Northern Lehigh parents last week questioned the school board about spending money for administrators to attend conferences in Hershey, when money could be saved by attending virtually.

On Monday, the school board unanimously approved the following conference requests:

• Sherri Molitoris, PASBO Conference, March 8-11, Hershey Lodge, Hershey, cost of registration $349, lodging, $526, travel, $74, and meals $75, for a total cost of about $1,024, to be funded through the Business Office budget.

• Scott Pyne, PDE SAS Institute, Dec. 6-8, Hershey Lodge, Hershey, cost of registration, $150, lodging $320, travel $88, and meals $50, for a total cost of about $608.

• Scott Pyne, PDE Data Summit, March 21-23, Hershey Lodge, Hershey, cost of registration $175, lodging $374, travel $88, and meals $50, for a total cost of about $687.

Before the vote was taken, resident Natalie Snyder questioned why the district planned to send Pyne to attend in person when it could be offered virtually.

Snyder cited a cost savings of $512, because if Pyne were to attend virtually, it would be $150.

“What is the purpose of him going there physically to be housed in a hotel having meals provided, transportation,” she said. “What is the benefit to this conference?”

Resident Pauline Grady submitted an email read by Director/board secretary Gale Husack.

“In the past those who attended did not stay at Hershey Lodge, instead stayed at a cheaper hotel within the Hershey area,” Grady said. “If we are trying to be fiscally responsible, why is lodging being approved at Hershey Lodge.

“This is a premier resort that is incredibly expensive; there are cheaper options within miles of the lodge. Why has the district decided to put forth the money for such expensive lodging. Also it is my understanding that these conferences can be attended virtually. Again in the name of being fiscally responsible, why are those who registered not attending virtually?”

Superintendent Matthew J. Link responded.

“We have historically approved lodging at the site of the conference unless lodging is full at that site,” Link said. “In that case when the site is full, we use other recommended sites afforded by conference organizations which run shuttles to the alternate site to the site of the location; that has been our practice since 2014.

Link added virtual conferences would be a decision of the board.

“As far as virtual conferences, I will look to the board if that is the direction that they want to go,” he said.

Husack said, “The same reason that we all sit here and say we want schools open is the same reason why I think it’s super important that our staff, administration, teachers, district personnel are going out and attending these conferences. It’s education for our administrators, it’s education for those people to come back to our district and make us bigger and better.

“Yes, Hershey Lodge might be expensive, but that is part of our district budget, it’s part of things that make us better in the district.

She said the conferences are not every week and it’s important to have interaction with other administrators.

“So not that I want to see us go to every conference if it means nothing to us, but I think it’s super important that we as an administration allow our administration, our teachers, our staff to go get education; we want them to come back and be better than what they are today.”