Northern Lehigh previews budget: ESSER phase‑out, staffing shifts and capital priorities

District administrators presented a preliminary look at 2024–25 budget priorities focused on staffing and facilities as ESSER funds near expiration.

The district reported ESSER I and II balances are fully expended and ESSER III has remaining encumbered monies (administration estimated roughly $522,000) and about $198,000 unencumbered. "ESSER 3… our remaining encumbered monies are roughly about $522,000. The remaining unencumbered amount is roughly about a $198,000," an administrator said, and added that those dollars are earmarked for positions and summer programming that must be spent by September 2024.

Administrators proposed retaining four ESSER‑funded positions they described as mission‑critical — a district ELDP paraeducator to support multilingual learners, one PES classroom teacher, a district technology integration specialist, and the director of educational technology, curriculum and instruction — at an approximate cost of $474,000 (estimate pending insurance figures). To balance the budget, they suggested eliminating some ESSER‑funded positions through attrition and repurposing contract savings from a contracted BCBA by hiring a district BCBA; the presentation indicated those changes would allow the district to add three paraeducator positions while remaining cost neutral in staffing lines.

"This does not mean that any of our current employees are losing their jobs," an administrator said, explaining the plan relies on attrition and position repurposing. For Peters and Slatington elementary schools administrators recommended repurposing vacant positions, adding special‑education capacity, and redirecting savings to build literacy and numeracy intervention capacity (added paraeducators tied to interventionists).

On capital priorities, the administration listed short‑term purchases (a zero‑turn mower estimated at about $15,000, maintenance truck) and longer projects including the baseball/softball complex (projected ~$2.17M), auditorium sound upgrades (~$75,000), and building furniture replacements. They described a Public Schools Facility Improvement grant (minimum $500,000 with a 25% district match) as an opportunity to address high‑cost projects such as asbestos mitigation and flooring replacement because the grant will cover mitigation and may also allow material and installation funding; administrators said preliminary outreach with the grant team was encouraging.

Administrators also outlined fund balance strategy and debt‑service planning and urged continued advocacy on charter‑school funding, noting the district currently pays about $14,398 per regular‑education charter student and $35,477 for charter students with disabilities and that legislative change could significantly reduce pressure on the general fund.

No budget action was required at the committee meeting; administrators said they will return with more detail as state revenue information and other inputs are finalized.