Panther Valley’s new business manager brings experience from the finance world and a familiarity with the area.

While Jesse Walck is a newcomer to school administration, board members are confident that his experience is what the district needs to address its financial challenges.

“With his financial background and his ability to make stuff happen, I think he could be the one that pulls us out of a hole,” said board President Danny Matika.

The school board voted Thursday night to hire Walck as business manager effective July 1. Walck takes over for Ken Marx, who left the district to take the same position at Jim Thorpe. The board has Walck’s salary at $75,000.

Like new Superintendent David McAndrew Jr., Walck is not a stranger to the area. He’s a former Summit Hill council member and lived in the district for about a decade.

Walck, a U.S. Air Force veteran, has spent the past 10 years working in financial management, and is currently completing a master’s degree in school administration.

That experience, along with his experience as a former council member in Summit Hill, made him an attractive candidate for the position, Matika said.

While Walck was a council member, Summit Hill reduced expenses and cut taxes. Matika said there’s an opportunity for him to use that experience to help the school district.

“He’s sort of a ‘no’ kind of person - if we don’t need it, we’re not getting it. That’s what we need now to save every penny we can,” Matika said.

Walck was not involved with the 2020-21 budget the district passed Thursday night, which includes a tax increase. The board approved his hiring the same night. But he wasted no time in getting to work, reporting the following day.

Walck said he’ll spend the coming months becoming familiar with the details of the district’s finances, and beginning work on the budget for the 2021-22 school year.

He’s just beginning what will be a long process of looking into the district’s finances.

“There’s definitely potential to get things going in the right direction. It’s just a matter of putting in the work and trying to save wherever we can to be able to make the experience for the students better,” Walck said.

He plans to continue his financial management work, but said he will meet with clients at night and on weekends so it doesn’t interfere with the position.

A Panther Valley resident up until recently, Walck said he understands the frustration that district taxpayers feel with increasing property taxes. He also hopes to do something about it.

Matika said change will have to be incremental, but he has confidence in Walck and McAndrew to position the district to not only survive, but thrive. He said they both understand the perspective of Panther Valley taxpayers.

“I think PV’s gonna be very solid in the next 3-4 years, the way these guys are going to push to make it great,” he said.

McAndrew is also a longtime resident of the Panther Valley, but spent most of his education career in the Jim Thorpe Area School District.

Matika said the district is trying to control expenses. However some of the biggest increases aren’t directly under their control.

The district’s costs for cyber charter tuition and special education placements continue to increase each year.

Matika said the board hopes to show parents that the district is capable of serving those students in the district, avoiding the need to pay for expensive outside placements.

“I say ‘give us a try,’ to not only teach your kid well, but help keep our taxes down by keeping them in our school,” he said. “We’re not against charter schools or cyber schools, but come look at ours first before you go outward.”