School board approves RIU general operating budget at $1.6 million

During the Titusville Area School District school board meeting on Monday, March 18, the board adopted the 2024-2025 Riverview Intermediate Unit 6 (RIU) general operating budget in the amount of $1,602,983, as well as approved the Master Electric Energy Sales agreement with ENGIE Resources LLC.

Also approved was the renewal agreement with the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford for concurrent enrollment for the 2024-2025 school year. Superintendent Stephanie Keebler explained that the college classes cost $125 for a 3-credit course and that many high school instructors are also instructors for the Bradford campus. “A lot of our kids walk out with 12 credits for less than a thousand dollars,” she said.

The board approved the 2-year Career Counselor Service agreement with United Way of Venango County; the 2024-2025 letter of agreement for the student assistance program with Crawford County Human Services and Family Service & Children’s Aid Society of Venango County; the 5-year renewal license agreement with Oil Creek Railway Society for the Titusville Middle School railway crossing; and the 5-year transportation contract with Northwest Bus Service. Keebler added at a previous meeting that they were 6% over the index from PDE and are currently at 5%, which equates to about a $15,000 increase.

Also approved was the 5-year agreement with McGraw Hill for elementary math core curriculum Reveal Matha nd ALEKS Adaptive Skill Practice Product add-on. The total cost is $201,442.50 for the 5-year agreement. Keebler said that it includes all of the resources for teachers and students; the online practice product, ALEKS; and professional development.

The new and revised school board policies was approved, which included:

enrollment of students, eligibility of nonresident students, graduation, educational opportunity for military children, fiscal objectives, budget planning, budget preparation, budget adoption, tax levy, tax collection, bank accounts, and transportation.

From the previous meeting, the board gave a food service management company RFP (request for proposal) update. Keebler said that the district is in its final year of agreement with Nutrition and is obligated to go out and rebid the services. She added that they received approval with PDE to submit their proposal, advertised it out, and had the required pre-bid meeting. The deadline for bids was on March 7, and the district received one bid, from Nutrition. Keebler noted that they were very happy with the proposal.

PDE will review everything to make sure it complies with the guidelines, which will take 3 to 4 weeks for approval. It would be another 5-year agreement, but the district isn’t obligated to stay with them with it being renewable each year.

Upcoming retirements include Kathy Bodamer, fourth grade teacher at Main Street Elementary School, who’s worked with the district for 25 years and 32 years total; Jeannine Holes, educational aide at ECLC, with the district for 29 years; and Karen Shaffer, educational aide most recently at Hydetown Elementary School, with the district for 25 years.

The next meeting will be held on Monday, April 8, at 7 p.m., in the THS boardroom.