By Imari Scarbrough
The Bermudian Springs school district realized an extra $195,000 in anticipated audit findings and approved additional funding for the Adams County Technical Institute during a meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 14.
Following a discussion, the board agreed to increasing ACTI’s operating budget by $127,326 for this school year, making the total operating budget $2,106,789.
According to the board agenda, that amount is split by the five school districts that participate in ACTI.
Board secretary Jennifer Goldhahn said a letter from ACTI indicated the extra money would be used to hire an additional teacher, provide salary increases for business department staff, and give a $15,000 stipend to the ACTI superintendent of record, Dr. Sharon Perry.
Perry is the superintendent of Conewago Valley School District.
Bermudian Springs Superintendent Brad Sterner said that traditionally, the superintendents involved in ACTI rotate holding the responsibility of being the ACTI superintendent of record. The ACTI joint operating committee has discussed the benefits of retaining Perry as the superintendent of record longer in order to navigate planned program expansions and either finding a new building or constructing one.
Sterner said that even without the expansion and building project the position involves a significant amount of work for a volunteer position, and now, the responsibilities for the role have expanded.
“What I would add, we are very fortunate as a superintendent group to have Dr. Perry’s knowledge of career and tech – that’s her expertise – from State College,” Sterner said. “So out of all of us, and you’ve seen the turnover in Adams County with new superintendents, you’re learning this position and on top of that you’re rotated into a pretty big building possibly. None of us have the knowledge and the bandwidth that Dr. Perry has in that area, so we’re very lucky that it makes the most sense that she would be the superintendent of record and she was willing to do it.”
Budget
Business manager Justin Peart said that early audit results indicate a positive change of $195,000, which is $100,000 greater than the estimate he provided the board in June.
Peart said that while the results are not final, they are unlikely to change before the final audit is presented in January.
While the number sounds large, Peart said it represents 0.2% of the district’s entire budget.
“I like to get as close as I can, but I think given we’re dealing with roughly a $36 million budget, to be within 0.2%, I’ll take that every day,” Peart said, adding that he prefers to tell the board the results are over estimate than under.
Peart also presented the board with the 2026-27 Act One Index.
The index represents the highest amount the board can raise taxes without needing exceptions for the budget.
The index is not a commitment by the district. It is a limit.
The base index is 3.5% for school districts across Pennsylvania while Bermudian Springs’ adjusted index is 4.7%, setting the ceiling for potential tax increases.
As the board develops its budget, it will choose whether to include no tax increase, go to the Act One Index, or settle on an increase in between.
Peart said that as is standard, at this point of the process building leadership is developing their own budget needs which should be delivered to Peart before Thanksgiving. Peart will compile that information and work on an overall framework that he will present to the board in January.
At that point, the board will have the data to be more involved in the budget process and provide input as Peart develops the budget. Peart will update the board at least monthly.
Other business
Assistant superintendent Shannon Myers said that while she is waiting for additional Keystone exam and PSSA data to be released, the district scores are promising.
Once the state averages are available for review, Myers will compare the district’s performance with the state averages and present the information to the curriculum committee and to the board.
“Overall, I saw some really positive things and saw some areas for growth, just like we do every year,” Myers said.
The district’s scores are broken down into building scores, and all three buildings saw higher scores this year, according to Myers.
During the meeting, the board approved renewing a five-year contract for Myers to retain her position as assistant superintendent.
The contract will run from Oct. 14 through June 30, 2030.
“I just want to say ‘thank you,’ for this has been a wild journey for me the last 15 years,” Myers said. “I know that not all of you have been here during that journey, but at this point, I want to say thank you for trusting me. Thank you for continuing to trust me and allowing me to work with what I would probably call the best team I could ask for.”
Sterner praised Myers’ work.
“She has poured her heart and soul into this school district,” Sterner said. “She is one of those unique individuals that has grown as an individual and as a professional throughout her time in 15 years from a teacher to an elementary principal to our middle school principal to our acting superintendent to our assistant superintendent. There’s not one decision that Dr. Myers makes that does not have our students in front of her.”
The board also approved extracurricular contracts for a varsity assistant girls’ basketball coach for $3,075 and a high school musical light crew advisor for $700.
The board will hold its next combined caucus and board meeting at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 11.
Imari Scarbrough is a freelance journalist.
Imari Scarbrough is a freelance journalist. She was a staff newspaper reporter for five years before becoming a freelancer in 2017. She has written on crime, environmental issues, severe weather events, local and regional government and more.
You can visit her website at ImariJournal.com.