When: Manheim Township school board meeting, Aug. 8. Board member Erin Hoffman was absent.
What happened: Donna Robbins, chief operating officer, recommended the board transfer $2 million from the general fund, its “checking account,” back to its capital reserve fund because the district will receive $2.53 million more in state educational funding for 2024-25 than her department had budgeted for in May.
Background: The board on May 16 approved transfer of capital reserve funds into the general fund to cover a $1.85 deficit anticipated in the event the state budget did not pass with its proposed funding for public education intact. By law, the board was required to approve the district’s 2024-25 budget of $14.51 million ahead of the state’s June 30 budget deadline. The state missed the deadline by 11 days.
Details: The state legislature passed much of what Gov. Josh Shapiro had proposed for public education funding, and as a result the district will receive $1.76 million more in adequacy funding, $511,344 more in basic education funding and $108,405 more in special education funding. The district also will receive a $154,527 share of new state funding to partially reimburse school districts for cybercharter school tuition.
Deficit reduction: The additional state funding cuts the district’s $2.55 million deficit from its 2024-25 budget approved in May to $14,714.
Quotable: “I have been so excited since I saw the $14,000 deficit,” said President Nikki Rivera. “I don’t know how you get that close to zero-based budgeting.”
AI policy: The board will vote at its Thursday meeting on a policy that addresses artificial intelligence in classrooms. The policy will ensure AI complies with the district’s security and privacy policies and that use of AI tools is in compliance with local, state and federal laws, said Dan Lyons, technology director.
More: The policy also features an example student agreement for AI use and a zero-to-four “AI Usage Scale” for student work.
Quotable: When asked if the district has tools to determine if work has been generated by AI, Lyons said, “The tools that are out there right now absolutely cannot be relied on as a determining factor.”
Teacher opinion: However, Rivera, who is a teacher, said there are ways teachers can tell when students use AI and try to pass off the work as their own.
Public comment: During the public comment time, parent Cindy Lam told the board, “It would be quite crucial for parents also to be involved” in writing AI policy.
Weighted grades: Also during public comments, Neil Kline, parent of three district students, asked the board to review the maximum weighted grade point average of 4.4, compared with a mean weighted average among districts in the county of 5.06. Kline also asked for review of the district dual enrollment program that counts grades earned from their courses as pass/fail rather than as a course grade figured into a student’s GPA. These make a difference in college admissions, he said.
Response: By email Tuesday, Jennifer Davidson, board secretary, said, “As we do with all community requests, our administration will research and respond by either contacting the community members in the future or it could also include future board meeting presentations.”
Next meeting: The board will meet again at 7 p.m. Thursday.
