Bethlehem Area Vo-Tech main campus and satellite school improvements are set to begin next year.

Bethlehem Area School District Finance Committee members explained at the Sept. 15 board meeting that the work will be paid for by attending districts.

Plans to replace the scoreboard inside Liberty HS have come to fruition – partner Liberty Athletic Club will reimburse the district $30,000 per year for seven years. Superintendent Dr. Jack Silva recognized the many people who have helped coordinate this purchase.

“Much hard work has gone into securing the scoreboard. Whenever there is a third-party agreement there are a lot of t’s to cross and i’s to dot.” At the end of seven years the scoreboard will be totally paid for by the LAC.

As all Pennsylvania public school districts continue to wait for the deadlocked 2025-26 state budget, Silva said, “There is growing frustration among the state superintendents group regarding the uncertainty of state revenue resources.” Board members Reva Levi and Karen Beck-Pooley worried about the status of charter school expenses. Typically the district foots the cost of students attending charters and is reimbursed by the state, but this process is in question without a budget.

The Human Resource Committee is looking for school nurses. The committee was presented with a new contract designed for Certified School Nurse – Long Term Service, with Chief Human Resources Officer Dr. John T. Burrus saying the new contract provides tuition for nurses needing certification as school nurses. The new contract has a clause requiring the employee to stay working four years or pay back the tuition that was provided.

Beck-Pooley commended Burrus for being, ”creative and thoughtful, for thinking more strategically making these positions more appealing.”

The yearly agreement with Source 4 Nurses for Per Diem Registered Nurse and Licensed Practical Nurse services for the 2025-26 school year, was presented to the committee at a cost not to exceed $110,000. Services will be paid through ACCESS. The agency will provide the following services at the following hourly rates: RN – $60.95, Specialty RN – $66.65, LPN – $56.86, and Specialty LPN – $66.65.