A dispute over Carbon Career & Technical Institute’s fund balance has escalated to the point where Palmerton Area School District’s board president said Wednesday they won’t send representatives to CCTI meetings until Weatherly Area sends a different representative.

The decision follows what Earl Paules, Palmerton’s board president and a former member of CCTI’s Joint Operating Committee, described as a verbal attack by Weatherly Area School Board representative Thomas Connors on Kris Schaible, Palmerton’s current alternate on the JOC, at last Thursday’s CCTI meeting.

“It was really bad,” Paules said during Palmerton’s meeting on Wednesday. “Connors confronted (Schaible) after the last CCTI meeting. There was cursing, spitting. I won’t allow Alyson (Krawchuk-Boschen) or Kris to go there as a result. I’m not going to do it. They’re not safe.”

The confrontation occurred in the wake of four out of the five CCTI sending school districts approving the school’s revised budget. It passed following a 7-2 vote by the Panther Valley School Board on May 14, with Jim Thorpe, Lehighton and Weatherly areas having approved it earlier.

CCTI’s Joint Operating Committee voted in early May to reduce the amount the five sending schools would pay by around $250,000 for the 2025-26 school year.

The underlying dispute centers on CCTI’s fund balance, which Paules said has operated at excessive levels for over a decade.

“The problem still exists that for over a decade, they operate on a fund balance that is 60% of their budget,” he said. “That’s unheard of. No other technical school does that. Nobody. But they do up there. You’re only reducing by $250,000 of a $5 million fund balance.”

District representatives argued that CCTI’s fund balance “should not exceed 3.5% of their total budget.”

Paules said Palmerton Superintendent Angela Friebolin tried to explain the district’s position last week but encountered resistance from CCTI board members including Connors.

“(Connors) told her she’s a first time superintendent, and he wouldn’t listen to a thing she has to say,” Paules said.

Paules said Palmerton has reached out to Weatherly’s administration regarding the conflict.

Sherry Haas, a Palmerton director, expressed concern Wednesday about Krawchuk-Boschen or Schaible missing out on the opportunity to vote at CCTI meetings if they don’t attend in person and couldn’t participate virtually.

“They do have a security officer there and we can always ask them to stay with us until we get to our vehicle after the meetings,” Krawchuk-Boschen said.

Despite the budget’s passage and the interpersonal conflicts, Palmerton representatives say they will continue pressing for reforms. The district had previously outlined specific proposals including an “Immediate Drawdown of Fund Balance” until it reaches “a maximum of 3 months operating expenditures,” policy overhauls, and yearly budget meetings with personnel from all sending schools.

“We’re going to continue to fight this stuff,” Paules said. “Again, this is our money. We know it’s our money. It’s not right for our taxpayers.”

Connors was contacted Thursday morning for comment but had yet to respond as of deadline.