um, and that concludes my report. So, thank you for staying connected with all of the exciting updates from Middle Institute of Technology. Um, follow us on social media for more achievements, events, and behind the scene moments from across our programs. >> Thank you very much. Well done. [applause] >> Okay, moving right along. Uh, superintendent's report. >> Thank you, Mrs. Crossson. Good evening, everyone. Um, first I would like to put in a plug for our Centennial Food Bank housed at McDonald Elementary. This is a time of year where that food bank can become quickly depleted. And so just putting it out there for anyone at any point in time if you want to drop off donations and uh help us to to support an incredible cause um it is much appreciated. So thank you. Secondly, tonight um I have asked Mr. Greenwood to present to you some preliminary thoughts regarding our budget and as we entered into budgeting season and tonight Mr. Greenwood is not going to give you uh necessarily the answers and the solution, but we are going to share with the board per the board's request. And I want to draw back to some conversations that we had earlier in the fall after the budget was passed by the board of education earlier in the summer. One of the challenges facing our district and a challenge that is facing many districts because school districts of course are not immune to some of the economic factors that are are going on in our country and with the rate of inflation and the cost of goods and services tariffs. There are of course many many factors at play. But we are facing a deficit and we know this. And one of our goals among many is to do everything in our power to reduce that deficit and at the same time continue to deliver the highquality services and supports and education that our students and our families deserve. And so Mr. Greenwood is going to come up right now. He's going to share a little bit about where we are, some of the factors that are influencing that we're facing, and then some of the points of entry that we're going to be looking at and examining and asking our administrative teams and also you as a board of directors for your expertise and guidance and help as we work together as a team to address this issue head-on and come up with solutions that are in the best interest of our families and most importantly our students. So, Mr. Dr. Greenwood. Thank you. >> All right. Thank you very much, Dr. Luca. Here comes the slide. It feels like it was just yesterday we were talking about the budgets and uh and here we are again. So, uh with great joy and and a little trepidation. I don't get me wrong. Uh I think we have a lot going on, right? There's a lot of uh a lot of challenges, all right, that we will we will speak to. uh but I think we are committed uh to uh to finding a way through that right while keeping education and the what's in the best interest of our students still is our northstar. Uh so we will uh we will jump right in. Um we did in November the committee of the whole meeting in November uh the board did approve a schedule uh that we will work towards as well. Uh these are just our norms. Um and this s first slide sort of looks at where we are right. Um the act one uh was published in and committed in the end of September. Uh the act one increase uh is 3.5%. Uh to Centennial uh that's worth about 3 point just over $3.4 million right at the full number. Okay. Um, we looked at labor contracts, right? So, we have uh three labor contracts that we've talked about over the over the years. Uh, the collective bargaining agreement with our uh Centennial Education Association, right? The increase year-over-year from last year to to uh the next year will be $2.3 million. Okay. the Act 93 agreement uh that was passed uh just this past uh um May June time frame and we did that a couple of times. Um that's worth an additional $164,000. Okay. Sorry if the math I got a little too geeky on my p my decimal points, but so.164 million is $164,000, right? uh and the support staff. We're just getting that underway, those discussions underway, uh we'd anticipate uh a a potential uh cost increase of uh $557,000. Okay. So, if we add those up, those agreements, they come to an increase of $3 million, right? Just over $3 million. um and and and equates to in itself an increase of 3.1% of an act one increase, right? Um as we've talked about um and and then that leaves the balance, right? The balance after that is just under $400,000. That's 3.4 less the 3,22,000 gives us that 3 point 392,000 which is the balance. Um it's important to to to keep in mind. So those costs uh include the district's pasers contribution uh and payroll tax such as FICA that that school districts and companies all pay um at the net, right? So we do get a recovery from the state for those. So this those numbers that are shared here include PERS's net of the reimbursement. what it doesn't include, it doesn't include any other benefits, right? Health care benefits, health care, uh charges, you know, uh there's a lot of pressure certainly in that market. Um we did a lot of work, we tried to do a lot of work in the uh in the earlier agreements around health care, trying to identify prescription drugs and how we can better manage those. Uh but those numbers aren't included in the numbers that we're looking at right here. Um, so that's that's sort of the gist of the slide. The dollar bill sign really just is is a demonstration, right? It's a visual uh for where the money goes, right? So 72% of our uh every dollar that comes to the district goes to instruction and student services. Um 6% which is that green slice um is administrative costs, 14% is focused on operations, 1% in student activities and 7% in debt service. Right? That number is actually been coming down. If we followed the dollar, the bouncing dollar from year to year, that number will have come down as we have done those refinancings uh over the past uh past year uh or two. Okay, any questions? This slide here is is just our our standard issue uh act one slide, right? So the orange line indicates the budget increase. The blue line represents the act one index. For the past 6 years, the district has uh approved budgets below the act one. following seven years where it was above the act one. Um the independent fiscal office, the IFO came out with a new projection a week ago. They looked out another four years uh to 203031 FY31. As you can see that act one continues to drop uh and at uh 20 at uh FY31 as an act one they're projecting the act act one increase of 3.1%. Right? That would be less than uh the $3 million. So, as we're looking at things and we're looking long-term, which was what we were asked to do, right, let's say that's going to be a a competing challenge, the district's ability to manage within that, right? Because the amount of money we can raise if we took the full act one will continue to get uh continue to decline over that period of time. The other component obviously to to the act one is the assessed value, right? Because that's that's the math that goes on, right? Um over the past 3 years, our assessed value has ranged between 565 million and 566 million. Um you could see sort of the ramp up coming out of COVID as assessments grew and values grew. Um, and the blue is the projected that's utilizing uh the Bucks County's November 1st estimate. We'll get another estimate in uh January and we'll continue to watch that number. Um, when the number drops as it did in 2526, right? That that takes away revenue uh from the district. It reduces doesn't take it away. It just reduces the impact of that real estate those real estate taxes. So, that's another component that we need to continue to keep our eye on. We continue to work uh with attorneys in managing uh those assessment challenges and making sure that we're trying to do everything we can uh to minimize that reduction. Uh we did have a very successful uh uh assessment challenge with the Tesla uh building, right, that went from a vacant property uh into the the building it is now. that was a very positive impact uh on the assessment numbers. I'm never sure when they hit to be honest with you. So that went through uh in the late summer that change happened. So I'm not sure if it's in the November report yet, but we'll continue to look at that and I'll get an answer for you with that regard. Questions? >> Yes, I have a question. >> Yes. >> Yes. Very first meeting that Dr. Dick had he said we could collect billions thousands plus on students who are enrolled in our district but their home district are not paying their fair share. Where are we on that plan and how much have we collected so far? I think we are we have looked at so I'm assuming you're referring to the 1306s that were that that were discussed right I think we are over $300,000 in build services right our team uh had pulled together uh we spent a lot of time uh with Gina coming out over the summer uh we worked with uh Michelle Busousetti um as well as uh Josie in student services and uh came up with a very attentive plan to make sure that we it's a very complicated process. It takes a lot of time in searching uh to make sure we're able to identify the students and that their district agrees that they're they're students. Uh that you know that that comes at at an effort. Uh but we have we've uh accumulated I think just over $300,000 in billing for those. Um, so those those are >> pardon me. >> If the if the team in the room can turn up the they can't Okay. Okay. Pardon me. >> Can you hear me? >> Yes. >> Okay. Where did you collect the $300,000 from? Th that money comes from students who are in our district for points of time, right? These students aren't students who come and spend a year necessarily with us. They're students who come in and out of the district. Some for days, uh some for months. Uh but it is they some come in for a couple of days, they leave, they come back. So it is it is a very sort of meticulous uh process to continue to track them and to do that. What who pays that is your question in their home district which is the key to the process is getting their home district to acknowledge that student as one of their own. So it is not our district but it would be our district collecting money from uh council rock if you will or from Ben Salem >> and and and I can speak. Um can you hear me Mrs. Lynch? >> Yes. So, ju just a little bit of of an overview. Um, so we build do using the the the Pennsylvania Department of Ed 4605 form and and not to get too deeply into the weeds, but um we complete and submit that Pennsylvania PTE 4605 form to notify the home district of its financial responsibility for the student who resides in in our home district here in Centennial. If that home district does not respond um within the required time frame, that responsibility is then assumed by the home district to pay for that. And so sometimes we are at uh the beck and call of that district. And to Mr. Greenwood's point, it it's it's a bit of a of a tedious process because we have to wait to hear back from those home districts where that student typically resides. And so that does take some time to recoup that. [snorts] Um then we have to regularly bill the the home district. Um for all of that and that's for tuition. If the student is receiving special education services, there are are far more fees that we have to recoup during that process. Um and we have to ensure that we've we've gathered all that information uh as well and appropriately doing that. And that can be special education, it could be charges from our intermediate unit at the Bucks County, it could be transportation. So there are a whole host of things that we have to look at. And then um if they don't pay sometimes to the state will hold um [snorts] subsidies from non-paying districts until they reimburse us here in Centennial. So, the billing essentially protects taxpayers um from covering costs for non-resident students and the PTE form establishes clear responsibility for who has to pay. So, it's a really I feel like I'm getting into the weeds, but it's it's a it's a very complex process that takes a lot of time and attention. I will say that Mr. Greenwood and Mrs. Betti and our special education team have been really diligent in diving into this and I think that we will continue to recoup money that that is due to us over time and we'll continue to work that to get every dollar that's owed to us. Did I answer your question? Okay, >> you answered my question, but I have a follow-up question. [laughter] >> You said that that >> you said your first meeting we would collect thousands of dollars. Is that a possibility or is that just something we think we could might or maybe not? Uh typically if we do this properly and we have our process in place and we are diligent in in the accounting aspect of it um I do believe that we could very easily collect hundreds and hundreds of thousands of dollars a year. Yes. >> Well that sounds very encouraging and I can't wait to see your business. >> So thank you. >> Thank you. Any other questions? Seeing none, um this is just a a quick look at at where we ended up uh last July uh with the the budget and a 3.75% increase total revenue of $151,676,000. expenses uh equal to $156,447,000 and a $4.7 million deficit. The expenses in that uh come from the following object code. So within uh the accounting world within school districts, there's a structured chart of accounts so that we can all compare ourselves to one another. Uh the object code is one of those tools, one of those groupings uh that we look at. Um and each one of these squares represents a different object code number and then they break down inside of those numbers. Um salaries um and um benefits, those two combined equal 70% of our total expenses, right? 70% of the total expenses of the current year budget are found in in that salaries pi square and the benefits pi square right uh debt service right which is really a non-negotiable right we sort of under contract to do that that equals um 7% right and is is identified by those top two the top blue other financings of $5.7 million which is the principal payments on that debt service and then that yellow piece of pie next to it other objects that's the interest on those bonds. Okay, so collectively those two represent our debt service. Uh the next largest uh grouping of expenses is purchase services. So that is sort of a vast uh grouping of expenses. It includes um services that we buy from the intermediate unit for special education. It includes charter school tuitions. It includes MBIT uh uh payments. Um technology services, outside transportation services, uh and utilities get lopped in there. So those are a number of the of the key items that make up that section. supplies um and property you we're looking at, you know, three and 1% respectively. Not that we don't continue to work that, but I think we need to really begin to look at the other half of that pie and figure out how we're going to make uh make inroads in ways to be able to reduce our overall costs. This slide looks at comparisons to uh the other schools in Bucks County, our neighboring schools. Uh the group on the left looks at total expenses. So each school reports annually to the state. This is pulling that information from the state's record. So this is 2324. Um so they lag a year behind as uh ind as school districts submit the information that information is due uh by November December to the state and then the following year they will be they're able to report it. in 232 24 um Centennial uh looking at total expenses compared to students um we were you know in the we were number eight uh in comparison uh one being the most expensive 13 being the the least expensive per student on a per student basis. It's not always the exact science, but it is a meaningful it's a knowledgeable metric, right? It's a usable metric, I think. Um, you know, there is a grouping certainly of those school districts around us, right? There's not much difference between Bristol Centennial and Bristol Township um at 27,300, 26,900, and 26,400. That's a pretty tight group, but we're in the bottom half, right? [snorts] So, uh, as we look at our total expenses against, uh, our students, the group, the chart on the right looks at special education and looks at special education expenses, which is a function code 1,200 grouping, right? So, all of our expenses towards special education again against that same column of total actual expenses and then the percentage, right? And as a percent of special education, Centennial was eighth. Again, we were the eighth in that list. Um, with 18.73% uh of our special ed made up 18.73% of our total expenses in 23 24. The part that we need to begin to think about is what is happening next, right? in 20 uh in FY25 the next year that number moves from 18.7% of our expenses to 21.5% of our expenses. Okay. In our 20 uh 2526 budget that number moves to 22.4% of our budget. So it is a growing section within our overall expenses. Okay, I'll just keep rolling. This looks at our en enrollment. This is a slide we've shared and we share the updates as we've seen them um over the past, you know, five years, right? Economically disadvantaged students in the district have grown um 10%. Um and continue to grow, right? It's up at at 50% of our uh group economic or identified as lowincome economically disadvantaged. Our special education group continues to grow as well as do our EEL students um over this period of time. And you know the there are mandated support mandated services that are required by the state to be offered to these students and we need to make sure that we are able to continue to do that. [snorts] in looking at special education. Um this chart shows both the state and federal support for special education at the district. That is those those numbers are measured by the gray bars coming from left to right. Um as you can see that number doesn't change much right if at all. um over the past 10 years. Uh so we've seen this chart in a longer period of time. I tried to condense it a little looking at at a 10-year window. Right? Over the past 10 years, state and federal support for special education has increased 7.4%. Or $320,000. $320,000. That's less than 1% per year, right? Over that 10-year window, 7.4% 4%. Our expenses as a district in that same period have grown 60%. Right? Or $10 million over $10 million, right? To $27.2 million. The 25 actual expenses, right? So, this takes take uh excuse me, this takes us through 2024 on the bar chart. um our 2025 actual expenses went from 27.2 to 32.3 uh an increase of over 18.8%. Right? So that's what this chart tries to show. The numbers on the end of the bar is the difference between the support from the state and the actual. The number on the bottom is representing the total expenses for that and and shows the revenue at the same level. Okay. >> I have a question. >> Yes. The way you do the exercise for kids that are coming into the district, is that same exercise done in terms of the state and federal funding? If you have a student who's coming from Central Bucks and you get the money for them uh whatever percentage from the district to cover them, you do you also uh try to claim the state and federal funding for from them for those students that have come here? It doesn't work necessarily that way, right? We don't we don't unfortunately, right? We we are limited in in in the budget process, right? IDA was a a federal program, right? That was supposed to continue to grow. Um our revenue for IDA was $1.2 million when I arrived at Centennial in 2019. It's $1.2 $2 million uh as I stand here before you, right? It hasn't changed a wink. Um you know, special education as we as shared in in the weekly update of late, right? So Harrisburg, they took a little longer than us to get their budget done, but they did get it done thankfully and they very quickly came up with the cash, which I was greatly appreciative of. Uh but the amount of money I think changed was in the thousands of dollars that the district uh received in the form of special education funding from the state, right? The state, the federal government does not maintain that pace, right? And that's not a poor centennial issue, right? That is a nationwide issue. That is a challenge that every district faces, right? we all, you know, we gather in small groups and we pat each other on the back and and wonder what's happening, right? But the escalation of special education needs grows and and the state andor federal government is not following that. So, while I wish, Mr. Ker there was a balance to that um that doesn't doesn't they don't tie that way. They track our special education population, right? our number didn't go down which sometimes happens right so on the state side there's a basic ed number basic ed funding uh we call it BEF and there's a special ed funding SEF uh those two numbers are what we looked at what was reported out uh our share coming out of Harrisburg I think our net gain compared to the budget was you know literally a couple of thousand dollars the big bump for us uh came in the form of um uh block grants that everyone got different different amounts of money. The districts that got nothing got $50,000. So we were among the districts that got nothing and we got $50,000. >> We literally lost money from investment income compared to what we got in an increase. >> That's that's probably very accurate. You've been claiming that since since the beginning, I appreciate the >> that we literally lost money on this deal. >> Yeah. >> And and if I may, another big stressor too is that in its original form, IDA promised to fund approximately 40% of special education costs. We um hover around 10 to 12%. And so that's been an on not just Centennial, nationally. And so that's been another huge stressor um on districts. >> I say and keeping in mind that as inflation goes up, the amount that we got stayed the same. So we actually lost it on both sides. >> So Mr. Miller quote right out of the annals of Centennial Lure. >> Yep. >> Right. Um that those are all true, right? And those gray boxes include Right. not only the state funding in SEF but idea. Those are the two big totals that make up that uh that state number. Um so we're coming towards the the end of a couple of more slides to go. Um this just we we sort of put in front of us things that we have historically worked on to try to close the gap. Um we've in we've worked on various retirement incentives uh within the education association adding additional sick days to uh what we would pay out. I think we've had some success uh over the years in doing that. Um the debt service refinancing I think that continues to be uh to be valuable. I think we've saved significant money over the long term exceeding $5 million uh which I think is very beneficial. Um, we've done deferred technology refreshes. So, we've been on a cycle uh within uh leasing the equipment and we held on to it and kept it an extra year uh to try to delay that process. That was another uh attempt we did. Although that that's really a time a place in time, right? It works once, but you cannot continual continually uh defer the technology refresh. Um, we've always looked at at school and department level expense reductions, um, staffing reorganizations and and ways we can try to do things better. Um, and certainly the success of our Centennial Virtual Learning Academy, right? CVLA, uh, versus if those students went to a charter school and how that would differ, right? So, I think we, um, while I think there is savings, I think that's more cost avoidance, right? we're we're not getting charged that that expense. And then over the over, you know, since uh since September, uh we've been having these discussions. We met with Mr. Hartline. We've sh uh met uh with the finance committee uh to talk about uh the board's request and how we can work to uh to try to eliminate that deficit. Um and in those in those discussions this goal uh sort of bubbled up to the top. I think it took a couple of couple of rounds. Uh but this are certainly our goal is to ensure fiscal responsibility through a comprehensive examination of district expenditures and aligning those financial resources with strategic priorities that advance highquality student outcomes. with a focus on efficiency, right? I think that's the that's our goal, right? And how we can align our comprehensive plan uh that we are ending and the new comprehensive plan that we are building uh to make sure that it is able to do those kind of things, right? Because that's why we're all in the room uh to to continue the success that we've seen, right, over the last reports. and our our good friend Joe Ruts down there. He has another slideshow in his pocket if you need to see it. Um, right. The ability to deliver those results has been fantastic. Right. We've had years of of good growth. We're seeing academic achievement on its heels. So, that's all good stuff. the ideas that we have we have been bouncing around, you know, sort of looking again with fresh eyes uh scheduling and staffing efficiencies, right? How do retirements play into that? How do how do we make those things come together? Um I think that we looked at out of district placements and I know uh Dr. Rukova wanted to speak towards that and I think that just as a jump before you start right and when we say that I think it's anyone that's out of the district right so it's charter students how do we get charter students back into our schools right special ed students you have you have regular ed students that have behavioral challenges right and they get uh they get you know outplaced so I think those are some of the things that we're looking at but I know uh Dr. Luka has a a strong view and I think a very valuable and important one. >> Sure. So to [clears throat] Mr. Greenwood's point, you know, obviously we're biased. We believe that we can provide the best education here in Centennial with our programs, with our teachers, with our supports and resources. And uh one of the things that we've looked at very closely is just the costs that we that are associated with sending students out of district for any number of reasons. And I will share with you that um for example um th those placements uh are are in excess of $9 million a year that we spent. And our contention is that what if [snorts] we could reduce that cost and in so doing create a better environment and better programs. Um, and I do want to say that that providing for example with special education, providing a highquality in district program and support uh for students, it supports inclusion and supports access uh and it supports civil rights for students and it's aligned with IDEIDA. it's aligned with chapter 14. And so that's really important. And we just believe that when needs can be met in our district, our students benefit academically, socially, and emotionally as a result. Um, students get to come to school in their neighborhood schools. They get to come to school and attend school with their friends, which is very important. Students have access to general ed alongside peers and friends. Um, we have better oversight of our instruction, better oversight of our programs and services. Families have greater access to our support and our staff. Um, there's enhanced family engagement that that is a result of that. But I want to be very explicit when we talk and when we look about [clears throat] um these possible placements, there is nothing predetermined. There are no predeterminations. Any decision that we would ever consider make making about this would be made only in consultation with our families only in consultation with our families. Parents are full and equal members of the IEP teams and and must be treated as such. And so that's a critically important thing that I want to state and I can't emphasize that enough. Um it's not a wholesale movement. It's just a a way of thoughtfully reviewing with the belief that we're going to make these decisions based on student need and what's best for our students and our families. And if that means that we can do it in house, excellent. If it means that it's best that we do it out of district, so be it. But we do owe a look uh on behalf of our families to do that. Um and then there's a civil rights foundation that that comes along with that as well. Um we know that students need to be educated in the least restrictive environment and we know that that's one of our challenges an ongoing challenge here in Centennial where we do have um the percentage of students in a least restrictive environment is below the state average. In fact, it's 20 percentage points below. And so one of the things that that we want to focus on is how can we educate students with disabilities alongside um their their peers. And so strengthening our in district programs and our supports will allow us to do that. And so it's a big piece. It's a very complex piece. There's a lot to work on and talk about and decisions to be made as a team. But we believe that we can do it better. We can do it in a way that honors our students and families and we can do it with efficiency. >> Great. Great. All very good parts, very good ideas. Um the there are exceptions. >> Oh, can I say one more? I cut you off, but I forgot one other thing I we put up there. What is that? 1 2 3 4 5 six bullets down. Purchasing. And this isn't a huge savings, but it goes to the point that if you have a scrutinous eye, every little bit matters. Many times districts are provided um blocks of seats at alternative schools. So, for example, I won't use an school because I don't want to misspe, but let's just say alter alternative school A says, "Hey, Centennial, [snorts] we're going to offer you the chance to purchase 30 seats this year for students and we'll cut you a discount. Let's say hypothetical, we'll give you a 25% discount." Okay? So, instead of paying $10,000 for a seed, we pay 7500 for 30 seats. Well, now we're if we don't fill 30 seats, we've just lost money. So rather than take what looks like economically sound math, I would rather we pay $10,000 for three seats at 30 grand [clears throat] as opposed to $300,000 or or whatever $7,500 time 30 is >> $24,000 whatever that what would that No, >> that's too much math. [laughter] instead of paying triple that and then almost being beholden to fill the positions, why don't we just pay as we go and work on our industry supports. So, just another way of looking at it that would still incur a savings of um you know, well over $100,000 a year. >> Yep. Absolutely. >> Well over. >> It's a shift in the focus, right? >> So, it's just another way of thinking about it, >> right? >> Thank you. >> Yep. Other ideas that uh that have popped up, right, are are the taking the act one exception, right? So there are exceptions to the act one uh for uh for a handful of things. Um you know, special education is really the only one that is relevant to to Centennial, which allows the district to uh to have an increase above the act one without a referendum. Right? because of that and PTE there's a process that you need to go through to do that. Uh but that is uh that would could be an option. Uh transfer of entity right uh to Dr. Wukaba's uh right transfer of entity uh was something that Centennial did I think back in 21 I think is when we moved our spirit program that was housed at the IU and supported and we paid the IU to do it. Uh that was a program that we brought back. Um and I think we've had tremendous success in bringing it back and I think our kids have been overwhelmingly the beneficiaries of that return. Um as you'll read about in in Lorie Denny's update, right? I think she has three students today or two students today. I'm not sure which one it is. uh I don't know if one uh graduated from that that have moved on to have day jobs uh working in in our cafeterias, right? Really productive. Um and it was wonderful to see them. Uh our good friend Colleen Paris hosts a uh a uh sort of annual Christmas break uh lunch for the spirit team and they come in and they make decorations and do a lot of great stuff. Um and and the young uh the young lady that is working now in the in the kitchen uh in our food service group at uh Davis, you know, proudly says, you know, hello Lori, how are you today? Right? It was really a warm and uh sort of adult to adult, which is sort of that goal of that plan, right? View. Uh so when we talk about being able to do things better, I think that in that case our uh our team of uh teachers and support aids in that spirit program do a wonderful job and I can't I'm biased for sure, right? But I can't believe that that's happening anywhere better than it's happening here. Um the access reporting evaluation, right? As to Mrs. Lynch's question uh out of the gate, right? How do we continue to push to make sure we're getting the maximum recovery of funds when we can, right? It takes a lot of work. Um it is a challenge, right? As as Dr. Lucab mentioned, right, you need to send three letters to those schools in order to get them on the hook, right? So, it is a it is a process. Um, but I think it's it's making sure we're we're ma pushing and and and taking care of those things. Um, retirement incentives. We talked about retirement incentives early on. Uh, I think the district back in 2012, perhaps Mr. Harline might have a number. Uh, we had a more advanced, a more potentially lucrative uh, retirement incentive. Um the district uh is very fortunate uh with our uh we we retain a great deal of our teachers, right, which is wonderful, which is what it's all about, right? But half of our teachers uh sit at step 15, right? We have 30 teachers who have been here for uh over just under 30 teachers uh just under 30 who have been here 30 or more years, 31 or more years. um uh that that are in play, right? So, you know, I think one concern that we have when so many teachers are there, they're eventually going to retire, right? And that could be a very difficult year in HR if we had to to replace them. So, how can we strategically look at that and strategic strategically uh find ways to uh to uh reduce that number, right? and the the CA negotiations come on and uh organizations compare, you know, average comp, right? That's never very it's not a very good or very honest or clear um response, right? Because some of it's based on on where your teachers lay on the on the grid, right? And ours, you know, more than half are are sitting in in in one spot, which makes our grid a little lopsided, but it certainly beneficial to our kids, right? our kids are getting a great education for that. So, it's not about moving that, it's just about trying to create some balance and potentially planning for the future. Um, we continue to look for grants as we always do. We've discussed, we had some discussions around advertising and ways we could potentially sell advertising whether in our stadiums or in our gymnasiums. Um, the planetarium, uh, I think we're still a little ways off on the planetarium, but I love to put the planetarium on slides. Um, right. There's some great photographs on the planetarium. If you didn't get to see them, we had uh we had great lessons two weeks ago. Maybe it was just last week. It was just last week, right? >> Uh that we fired that we fired up the planetarium. The stars were out. It was fantastic. Half of the kids went in and and got to gaze at the stars and the other half of the students went to a classroom to the side and uh really gave got some great science education which is really neat as they blend our [clears throat] EEL I think the term is uh books in uh with the science curriculum as well and and we're continuing to look at those overtime reductions challenges as as we talked about our our commitments contractually uh certainly do present a challenge. Placements in general, right? We are challenged in that area. The declining act one will be a challenge uh because it is it's not in line sort of doesn't follow inflation at least at the moment. Uh that's their projecting today. It's not necessarily their projection in 3 years from now, but they are pretty consistent and and pretty good measurers of of what we could expect. Um, a a bullet point at the bottom is that declining interest in investment income, right? As as interest rates fall, the the bonds that the district is able to uh to invest in, right? We have a limited uh investment set of pools. I think we continue to push those options uh with our folks at uh at uh PSDLAF PISLAF. Um and then you know inflationary pressures that Dr. Dr. Lucas spoke in the beginning, right? The schools aren't um aren't uh aren't uh exempt from those challenges. Our final steps, these a lot of these things we've been working on uh already is reviewing scheduling and staffing. Uh we completed a review of our policy 126 in class size. I think that comes up in a little discussion later in tonight. Um, and then review of what we've been talking about and beginning to lay those out and beginning to do the hard work uh that uh that will get us through to what we need to uh where we need to be and then the timeline. All right, any questions? >> Thank you. >> No, thank you very much. >> Thank you. Okay, Mr. Saddowski. >> Yes. Thank you. All right, we're on number four. Approval of the agenda. Be it resolved that the Centennial School District Board of School Directors 4.1 approves the December 9th, 2025 board agenda as per the attached. Are there any corrections that need to be made that are allowed by PA law? Second. Second comments. Nothing. All right. All in favor? >> The comment though. There's one item I think you want to remove from the agenda. >> Oh, well, yeah, the consent agenda. Yeah, we'll get there. Uh, just for just for the uh approval of the agenda for tonight, though. All [clears throat] good. All All in favor? >> I. >> Any opposed? >> Any abstensions? Motion passes. >> Okay. Community comments. We have Isabella Catalino. Come on up. So, you'll have three minutes and just um just your name and um your your residence, not your not your house number, just Warmer, Southampton, Ivy Land. >> Okay. Um I'm Isabella Catalano. I live in Southampton, PA, and I'm a 10th grader at William High School. So, I am here regarding the board policy on our GPA calculator at William High School. So, recently I applied for an internship in which I had to submit my GPA. Um, because I'm in high school now, I have a GPA listed on our cumulative and I've never really seen that before. So, I was interested in my GPA. Um, when I looked, um, my GPA was at 3.9, which was a little confusing to me because previously when I calculated my GPA, it had been higher. um last like in my nth grade year um the lowest grade I had was a 99 without the curve and my GPA was a 3.9 with the curve. So um I looked into our GPA calculator and that of surrounding schools in our area and compared them. Our GPA calculator is different than every other schools in our area where they use a more traditional GPA calculator and we use something non-traditional. So, as an example, if I were to score a 95 in an academic class at William Tennant, that class would give me a 3.75 contribution to my GPA. If I were to score a 95 in any other academic class in our area, my GPA would be a 4.0. So, let me explain why this is important. Um, as like some someone like me when applying for internships that just require your GPA, this makes me look less competitive compared to a student that goes to Lower Morland, for example. Another another reason why this is important is because as students are now applying for college um the website that we use when applying for college um you just put in your GPA. Some schools require your transcript but the majority just um want your GPA. Um once again this makes like a student from our school look less competitive than a student from other schools in our area. So my my recommendation is that we examine our GPA calculator and choose a more traditional calculator that schools such as Lower Mland, Upper Morland, Namin, and Penridge all use. Thank you. >> Thank you very much. >> Thank you, Izzy. >> Awesome. >> All right, who are we going to have working on that? >> So Dr. Zacket and I will will start to to look into this and and uh we will determine what we're doing currently, what that looks like and um Izzy will be we'll be back in touch and I think it's going to be a much larger conversation once we have the information. >> Thank you. I have information and I'm willing to sit down for something anytime. >> Great. Wonderful. >> Sounds good. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Okay, next. Nicole Abby >> again your name and just um you know Southampton Ivy then warmers you're not your street. >> Okay. Hi everyone. I'm Nicole Ay and I live in Southampton and I have a I have a daughter who is in 8th grade and I just wanted to touch on something that she had brought up with me. It's been an ongoing discussion in our household for for quite some time. But I also um want to thank you all for giving me the opportunity to speak. And she asked me today when I told her that I was coming to a school board meeting, she asked me to raise this issue on her behalf because it is something that's really important to her and near to dear to her heart. Um and that is bullying. I know this is a topic that a lot of parents and a lot of people are concerned about. Um, I'm speaking to she's in middle school, so I'm going to kind of tailor my remarks to that. Um, we often talk about academic achievement and preparing our students for the future. But we cannot overlook the environment in which our students are expected to learn. For too many students, that environment environment includes fear, harassment, and isolation. Middle school is already a challenging time. Students are growing, changing, and learning who they are. But when bullying becomes a part of their daily reality, it chips away at their confidence, their motivation, and their mental health. Students who are targeted carry the weight of that experience long after the school bell rings, and in some cases long into adulthood. These impacts are not small. They influence grades, attendance, behavior, and emotional well-being. But bullying doesn't just affect those who are targeted. It affects the culture of the entire school. When bullying becomes normalized, students believe that cruelty is simply how middle school is. And we all fail them. A culture like that discourages kindness, silences bystanders, and teaches students that speaking up will not make a difference. That is not the kind of environment that any of us want for our children. I believe that we can change this culture. I believe our schools can be places where respect is not only encouraged but expected. Where students learn not only math and reading but also empathy, courage, and responsibility. Achieving that requires more than policies written on paper. It requires a shared commitment from teachers, administrators, families, and this board to support practices that build connection, understanding, and trust. We need to ensure that students feel safe coming forward and that the adults in their lives are equipped to respond and that our school climates reflect the values that we say we stand for. When students know their voices matter, when they see that their school protects them and when they are taught how to treat others with dignity, real cultural change can begin. Members of this board, we owe it to our students to confront bullying, not only as an inevitable part of growing up, but as a preventable problem that deserves our full attention. Every child deserves to walk into school feeling safe, respected, and valued. That is the foundation of learning, and it must be a priority. Thank you for listening, and thank you for your commitment to creating schools where every child has the chance to thrive. And I also want to say thank you to my daughter for caring about this issue. and that those it those it impacts and for trying to use her voice to be the change that she wants to see in the world. >> Thank you so much. >> Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Thanks. >> Thanks. >> Did you come before us before with that issue? >> Uh I think I touched on it briefly in another comment. Yes. >> Right. >> Sorry. >> My statement was that I thought um Mrs. A >> brought this up one time before at a board meeting. Did any thing come from that? Um, did you get any results from after that first discussion? >> I think it was more it was I don't think it um I think it was more just a general topic. I don't think today was more specifically about that issue that because it's continuing, you know, she she comes home and discusses a lot of things that are going on in her day-to-day life and things that are happening. And when I ask her like what kind of things are going on, she feels worried about friends that she sees are being targeted as well as feelings fear of retaliation of speaking out about those issues. Um, and she said, you know, it's It's everything you'd expect. It's not that the teachers it happens away from where the teachers are. So I try to like troubleshoot ideas with her like how can we how what would you like to see you know coming from the school and how can we help you and how can we better like I said you're the one that's here how can we help you and you know she had some ideas about things you know obviously they're coming from 13year-old perspective but I think it'd be really helpful you know to try and and listen to that and I think one of the things she did mention was maybe having more uh more AIDS in in classes or more people who are going to be kind of plugged into seeing that that kind of behavior is going on. So she said it's usually a s the same group of kids who are doing a lot of the the targeting behavior. And she's like it's not that it's not known who these kids are, but they also feel like there's no uh if it's happening away from teachers or adults who are responsible, there's no consequences. And as a result, you know, she feels she feels frightened and she I know there's some of her friends who are specifically being targeted and singled out. >> All right. Thank you. I appreciate it. >> Nicole, we'll have someone reach out. >> Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Is that okay? >> Yeah, absolutely. >> Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Okay, >> Mr. Sidowski. >> The consent agenda. Uh would anyone like anything pulled or can we go straight through six? cuz I know we had something we wanted to >> 6.2B I would like to pull. Give me one second. Safety and security coordinator. I want to vote on I want to table that. >> Pending further >> pending further information. >> Okay. But otherwise everything else good to go straight through. Any >> second on the table? >> Second on the table. >> Okay. Can we get a >> All in favor? >> I I >> All opposed. All right. Extensions. >> Sorry. >> Okay. Very good. >> I was just I was thinking [laughter] so that's going to be tabled till the next meeting. >> That's table. Uh anything else anyone would like to pull from the consent agenda for part six? Seeing none, I will go straight through. All right. 6.1. Be it resolved that the Centennial School District Board of School Directors 6.1A approves the minutes from the November 11, 2025 work session and regular meeting. 6.1B approves the minutes from the November 25th, 2025 committee of the whole board meeting. 6.2 Personnel be it resolved that the Centennial School District Board of School Directors 6.2A uh you know resends uh resend a job offer 6.2B other than the table authorization to employ 6.2 2 C leaves of absence 6.2D rescendment of leave of absence 6.2E change of status 6.2F co-curriculars clubs and activities 6.3 exceptions to policy none 6.4 Appointments none 6.5 waiverss none 6.6 conferences and travel be it resolved that the Centennial School District Board of School Directors 6.66A 66A approves the overnight trip request for the William Tennant Competitive Cheerleading Team to compete in the National School Spirit Championship February 7th, 2026 through February 9th, 2026 in Orlando, Florida. No cost to the district. The Booster Club will be responsible for all costs. 6.7 bids and quotes, none. 6.8 assembly, speakers, and programs, none. 6.9 contracts, licenses, and services. Be it resolved that the Centennial School District Board of School Directors 6.9A approves the affiliation agreements for student teaching between the Centennial School District and Alberta University, Chestnut Hill University, Eastern University, and Morland University. No cost to the district. 6.9B approves retroactively the agreement with Biata Home Healthcare Incorporated for substitute registered nurses effective November 25th, 2025 through August 31st, 2027. District costs is on an asneeded basis. 6.10 textbooks none. 6.11 acceptance of donations, grants, and bequests. None. 6.12 Changes to academic programs, positions, and stipens. None. Do I have a second? >> Second. >> Discussion. All in favor? >> I. >> Any opposed? Any abstensions? lane sweep and move on to new business. >> A question. Sorry. Yes. >> As I'm going back um thinking about the minutes um from November >> um are aren't are newbies are they allowed to vote on approving minutes when they weren't board members at that time? >> They they are. Um, and actually board members who aren't present at a meeting are also allowed, I think it's been the practice here, to abstain from the minutes. Okay. >> But, um, as long as the board members have, we'll say, faith in the board secretar's ability to accurately reflect the minutes of the meeting. Um, whether they were present or not, they can vote to approve them. Yeah. Thanks. directors have [clears throat] regularly been meeting attendees as well. >> Oh, I know. I know. I just was trying to say what >> No, no, >> our policy was. But thank you. >> Of course. >> All right. Section seven, new business. >> Can I pull 7.1, please? >> That's all that's there. So, [laughter] >> 7.1. >> Yes. >> Awards solicitor services to Kilkenny Law effective beginning no uh December 9th, 2025 or as soon as practicable. um and renewing annually with the board of school directors. Do I >> review discussion? >> Yes. Um my question is how many other solicitors have submitted resumes for this for position? >> So just like last year we we didn't do that. It wasn't done last year or the year before because um [clears throat] Kilkenny firm had already worked for Centennial just as Jeff's firm did. Last year we didn't do it and this year we didn't do it again. >> So why I I didn't realize that or I didn't know until I read the the agenda that we were seeking a new solicitor. Yes. >> And and I didn't I didn't there was no discussion among us as a team that this was going to happen and where so where did this come from? >> Well as the previous years the last two years there was no discussion. >> Well I think there needs to be a discussion. Well, the previous two years we had the same we had the [clears throat] same solicitor but the same person. >> Exactly. But every year um the board can choose to change solicitor and just like last year it wasn't a discussion. It just appeared. Okay. >> This year because um the Kilkenny firm has already been here had already done the RFP just like last year we're just choosing to try a different solicitor. So, was our LA our previous solicitor have the same um it says here renew annually with the board? Did he have that as well? Is that that wording? >> Yes. So, if we're So, if it's reviewed renewing annually, then why isn't his contract renewed automatically than or Mr. Gartens? >> It should be voted on every year. Let me that's not the way it say point out last time we changed solicitors we put an RFP out for that purpose that was three years ago was the last time we did not vote on any solicitor last year you know that was a conclusion that we will keep the solicitor for you know >> renews annually >> another RFP would be put out >> right so we didn't do an RFP last year. >> So why are we doing it this year? >> We're not doing an RFP this year. We're taking somebody who has already been a solicitor for the district just as we did last year with the solicitor. >> So but we're having someone seeking the position. I didn't know the position was open. >> It It's open every year. >> It No, it's not. >> It is. Every year you can change a solicitor. >> Vote on that last year or the year before. >> You can change every year your solicitor. an RFP out for all law firms to >> There was no RFP last year. >> So, can we table this then because there's not I think some questions need to be answered. >> No, no. To table it. >> If we get a second table it >> Yeah, you can do it and we'll vote on tableabling it. Of course, >> this wasn't this isn't something new. This was not done last year or the year before. >> Right. So, I'm this is my second year and I was it was not done last year after my first year. So all of a sudden this is brought here and I wasn't aware of this and it wasn't brought up that we were going to discuss this >> and you got the board agenda >> that made you aware >> Friday or yesterday Tuesday but it wasn't discussed >> as a group that or even in an executive session that oh we're going to change solicitors >> right as it was last year or the year before there was no discussion it was just a >> okay but we had the same person changing that person. I don't care, Patty. I'm sorry. I don't care whether he was here before or not. I know he was. No disrespect, sir, but this was not something in my two years that this was ever brought up. And so now all of a sudden, we're faced with this. Like, and I'm saying, where did this come from? >> You can make a motion to table it on it. >> Okay. I would like to make a motion that we table this for further discussion. >> I will second that. Um, I have to have more [clears throat] discussion prior to voting on the table that may add to the tableabling or not. Um, >> allowed to stuck. >> Then I have a question once this vote is over. >> Sure. Can we do a roll call for the tableabling? >> Mr. [clears throat] Godson, >> yes. >> Mr. Martin, >> yes. >> Mrs. Flinch. >> Mr. Saddowski. >> Oh, okay. >> No. >> Mrs. Dalo. >> No. Mrs. Crossen. >> No. >> Dr. Maguire. >> Yes. To table it. >> Mrs. Depalo. >> I got you already. I'm sorry. Mrs. Kger. >> No. I printed the wrong one who >> missing me. >> Oh, Mr. Hartline. Thank you. >> Yes. >> Okay. So, um the motion to table fails four to five comments. >> Yeah, I have more comments. Um we don't have a copy of the contract to review. So, we're being asked to vote on something that we don't have a contract to review. >> Well, sent to everybody. It's the same. It was the same pricing as >> that doesn't No, that that's not the contract. The contract would enumerate things like number of minimum number of hours, the scope that's going to be done, those types of things. We don't have I mean, no offense, coming from a lawyer, we don't have a contract. Okay? [laughter] I mean, so that's my big concern here is that we don't have a contract to review. So, we're being asked to vote on something that is contractual without having a contract. >> And what does renewing annually? So, next year we're not going to have this vote. >> No, you would. Well, >> I mean it it's in 2022, which was the last time that it was done. There was an RFP put out. There were six or seven for it. Going back saying that, you know, I can't yield to Mrs. Lynch right now. Um, previously in my previous, you know, multiple times that we have done RFPs or professional contracts, we've [clears throat] put out RFPs for attorneys regularly, including special education and, you know, legal or um, real estate, etc. I mean, we have several attorneys of record. Um, you know, Mr. Martin even mentioned last meeting regarding wanting to put an RFP out or a proposal out for our family consumer science even though we have an engineer of record. >> Right. >> So, you know, I would think, you know, for the best for the district in my opinion would be an RFP, not just a blind solicitation from an individual asking to be changed and additionally a contract. >> Right. So, in fact, the the pricing was the same as the previous solicitor. Pricing isn't the only thing in a contract. >> I got you. I got you on that one. So, it's the same pricing. However, >> if if this was still going to be Jeff as our solicitor, we wouldn't be having this discussion. It's any change. And Hill Kenny firm has already represented us before. So, if I was to say, "Oh, we're going to stay with Jeff," there would have been no discussion, even though there should be. So, I I get that you you will have the contract. It's the same pricing, just we're going to move forward with a vote. But where did this come from when No, I did anybody else have a um a chance to offer for this position? That's what I'm saying. Or did this where did his Mr. Kilkenny's name come from >> from our previous solicitor? We just took the same the solicitor we had before Jeff that was Kilkenny firm. That's why we're moving forward with that. >> Is this just a position that's being bought by the law firm? >> No, absolutely not. appear that you know since we have no other law firms involved and given a chance to >> so last year at this time when we did the reorg don't remember anybody saying well I think we need to do an RFP we need >> but there was no planning of changing the should have done an RFP there was no vote for any solicitors an RFP seems to be what would be in the best interest of the >> and we did have an RFP the year before Jeff was here >> in 2022 which was the last time a solicitor was changed. >> Right. >> Right. So, when you're going to change a solicitor, like if we were going to change our um engineer of record, we would go out and entertain bids to see what competitive market might bring. Who knows? There may be another law firm out there that would come in lower that has as much of more experience. We don't know because we've not afforded that opportunity. >> Right. And and I I hear what you're saying, but you're not listening. You didn't you didn't decide that maybe we could get somebody cheaper last year. >> No, the but we renewed the we renewed the existing individual. We're not >> That is what we're doing again. No, that was years ago. >> He wasn't here last year. >> He was the He was the solicitor before Jeff. >> No, that doesn't matter. This is starting a whole new term. >> You know, this is not He I know he was been here before. Wait, exactly. Okay. So, now he wants to come back. How about the people who was who were before him? Do do they want to come back too? They get the same Jeff has been here for many years. >> Well, no, because we had Mike Leven's law group prior to that. He might be interested in it as well. >> Is why why do we give it to somebody from three times ago? Then >> it's a board decision and you get a chance to say yes or no. >> No, I don't really find that this is a board decision. I think this was um a predetermined quest decision and I think that um a um that it's being thrown at us without a contract, without um um any other information. Oh, he's been with us before. Well, no, that doesn't like Okay, I'm going to hire you as a teacher because you were used to be here before from a person who was um asked to leave the district. But that's okay. If you touched kids before, you can come back. That's the way. You know what? It's I'm not saying that you did that, sir. I'm just saying it's okay to come back. No, we need an RFP just like we did before or something. Did not do that last year. >> No, every year there should be a decision made, but I passed it. >> But there was no change. There was no vote, >> right? There was no discussion either. >> The last two years. We're talking circles. >> We are you. Yes. Okay. So, >> oh, I have a comment, >> Mr. Mark. >> A little different tact, but I have a comment. Although I agree with some of the above. Number one, if we're going to do this, the fee should be added to the resolution because as it reads, it's open-ended and nobody has any idea what the fee actually is. Certainly, the general public doesn't. >> It should be added to the resolution of the hourly fee and what it's going to be. Number one. >> Yes. Number two, uh probably there should have been a contract, but we don't have it. Number three, you have five votes, it's going to happen, so postponing it doesn't do much for us. But four, my my other concern is I actually received from Mr. Kenny the list of all his solicitors who work for his firm, of which there's 14 or 15 that I saw. I actually took the time to read and through all of the resumeumés that were that were submitted uh including the work history of those particular attorneys. I'm sure all of whom are very competent attorneys. However, I found that out of all the ones that were submitted, only one of all those attorneys had listed any kind of school experience with the whisten school district. none of the others, although they had municipal and this and there's a big difference between townships, counties, and school districts. A huge difference in the law and of what regulates the two. So, there was one person and and that on those lists that cited school experience. That same person also cited being conflict counsel for Centennial School District. I don't recall a contract to that extent. I don't think we have a contract to that extent to my knowledge. I could be wrong. I don't think there's an existing contract for conflict counsel with that particular individual. However, yeah, he's the only one that lifted school experience. There was a person named in the information we got from Mr. Gani who is going to be his assistant liaison, whatever title you want to put to it, who had listed absolutely no school experience whatsoever. I think we're giving up Mr. Garton who has devoted his basic career to school matters and getting someone who I know Mr. Kilkenny is very busy being sheriff and all the other things he does. This person we're going to get may have school experience but it's not listed and we should receive what their school experience has been in my opinion. >> Good point. Otherwise, I can count and I postponing it isn't going to do much for us, but uh they're my comments regarding that situation. Thank you very much. >> Thank you. >> Mr. Rich, can you do a roll call, please? >> Can I make a comment or have a question, Miss Brson? >> Yes. >> Karen and I are new. So, the question is, when we do something like this, is there normally a procedure? >> No, last year there was none. >> Okay. Just curious. However, in the past, there have been situations where we have when we changed council gone to an RFP, request for proposal or an RFP, a request for a bid. >> We've seen that before through the Kil County firm because they were our solicitor before. >> Can you >> and when that occurred with all due respect and Mrs. cross and that was in the year 2000 and we had a big argument then about whether there should be uh proposals for uh solicitors and that wasn't done at that time. In 2002 >> um I actually became president that year. We did solicit proposals for solicitor in 2002. We haven't done it since. >> Yeah. Any change is going to cause any kind of controversy. Can we do a roll call, please? Mrs. R. >> Mrs. Mr. Apollo, can you just state what we're voting on? I'm just not 100% sure. Voting on Kill Kenny Firm >> being our solicitor. Okay. >> Do we add the fee amount of that here? >> Yes, we will. It was It was >> It was Yeah. 155 an hour. Yes. So, that's going to be added to it. Co for 155 an hour. >> Okay. That we need a a motion to do that to change the >> motion to revise. There you go. Second. >> We need a vote on the motion to revise. >> All right. So, this is just the motion to add the 155 an hour to um 7.1 new business. Can >> I do a roll call, please? [snorts] >> Okay. Um Mrs. Tollo. >> Yes. >> And this is the motion to revi to revise the motion. The vote is yes. Thank you. >> Um Mrs. Lynch, >> yes. Mr. Saddowski, >> yes. >> Mrs. Kger, >> yes. >> Mrs. Carlson, >> yes. >> Dr. Magcguire, >> no. >> Mr. Hartline, >> no. >> Mr. Godson, >> no. >> Mr. Martin, >> yes. >> So, the motion to revise um the motion is [laughter] um passes 63. Okay. Okay. So, now can we do a roll call to have Kil County firm be our solicitor? >> Mrs. Lynch, >> yes. >> Mr. Saddowski, >> yes. >> Mrs. Depalo, >> yes. >> Mrs. Carlson, >> yes. >> Dr. Magcguire, >> no. >> Mrs. Kger, >> yes. >> Mr. Godson, >> no. >> Mr. Hartline, >> no. and Mr. Martin. >> No. >> Motion passes 54. [snorts] >> That is all for new business. >> All right. Policies. Take on policies because we haven't handed that out yet. Policies presented for initial distribution discussion. Does anybody want to discuss anything before we It's not for anybody want to discuss any of the policies? Anything for adoption? Anybody want to discuss anything? Okay. 8.1 policies pres presented for initial distribution discussion. 8.1A policy 102 academic standards. 8.1B policy 105 curriculum 8.1 C policy 111 lesson plans 8.1d policy 126 class size. 8.2 2 policies presented for adoption be it resolved that the Centennial School Board School Directors 8.2A adopt policy 209.2 diabetes management 8.2B policy 333 professional development 8.2 C policy 626 federal fiscal compliance 8.2D policy 6.61 travel reimbursement federal programs 8.2E 2E policy 827 conflict of interest 8.2F policy 918 title one parent and family engagement >> second. >> All right. All those in favor? >> I >> I. Any abstensions? Any nays? Looks like it went through. All right. So 9.1 financials. Mr. Hartline. All right. Does anybody wish to have any of the four items pulled for discussion? Seeing none, be it resolved that the Centennial School District board of school directors approves the schedule of bills investment cafeteria fund reports general fund cash receipt summary November 2025 as per the attached. 9.2 approves the 2025 budget transfers for November as per the attached. 9.3 approves the pending build list as per the attached. 9.4 Four accepts the pre-approved bill list as per the attached >> second. >> So we'll give that one to Mr. Saddowski. [snorts] All in favor? >> I >> I >> opposed. Abstension. Motion passes. 900. Jamie, you voted yes. >> Yes. >> Thank you. >> Yes. >> All right. Board discussions and comments. >> I do have one thing. >> Um I was president prom at the last meeting. We did have two individuals who abstained for votes. I want to remind them that they need to put in paperwork stating their abstension per the school code. My job as [clears throat] president is done. Then >> I'll check with our lawyer and confirm that. [laughter] >> So, Colleen, you have to send me. >> Yeah. As as Alexis mentioned earlier in her report, the breakfast with Santa recently happened. Uh the Future Business Leaders Association of America did a wonderful job organizing that. That's a great job by our students who did a lot of work on that event. It was a lot of fun. Patty and I stopped by. Um and earlier the the Huff Planetarium was mentioned and that's an effort that's been underway for a little while now. I know Dr. Gabriel was a champion of that restoration while he was here. Um you know Dr. Herman uh Mr. Ruts are very much involved in continuing that project in hisstead. uh students are going to benefit already are benefiting greatly from this truly unique asset in Centennial being up and running again and I am very excited to see it active and educating again. We watched a quite a while of of a movie on holiday traditions while we were there at the holiday event and it was just really really cool to be in that space and learning again. So I'm excited to have that going. >> Do have something to add. Um check your school calendars. All week long we have concerts, holiday events. High school is Thursday night. Um, lots going on in the district. Support your students. And, um, I will say I got a brief I was fortunate enough to go to the Philarmonic or the Worminster Symphony last Saturday. Got a brief um, preview of our magicals and other singers. Absolutely incredible. Well worth the time to see them. >> Yes. And to piggy back off of Mr. Heartline, um the symphony was wonderful. It was at Tenant, first of all, they always do a good job. And then Tenant really, really, you could just see how they shined. It was amazing watching watching them come together and the young man with the violin. [snorts] >> What was his name? >> Uh Yen. >> Fantastic. >> David Yen, I think it was. >> Absolutely fantastic. It was it was a wonderful evening. And I will say and even uh even the maestro was able to get the entire audience to sing at the very end of the uh of the performance. So uh it [snorts] was an outstanding show. They always do. And to plug them real quick, they are having a fundraiser event. Go to their website. Tickets are available. Um I believe the event is in the middle of January. Speaking of the the performers, I'd be remiss as a member of the Craven Hall historic Society board if I didn't mention the holiday open house this Sunday from noon to 4:00 where we will have a uh holiday chorus of William Tennant singers performing as well around 2 p.m. So stop by and see them. They are always fantastic. Can I just have an I just have an opinion and I have to say this before I leave that I just I still feel like I had the wool pull over my head and all of us and that um sir you've been Mr. Cook County you've been sitting here since the beginning of this meeting and you and I don't know you from Adam and you did not take an action of introducing yourself to myself. Um you probably know the other people but you could have done that and made yourself a little bit more present. Um, words mean nothing on a piece of paper of a resume, but you could have taken that time to have done that. And you know, again, that's just a personal issue. And I'm going to ask that Dr. Lucal look into whether this is a violation, the way this was pulled over and Mike to look if this was an ethical proceeding as well, please. Okay. Okay. District policy report. Um, I don't believe we have anybody right now for that. and then be the Bucks County Intermediate Unit 22. >> I guess I will still do that. [clears throat] Uh still being there. Uh the last board meeting at DIU was on November 18th. Um some of the U pieces that were presented there was the highlight of um yearround effort to ensure educational stability for students that's facing homelessness. Uh the BCIU supports school districts in Bucks, Delaware, Lehi, Montgomery, and Northampton counties. On another note before that, because this happened before we had a state budget, Dr. Huffman together with Andrew Duster s superintendent in Marsville and the superintendent from Quaker Town, uh Matthew Freriedman and 40 other educational leaders presented you know a a briefing to the state legislators and um you know the saw the the budget and the impact that you know it is not having one. And of course, we got a state budget a few days later. Um, on assist of technology, the IU helps students learn, flourish, and contribute. Uh, this is helping students with complex communications, finding a voice in the Bucks County classrooms. On the social media piece, um the IU had uh 378,000 views, 3600 followers on Facebook. On Instagram, they had 93,700 views, but only 784 followers. On LinkedIn on 39,000 views with 4,329 followers. This is an increase on their social media components of 21%. Um the IU also delivers professional learning opportunities for non-public school educators uh and on behalf of the school districts uh in the county particularly on title 2A the funding for professional learning and equity participation funding short EP for students with already identified disabilities. uh they serve as many as 36 non-public school uh sources providing highly qualified support that aligns with the state and federal guidelines. Lastly, the next IU board meeting is none not until January 20th. Um and and lastly, the IU had a breakfast uh networking activity at the Fab Lab, which is right here in Warminster. Uh and had a fully sold out steam uh program that was provided by the Del Valley Industrial Resource Center. And we're going to have a meeting with them on the 16th. Um, and that's it for the IU. >> All right. PSBA. So, new school director monthly meetups. As your board welcomes newly elected school directors this fall, encourage them to attend new director monthly meetups in the new year offered each month from January to June to June. Directors can connect with colleagues, learn about support PSBA provides to our members, and ask questions of veteran school board directors during these hour-long virtual meetings designed to foster new board director success. Learn more at mypsba.org. You guys take notes on that. All right. Um, CF, do you have anything, Mr. Heartline or do you >> I'm not going to >> so I'm not going to mention the name because I think we're going to be doing a big check presentation, but the CF received a $40,000 grant today. >> Yay. >> So, I don't want to mention names, but uh that is a a substantial amount. That is absolutely fantastic. >> Yeah. Legislative council. >> Uh [laughter] all right. So the House and the Senate are on break until next Monday. They will be in briefly prior to u I guess adjourning for the year and then coming back after the first of the year. There is not a whole lot happening. Um there was some in our weekly board report. Um, some of the stuff that we had talked about last month that I had brought up was signed by the governor and um, the district is in the process of fulfilling their obligations under those new laws. I think there were four. I'm looking over to the side for guidance. I think there were four of them. Um, I we had enumerated them previously. So, um, right now things are just passing back and forth from committees. There's really not a lot that I just checked the docket for final vote that it seems like it's going to be coming up before the end of the year. Mostly seems to be procedural stuff. So, if anything earth shaking takes place, I will send an email out, but don't expect it before the first of the year. >> All right, MBIT, >> maybe I should take that one, too. [clears throat] Um, the MB MBIT had an incredible open house on November 6th. Uh it was you know completely filled. People were parking out in the grass and all over the place. Um also before the open house all the board members from the four sending school districts were invited. Uh there was a few there. Um and it was a very very informative uh presentation doc done by Dr. MBIT got a huge grant as well of donation you from a car dealership. I'm not allowed to mention the car dealership yet. Um but it was a sizable amount of money. Um we had our last uh you know meeting yesterday. Um and we had four new board members uh um at the uh um meeting. One from Council Rock, one from Center Bucks, two from Centennial, one missing. Um but you know, we have two new board members participating from Centennial. Uh we have five people going out to make presentations at a national conference. four Ctees, three staff members and two administration people. Um, we also are ready with a new uh walk-in refrigerator and freezer. Uh it's there's going to be an open uh ceremony for the dedication of this opening. Enrollment and applications for MBIT has also started. It began on November 6th, you know, the day of the open house. Um we should have students apply as soon as possible because there is going to be a crowd there. Um there are close to a thousand students there now and all the programs have been full for the last couple of years. So there could be a waiting list to get in. And lastly, um we had to be worried because we could lose one of the board seats at MBIT because it's based on the number of students attending. Thank you. >> And the next meeting is in January the first Tuesday in January. I can't remember the date. Sixth. >> Sixth. Okay. >> All right. Additional communications. >> All right. And additional public comments by residents. Anybody? Okay. And Mr. Heartline, schedule of [clears throat] >> All right. Students, listen up. This is what you want to hear. Tuesday, December 23rd, early dismissal, grades K through 12, virtual in service. December 23rd through January, all schools and offices closed. Tuesday, January 6, 5:30 p.m., NBIT Executive Council, NBIT. Tuesday, January 13th, 700 p.m. Centennial School Board Meeting, work session, regular school board or regular meeting in this boardroom. Motion to adjourn. Second. >> Second.