Special Meeting Followed By Standing Committee Meeting

The EASD Board of Education held a special meeting followed by a standing committee meeting on October 7, 2026. The board approved the Act 93 agreement by a reported 5–3 vote after district police officers urged members to reconsider compensation and structural inequities, especially for secondary-school officers and department leadership. In the committee meeting’s preliminary FY2028 budget discussion, the CFO reviewed estimated cost pressures including salaries, health benefits, utilities, transportation, and debt service. The district is planning for the new high school, a roughly $300 million capital project, and its debt-service plan includes a 1.5% tax increase; officials also said the district may need to purchase vans or buses. No vehicle purchase, construction contract, or vendor award was made at this meeting. The board requested further budget analysis, including charter-school costs and changes in assessed property values, with an updated expenditure outlook planned for November.

Other agreements were presented for board approval or advancement, including an updated St. Luke’s healthcare career-exploration agreement supported by a Lehigh Valley workforce-board grant, and an annual IU 20 agreement for education-technology legal counsel and professional development. The meeting also reviewed proposed amendments to student medical-excusal and graduation policies, including a personal-finance coursework requirement; these were expected to proceed to a later board meeting. No other procurement award or purchasing decision was identified.