Tamaqua talks paving, food service bills

After several weeks of contentious meetings, the Tamaqua Area School Board returned to its normal routine.

The board discussed several financial matters, including capital improvement projects, delinquent food service accounts, as well as hearing a report on the commonwealth’s assessment of the district’s special education program.

Several board members questioned the fee for professional services to the engineering firm that oversees the paving project which was approved last month. The finance committee recommended the district enter into an agreement with Quandel Enterprises for professional services regarding the Tamaqua Elementary paving project at a cost not to exceed $150,000.

Board members Dan Schoener and Bryan Miller and board President Larry Wittig asked why the fee is set so high, pointing out that it represented 15 percent of the project’s total cost.

District business manager Connie Ligenza said the fee was for a “turn-key” operation, meaning the firm would handle all engineering, construction supervision and miscellaneous services required to see the project to completion.

The finance committee also recommended that the board approve a motion to not accept the limit of a 3.2 percent increase established by Pennsylvania Act 1 regarding the 2019-20 budget.

Act 1 is a property tax relief bill passed by the Pennsylvania Legislature in 2006 and amended in 2011.

The cap is calculated with an eye toward allowing school districts to cover normal inflationary cost increases. If a school district wishes to raise taxes above that cap, the increase must be voted on in a districtwide referendum.

Ligenza and the board also discussed delinquent food service (cafeteria lunch) accounts.

Tamaqua is faced with a total of $21,856 in outstanding debt from the schools’ food service accounts. There are 42 accounts in the district that exceed $100 in unpaid lunches.

Of the $21,856 in unpaid accounts, $13,306 is from active accounts, meaning the students are still attending school at Tamaqua Area.

She recommended the board secure a debt collection agency such as Berkheimer Associates to collect the debt.

Wittig recommended that the district focus on collecting from those who are not on any assistance such as subsidized lunches.

Ligenza also reported that tax revenue is up $592,508 over last year at the same time.

The board also approved bills to be paid in the amount of $1,556,295.

The next board meeting will be 7:30 p.m. Tuesday.