[{"_1":2,"_100":-5,"_101":-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",[32,76,88],{"_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":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6504615,"mediaKeyId","5576036-5bf84015f1bb3f88230130e0a146c6ad","parentId",5576036,"title","Votes at a glance: Middletown Area SD board approves routine minutes, financial reports and multiple consent items","audioSeconds",1526,"startMs",3476000,"endMs",5002000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5576036-5bf84015f1bb3f88230130e0a146c6ad&start=3476&end=5002","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5576036-5bf84015f1bb3f88230130e0a146c6ad/thumbnail_3476000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6504615/Pennsylvania/Votes-at-a-glance-Middletown-Area-SD-board-approves-routine-minutes-financial-reports-and-multiple-consent-items","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6504615-ecb79ec399d98121bcf826bfa96b947f/orig.mp4?Expires=1770979630&Signature=bfGHE1IagZU5fNJwuV6yclI7cZhFjy6Sgo~U7rKBQskDak1UpjcaNxn5nzoY2tbuQ-il1zXYTAoENNjJxBHQpUTAvGDdSqdOAMQSwvXAXsbOyf~ERGUeJAtu0GxHAwpcs6Wnel2gPTVGyjYENtl2urDdWOi4EpDJ6DFqLewme4F-w8R58oXyTPDQ0e-88NcvvNETzPQ653oy9FselpxTtcoFjisTcYOQIHuN-K2mxC4zwolJeb~7OYtxhdm4dQ-xLit~pi3kvGBjI6jnX~9yjIRS3178wcTu~fdKauP0vu4UWA~fMEfLjXDwjZFAjJwExMlSVP0H74qrfVmTOoqxoA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Middletown Area School District","date","2025-08-13T06:42:11.553Z","article","At the meeting, the Middletown Area School District board approved routine procedural and financial items and carried several consent motions by voice vote.

Key approvals and outcomes (voice votes unless noted):
- Approval of minutes from the June 24, 2025 general business meeting: motion moved and seconded; motion carried.
- Approval of the treasurer's report for May and June 2025: motion moved and seconded; motion carried.
- Approval of paid bills and unpaid bills as presented (totals by fund attached to the agenda): motions moved and seconded; motions carried.
- Continuance of business operations consent agenda (items through 11e): motion moved and seconded; motion carried.
- Immediate action items: the board approved immediate action items 12AA through 12AAJ as recommended by the administration (consent motion carried).
- Academic and operations consent items (items in the 13 and 14 series presented for possible movement to Aug. 19 consent agenda) were carried as presented.
- Facility use requests attached to the agenda were approved; the board noted new requests from Capitol Area School of the Arts for downtown performances and categorized some as category 5 facility uses.
- Athletics and activities immediate action items (15 VA and 15 BB) were approved by consent motion.
- A purchase of 240 Zoom licenses for a one-year period was presented as a future action item and the board consented to move it forward.

Most motions were recorded as carried after an oral \"aye\" vote; the transcript records voice approvals but does not include roll-call tallies or named vote counts. Where the agenda listed items as \"future action\" the board did not take final procurement votes at this meeting; those items remain scheduled for future consideration.

The board adjourned and announced it would meet in executive session after adjournment to discuss legal and real estate matters.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","MASD Board Meeting - August 12th, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The board approved meeting minutes, financial reports and a series of consent agenda items by voice vote; many items were carried without recorded roll-call tallies.","taxTitle","Middletown Area SD, School Districts, Pennsylvania","taxId",41875,"location","Pennsylvania","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6504620,"Board presses for breakdown of attendance data as MAMS ATSI plan is readied for possible adoption",577,3879000,4456000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5576036-5bf84015f1bb3f88230130e0a146c6ad&start=3879&end=4456","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5576036-5bf84015f1bb3f88230130e0a146c6ad/thumbnail_3879000.jpg","/articles/6504620/Pennsylvania/Board-presses-for-breakdown-of-attendance-data-as-MAMS-ATSI-plan-is-readied-for-possible-adoption","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6504620-470985f3a1ddfd23504b0b3d73106a5d/orig.mp4?Expires=1770979631&Signature=MOojKR36jAbT8bwCidc-RlOD4ztGSoSH2kEYxdEwNLj0B~717ARbmPS-9MBFilRo33sr0BoAcW8Y~TM7H7iE4XZvVZl5c8rIPdcsVt8KCJTNPtQEDyWHf3P1nDbPMzOMpKx5z7GLSk6xk-R-CgXVB8PCNGRZJoDCzCdJI6NzuWiUTXx5pNLHfNCUcMTfDg7rIP0bI1hKEJIJ-hwT29YOSnhnBfyLjjK5RTh4iFYhUMw0SgYIkyHKi9NkqJji1D7YBs6b1h~dqpOhMswCf~kVj67dDtDAmqubKaL~Xf88txsdgTLw58JVzYAuMbeujwZOyuD1aL5u9hD4VEL5mt~9Ew__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Middletown Area School District board discussed the targeted support and improvement (ATSI) plan for MAMS and focused on attendance data that district staff cited as a challenge.

Mrs. Moore presented the MAMS Year 3 ATSI plan and identified overall attendance as a concern, noting an attendance figure of 76.6% on the Future Ready Index. A board member asked what the district meant by \"infrastructure\" in the plan's challenges section; staff agreed to provide a more detailed breakdown at a future meeting.

District administrators explained that the 76.6% figure comes from the Pennsylvania Future Ready Index and is essentially a lagging number that includes every type of absence (excused, unexcused and educational trips) as counted by the state. The district's PIMS coordinator and staff told trustees the state calculation is complex and can be difficult to replicate locally.

Dr. Wirtz (title not specified in the transcript) explained the state treatment of absences and chronic absenteeism: \"The state looks at an absence as an absence. If you have more than six absences, you are considered chronically absent,\" he said. Trustees and staff discussed how the index does not differentiate between excused and unexcused absences for the chronic-absence cutoff and that the measure is intended to encourage districts to keep students in seats.

Staff told the board the data are lagged: the Future Ready Index figure presented may reflect an earlier school year. Administrators also provided context comparing pre-pandemic and current figures: the district reported a pre-COVID attendance percentage of 89.2 and has not fully recovered, while the statewide pre-COVID figure was 85.8 and the most recent state value shown in the index was 78.1. Staff said subgroup breakdowns exist in the Future Ready Index but committed to returning a more detailed analysis to the board.

Why it matters: the ATSI plan uses attendance as a key indicator of student engagement and was presented for possible movement to the board's Aug. 19 consent agenda. Trustees asked for more granular data to understand what portion of the 76.6% reflects excused educational trips, chronic absenteeism by subgroup and other contributors before voting on the plan.

Board members asked staff to provide a clearer definition of the term \"infrastructure\" used in the challenges section and to return with a breakdown of the attendance calculation and subgroup rates at the next meeting. The ATSI plan remained listed as a future action item for the Aug. 19 meeting rather than being adopted at this session.","Trustees questioned a 76.6% attendance figure cited in the MAMS ATSI plan, asked for subgroup breakdowns and heard administrators explain how the state's Future Ready Index calculates attendance metrics.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6504625,"Middletown Area SD previews flexible classroom furniture, schedules board tour of new elementary building",2511,2599000,5110000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5576036-5bf84015f1bb3f88230130e0a146c6ad&start=2599&end=5110","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5576036-5bf84015f1bb3f88230130e0a146c6ad/thumbnail_2599000.jpg","/articles/6504625/Pennsylvania/Middletown-Area-SD-previews-flexible-classroom-furniture-schedules-board-tour-of-new-elementary-building","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6504625-899f88d311aeeed766e42d5c6492f73c/orig.mp4?Expires=1770979631&Signature=Q8QtzXOVAy7MeI15CX53CR4GEoOFKPoZ1817272-Kc5BasUa9qMvrehkKGKeqfs3am82hMEgRVosLgHHQLoc~wE3VkdUZKLeePQsgPrwWQu5h6iM6GeVqh4p0sTDbMbd5rMJWGUcmlwSuSqrZQPD3wXh8hm65pZoaSGDA1ProivvNnuU1lmIDIPVoeTASfLQjTUjPQhI8T~PkC01MwnRpas26Gxu~hIl58B6gDXd3R0TIQOzJbRHd1UR1-Gaq7DBzEbR05VKRhiSldZBKvFN8eGhoprRy9Z7OZ7~stEo0Y3vAQkPpCP5~vH~2p108ZW65m4HftUJA41CoSWPv93aWQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Middletown Area School District board members reviewed renderings and a furniture demonstration for the district's new elementary facilities and discussed construction and commissioning timelines at the board meeting.

District staff and a presenter from the project team described flexible furniture and classroom layouts intended to support active learning, including shelving with cubbies, small ottomans and modular seating clusters, U-shaped chairs that can be placed on desktops for cleaning, and an adjustable podium intended to allow teacher mobility and closer interaction with students. The presenter said the upholstery is a commercial-grade vinyl that can be cleaned with bleach solutions and that many pieces are manufactured in the United States and carry lifetime warranties, with some components covered under limited lifetime provisions.

Board members were told the classroom furniture is modular: a serpentine module can be removed for cleaning and the room can be reconfigured in under 10 minutes. The presenter said table tops use butcher-block surfaces intended to be resanded over time and that chrome legs were selected for durability. The presentation also described a small attachable rocker accessory for certain chairs, and a stackable block configuration used as seating in early grades.

Why it matters: district officials said the furniture and flexible classroom layouts are intended to support different instructional models and provide teachers physical options to engage students. The board was also briefed on the status of the new operations building and elementary construction timeline: occupancy is targeted for late September or early October pending above-ceiling inspections, punch-list work and township signoffs.

District procurement and construction details presented to the board included an amendment request for civil engineering services to revise a pump-station discharge connection. The contract amendment with K and W Designing Environments was described in the agenda as $1,815 for the modification plus an additional $1,815 if a variable-frequency-drive electrical design is required; staff said the VFD option is not needed and that a revision will likely produce a credit of roughly $25,000 once approved. Staff said the Department of Environmental Protection had been contacted to prioritize review and that township approval remains required.

Superintendent Dr. Hunter praised the design and furniture plan during the meeting, saying the new spaces and furniture \"are going to change how we do business, and I think it's going to change for, like, a way, way, way higher level of instruction, just simply by the flexibility.\" Dr. Hunter encouraged board members to take a site tour and asked staff to schedule a tour before the August 19 meeting; facilities staff agreed to coordinate multiple tour times to accommodate board schedules.

Two furniture items remain on future action lists: MAPS administration building furniture and Reed Elementary replacement furniture. Both were described as future action items that may move to the board agenda for formal approval at a later date. The presentation also referenced partnerships with vendors and a district goal to be a long-term partner rather than a short-term vendor relationship.

The board discussed contingency and change-order management for the construction program. Facilities staff reported the project's change-order contingency consumption at under one-quarter of 1 percent so far (staff contrasted that to a typical expectation of roughly 2 percent), and said they are actively pursuing credits and holding contractors to documented hours. Board members asked for and received an update on audiovisual contractor changes (the district changed vendors after a prior firm ceased operations). The district said staff will present a set of change orders and explanations at the next board meeting.

Board members and staff agreed to schedule guided tours of the new building for board members before the next regular meeting so trustees can view the spaces in person. The board also heard that the district hosts a partner training and demonstration space in Norristown used for professional development and that a local hub in Middletown will be part of the district's ongoing training plans.

Details on warranties, manufacturing and cleaning instructions were provided by the presenter and will be included in upcoming procurement and consent materials when the furniture items come forward for formal board action.","Board members saw detailed renderings and a furniture demonstration for the district's new elementary facilities and discussed construction progress, warranties and a planned site tour before the next meeting.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Votes at a glance: Middletown Area SD board approves routine minutes, financial reports and multiple consent items

Board presses for breakdown of attendance data as MAMS ATSI plan is readied for possible adoption

Middletown Area SD previews flexible classroom furniture, schedules board tour of new elementary building