[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":56,"_74":56},"mediaId",6310210,"mediaKeyId","2404163-3c841f0603650b3edd035bb6f774a4dd","parentId",2404163,"title","Saucon Valley board approves agenda, minutes, policies, personnel and event purchases; assistant-track position approved","audioSeconds",4666,"startMs",16000,"endMs",4682000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2404163-3c841f0603650b3edd035bb6f774a4dd&start=16&end=4682","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2404163-3c841f0603650b3edd035bb6f774a4dd/thumbnail_16000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6310210/Pennsylvania/Saucon-Valley-board-approves-agenda-minutes-policies-personnel-and-event-purchases-assistant-track-position-approved","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6310210-3e626f746daf877ba4b8bbef74a209c0/orig.mp4?Expires=1771140052&Signature=g46VHwmISCoTi3t-LKRJvzZvUqR-h-EWvAcsVw9-GgZH22t1J-JD~Dyhozy~CjcYDHt2Is~0eCdXEGk8V2T1CGeNS6~CcFfuIBEsrzcNmkiIWpC7uH904GtZU76ngZ2VXzI2R-KA0NllYMEJ-Z3~QDMgys1siuxuJ7JTeSaM5zLkOUTc0uMCXw7WRKlyQX4cn7Ks7s9O7G6ixb2mrrweh2aIUiO2Cxr9pPYamZJaxkqNu6UUPDzBBMXRCv3RLQxfq0Q8rrIOFeMIFjMpGylwMnoHUCxhpxTo6jlzRviiGOJyEeLIB91ZCsl~~pbDmPOGNDE3Kkt~3FsH2x3PXlvV~A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","","date","2025-02-26T13:34:00Z","article","The Saucon Valley School District Board of Education voted on several routine and operational items during its Feb. 25 meeting, approving the agenda, minutes, budget documents and a set of policies and personnel appointments by voice vote.

Key board actions recorded on Feb. 25:

- Approval of the meeting agenda and of minutes from the Feb. 11, 2025 meeting. Both motions carried on voice votes after the board president called for “aye.”

- Approval of the second and final reading of district policies, including Policy 103 (nondiscrimination) with a revised reporting form noted by staff.

- Personnel approvals: the board approved five personnel items presented together (mentor assignment; fall athletic head coaches; spring athletic coaches; a resignation; and a promotion). Trustees approved the grouped personnel motions by voice vote.

- Facilities/equipment and event purchases: the board approved three items together — mobile-technology graphics and services for graduation production, purchase of stage platforms and accessories, and rental of a truss/backdrop for the 2025 graduation production. The administration noted the rental of the truss/backdrop for this year (approximate rental line item noted at $1,200 in the discussion) while stage platforms and accessories were recommended for purchase to avoid future rentals.

- Middle-school assistant-track coach position: the board approved adding an assistant-track position for the middle school (the agenda requested approval for a position rather than a named hire). Administrative discussion said registration surged to about 58 student registrations for the middle-school track program and that, while only one head coach had covered the program previously, the administration seeks two assistants given the enrollment increase. The board approved the position; the administration said they will return with any further changes at a subsequent meeting if needed.

How votes were recorded: most routine items were approved by voice vote. The meeting transcript records ayes and the president’s announcement that motions were approved, but numerical vote tallies and named roll-call votes were not provided in the record.

What was not decided: the board did not take separate votes on the food-service presentation or the Northampton Community College budget presentation; those items were informational.

For reference, staff reported the following during discussion but the board did not vote on these specific dollar amounts as separate motions: the college representatives said the NCC operating budget proposal is about $81,000,000 (presentation item); the college cited a proposed in-county tuition increase from $185 to $195 per credit hour (informational to the board).","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","SV Board Meeting 2-25-2025","oneSentenceSummary","The Saucon Valley School District board approved routine agenda and minutes, several policies on second reading, personnel items, purchases for graduation production and added an assistant middle-school track position (position approval). Several approvals were by voice vote with no numerical tallies recorded in the transcript.","taxTitle","Saucon Valley SD, School Districts, Pennsylvania","taxId",75640,"location","Pennsylvania","headline","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":56,"_74":56},6310215,"Northampton Community College presents $81 million operating budget; cites enrollment gains and workforce training needs",2420,952000,3372000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2404163-3c841f0603650b3edd035bb6f774a4dd&start=952&end=3372","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2404163-3c841f0603650b3edd035bb6f774a4dd/thumbnail_952000.jpg","/articles/6310215/Pennsylvania/Northampton-Community-College-presents-81-million-operating-budget-cites-enrollment-gains-and-workforce-training-needs","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6310215-fd3f26fb21ccc9c0a83fb2c5052b2ea0/orig.mp4?Expires=1771140052&Signature=QG0gCNAtrACtydSOzJFxAe3b1zZ1mIiAksuPxT3yiw71WcNnarZ49iu8s~uhMkHlTYTo0RLV38RQF8vL9IwHbsj4H02lxWDWRV8y1jVl5BTniDvDTYKw8AcAYdaEomlW9lp-rhHi9n8gTQKrdtZngkMK3O~Svs5RFyD6CEXoek5scArfML~ttj7AY28GGrJwqnnCj78C99HtiXYWVKEBky8kDA6dwz5USugsZWFVohRp27hLMnlmTeot8jCXX1CqDlazyDbwhFt9uPKWkvXXytjskCH5k4o9LZNmARC7iHDIscPXAdLfISyzdnPb1iMywn~WusywMXGQNJ-EwIlZpA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Northampton Community College President Dave Ruth and Chief Financial Officer Jason Lobaugh presented the college’s proposed operating budget of about $81 million for fiscal year 2025–26 to the Saucon Valley School District board on Feb. 25, emphasizing recent enrollment growth and investments in workforce programs.

Lobaugh said the $81 million figure covers credit and noncredit instruction plus auxiliary enterprises; the capital budget was described at about $8.5 million. He told the board the credit-instruction portion is roughly $69 million and is rising about 3.15% over the prior year. “Total budget revenue expense is balanced at $81,000,000, 2.92 percent increase,” Lobaugh said.

Ruth described steady enrollment gains and said nearly one in four Northampton County high-school graduates enroll at NCC at some point. Lobaugh said NCC serves about 30,000 students across credit and community-education programs and reported year-over-year increases in fall and spring terms.

The presentation included sponsor-support detail for district partners: Lobaugh said the college uses a five-year average of FTE to allocate operating contributions and that Saucon Valley’s five-year average decreased relative to other sponsors, producing a deduction of roughly $282,000 in the district’s contribution formula for 2025–26. He said Saucon Valley’s share of the credit-instruction budget is about 21% of the portion for Northampton County students.

Lobaugh outlined tuition and fees: current in-county tuition is $185 per credit hour and the college proposes raising it to $195 per credit hour for 2025–26. He also said out-of-county tuition is approximately double the in-county rate and out-of-state roughly triple.

Ruth and Lobaugh discussed workforce programs and recent federal and grant-funded initiatives, including sonography and respiratory therapy programs that initially ran on earmarked grant funding; those grants have ended and the college must absorb those program costs into operating budgets. They highlighted short-term certificate training tied to employer needs (line-workers, welding, precision machining) and said employers often hire students before program completion.

Saucon Valley board members asked how the college’s offerings align with high-school CTE pathways and expressed interest in expanded dual-enrollment opportunities. Ruth said Saucon Valley currently sends 25 students and 34 dual-enrollment students to NCC, and he described articulation and prior-learning-credit arrangements that allow some CTE credits to transfer into college programs.

Why it matters: the district’s sponsor subsidy and student pathways to NCC affect local tuition allocation, workforce pipelines and how dual-enrollment opportunities are funded and expanded.

Next steps and uncertainties: Lobaugh said state subsidy amounts were not finalized and could affect the final budget; federal grant funding (including Perkins equipment funding) was discussed as a potential risk to capital-equipment purchases but not to core operating revenue in the college’s view.

What board members asked: trustees pressed for clarity on how CTE credits transfer, the potential impacts of federal funding changes (Perkins and other grants), and whether the college’s enrollment and budget projections would require future sponsor requests. Ruth and Lobaugh said they expect modest variability (low-single-digit percentage effects) and will return with details as state and federal decisions become clear.","NCC President Dave Ruth and CFO Jason Lobaugh briefed the Saucon Valley School District board on NCC’s fiscal 2025–26 budget request, enrollment trends, tuition changes and the college’s workforce and dual-enrollment work with local high schools.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":56,"_74":56},6310220,"Saucon Valley rolls out more scratch-cooked school meals, aims for 50% next year",682,72000,754000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2404163-3c841f0603650b3edd035bb6f774a4dd&start=72&end=754","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2404163-3c841f0603650b3edd035bb6f774a4dd/thumbnail_72000.jpg","/articles/6310220/Pennsylvania/Saucon-Valley-rolls-out-more-scratch-cooked-school-meals-aims-for-50-next-year","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6310220-18e4ccd90d70f489f3885f5de7f3211b/orig.mp4?Expires=1771140052&Signature=i7-dnAhcq6lpZndi-2EnvRUsNWnd5ZTVOYKzWCLEj~fLK2W-dMhgABlYa7Ai1~SoH3umYCYOQKTCdp-qZyVdd2cE8IZrhwEAaknqG2iyTrl-KVRa506arG0~KmuJd4G5JzaZQC-xRRSTmMJvZMEJtrculrr0Ky~-ZVwtpbk1JOlM7lPojITSKNqL5yxBleATWYw9sANM8jOy6fURRa2tq19nIp1SW2B1mzmpamSAHMwND0HZx8yK0mxPnDwrKyiA0SVo0-UcKWmB5PTdQOI8VC1WpFLcv~auZeMnlH67hLwCJ7i4bvt3OGlN9ixzCPhyG3dl0r6VZVr8jr-b2GRaPA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Nikisha Downer, the Saucon Valley School District’s new food service coordinator, told the school board on Feb. 25 that the district has started bringing more “scratch” cooking into cafeterias and aims to have about 50% of meals prepared from scratch next school year.

Downer said the district has begun serving items made on-site, including homemade meat sauce, slow-roasted pulled pork for a taco/burrito bar, chicken noodle soup and a freshly made chicken Alfredo. She presented several new menu items at the meeting and offered a tasting for trustees and attendees.

The shift is intended to reduce processed foods and sodium while increasing fresh fruit and vegetables. “We are gradually starting to put more scratch cooking into the cafeteria, less processed foods, being able to bring down the low sodium, bringing in more fresh fruit and vegetables,” Downer said. She told the board the district has used grants that support unprocessed product purchases and that raw proteins can cost less than processed, prepackaged equivalents.

Downer described specific menu changes: Gold Crisp chicken patties to replace a thinner product previously used; bone-in barbecue chicken marinated overnight and oven-roasted; an improved grilled cheese on garlic toast; and three alternative elementary meal options to replace cereal bowls — a hot option (mini whole-wheat, low-sodium pizza), a build-your-own parfait and a “Pinto box” with pretzels, apple slices, sun butter and carrots.

Board members and parents praised the changes in public remarks at the meeting, saying students have responded positively. A parent said a child has been bringing money to school to buy meals after the menu changes; other attendees thanked Downer and staff for improving meal quality and said they hoped the program would be sustainable.

Board President Cedric Detmer recessed the meeting so trustees and attendees could sample the food, calling the tasting a brief “recess.”

Why it matters: school-meal quality, costs and participation affect student nutrition and household budgets. The district’s move toward scratch cooking could change procurement, staffing and meal-preparation routines over the coming school year.

What the board heard next: Downer told the board she expects staff pride and speed to increase with more on-site cooking and said grants and buying raw product have helped contain costs. She also said the cafeteria team surveyed students and found that many asked for more home-cooked meals and less processed food.

The board did not take a formal vote on nutrition policy or funding during the presentation; trustees instead paused the meeting to sample the new items and returned to the regular agenda.","The Saucon Valley School District food service coordinator described a shift toward scratch cooking, new menu items and a tasting for board members and attendees; staff said costs have fallen in some cases and participation has increased.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Saucon Valley board approves agenda, minutes, policies, personnel and event purchases; assistant-track position approved

Northampton Community College presents $81 million operating budget; cites enrollment gains and workforce training needs

Saucon Valley rolls out more scratch-cooked school meals, aims for 50% next year