GASD reviews audit; cancels Cumberland Township SRO contract

The Gettysburg Area School District Board of Directors heard the results of the official audit of their 2020-21 spending year at their meeting on Monday. The auditor, Krista Gardner from Smith Elliott Kearns & Company, LLC, said her company had reviewed all sections of the school’s finances including federal grants and had found no material deficiencies.

Gardner said that although the district had budgeted using $5 million from its general reserve funds to meet expenses, it had only actually used $2.8 million. District Superintendent Jason Perrin thanked the auditors and said the district was getting better at predicting revenues and expenses

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Board President Kenneth Hassinger said the district was continuing to have to deal with unfunded mandates, noting for instance that the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture had provided less money than needed to provide mandated free lunches during 2020-21.

Hassinger said the district’s food service budget had been self-sustaining in the past, but now was not.

The board also unanimously voted to terminate an agreement with Cumberland Township to provide a School Resource Officer (SRO). Board member Michael Dickerson said the district had been put in an “interesting position” at one point when Cumberland did not have an SRO available for their use for a few days. Dickerson said the district had not made the decision “arbitrarily.” He said the district had planned to sign an extended contract with the township but that Cumberland was unable to provide qualified staffing and SRO training.

The district has issued a Request for Proposal inviting qualified Borough, Township and/or Regional Law Enforcement Agencies to submit a proposal to provide a School Resource Officer

The board also approved its 2022-23 school calendar as well as other policies on gifts, grants, and donations, and sanitary management.

Perrin congratulated coach Chris Haines and the high school wrestling team for their recent conference win. Gettysburg defeated Central Dauphin 32-30 to win the District III M&T Bank Class 3A Team Wrestling Championship on Feb. 5 at Cumberland Valley High School.

The next regularly scheduled board meeting will be Feb. 22 at 7:00 p.m.

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Charles (Chuck) Stangor is Gettysburg Connection's Owner, Publisher, and Editor in Chief. I would like to hear from you. Please contact me at cstangor@gettysburgconnection.org.

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