Northern Lehigh School District has a timeline in place to adopt next year’s spending plan.

Sherri Molitoris, director of business affairs, business & human resource officer, reviewed the 2023-2024 budget timeline.

“Currently we are finishing up the budget,” Molitoris said. “That will be presented at our finance committee meeting coming up in April.”

Molitoris said the first passage of the budget will be at the May board meeting, with final passage hopefully at the first board meeting in June.

Last June, the school board on a narrow 5-4 vote adopted the 2022-2023 general fund final budget in the amount of $37,831,914, which called for a 2.5% increase in the property tax rates.

Bond refinance

Also on Monday, the board adopted a resolution to refinance up to $5.5 million in bonds to achieve short-term debt service reductions.

Molitoris said it is just a simple refinance.

“Just basically not extending any debt, not extending the length of the debt,” Molitoris said. “It is just merely for lower interest rates and paying less on those bonds.”

Board President Mathias Green asked how much the district would save through the refinancing.

Molitoris said roughly about $65,000 overall.

Other financial matters

The board also approved the following financial matters:

• The purchase and installation of fencing by Tri-Boro Fencing Contractors at Peters Elementary and Slatington Elementary, at a cost of $7,553, to be funded from the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency Safety and Security Grant.

• A five-year lease agreement with Topp Business Solutions for 16 Ricoh copiers/printers, print management software, and cloud fax solution. The monthly cost for leasing and licensing will be $5,064 for 60 months starting in July.

• An agreement between the district and Frontline Education for the 2023-2024 school year. The cost for these services will be $3,740, an increase of $261. Frontline Education provides industry-leading solutions and technology for students in grades K-12.

• A three-year agreement with Transfinder to provide GPS hardware and routing software, to be funded from the Transportation department’s regular operating budget.

• To continue membership in the Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce at a fee of $464 for the 2023-2024 school year, to be paid from the superintendent’s budget.

• An agreement with the Carbon Lehigh Intermediate Unit#21 to continue the Student Driver Education Program at no cost to the district, effective July 1 through June 30, 2024.

• A resolution directing the Northampton County and Lehigh County tax claim bureaus not to collect delinquent taxes. The school district has contracted with a third party collector for the collection of delinquent and other unpaid charges.