Palmerton budgets for new band uniforms

A Palmerton Area School District marching band program that has seen a massive revival in recent years is set to receive a fresh look.

Palmerton unveiled its “very early” proposed 2018-19 department budgets Tuesday night with a $60,000 line item calling for band members to get new uniforms.

The uniforms are the biggest driver in the high school budget, which is up $55,480 from last year.

“It’s been a lengthy process, and right now the band has narrowed it down to two designs,” Superintendent Scot Engler said.

“When things are finalized, they will have a mock uniform to show the school board and community. It’s been hard to choose because they all look pretty good.”

Palmerton’s marching band returned in 2015 with 12 members and has since increased its participation to 45 students, not including silks.

The district has budgeted enough to allow for growth with between 50 and 60 uniforms set to be purchased.

According to Engler, the previous uniforms are around 16 years old.

“Ironically, the cost per uniform is pretty consistent with what it was 16 years ago,” he said.

Palmerton Business Manager Ryan Kish stressed Tuesday night the district is in the extreme preliminary stages of crafting a spending plan, which could change multiple times before final adoption around June.

The facilities budget is down $16,635 per early projections with the new junior high addition impacting most of the line items.

Building and Grounds Manager Joe Faenza said the district will likely have to make a decision on a 10-year-old van with paint coming off it.

“We talked with Kovatch and the paint job would be around $4,500,” Faenza said. “If we would upgrade to a newer van, the price out the door would be $22,533.”

The district also plans to get pricing on a vinyl wrap.

The S.S. Palmer/Parkside Education Center budget is set to increase $15,270 and the Towamensing Elementary budget would rise by $5,695, both mainly due to textbook purchases.

Palmer and Parkside Principal Mary Brumbach said the “Handwriting Without Tears” program would see greater exposure in the schools.

“Our students who see occupational therapists were getting that instruction and then coming to class and getting a different type of instruction, so adding this across the board was a way to simplify things for all of our students,” she said.

Handwriting Without Tears helps students transition from printing to cursive, Brumbach said.

The junior high school budget would see a decrease of $4,104, Kish said, while the curriculum budget would be up $2,000, again mainly due to textbook updates.

Savings on a new internet contract helped lead to a decrease of $33,738 in the technology budget.

“The junior high will be getting an additional computer lab as part of the expansion project,” Curriculum and Technology Director Dan Heaney said.

Special education costs will rise $20,000 as the district has budgeted for a contracted speech therapy agency to handle overflow.

The athletic department, which would have a decrease of $372 in its budget, is set to get improvements including a new football sled, play clocks in the end zones of the athletic stadium and a new baseball scoreboard.

According to Engler, the old football sled will likely be donated to the booster club after their sled was vandalized.