School Board Votes to Buy, Rather Than Lease Tech Equipment

The Saucon Valley School Board voted at its May 22 meeting to buy technology for the 2012-2013 school year, instead of leasing the equipment.

normally leases equipment and owns it once the lease is paid off.

Saucon Valley will buy the equipment outright for the upcoming school year, at a cost of $262,472, and keep its existing technology leases until they are paid off in four years.

A little more than $200,000 will be taken from the district’s fund balance to help pay for the equipment.

Board member Sharon Stack suggested the board vote to commit money from the fund balance toward technology for the next four years.

District Business Manager David Bonenberger cautioned, however, that the amounts would not necessarily be the same every year.

Board member Edward Inghrim said he doesn’t think the board needs to commit to a certain amount in future years.

And board member Lanita Lum said she was surprised that the district uses some older equipment.

“I don’t know how we’re functioning with equipment that’s five years old,” she said.

Lum questioned the administration about what happens to the equipment once it becomes too old for use.

Superintendent Dr. Sandra Fellin said older equipment is re-purposed and most is likely used at the elementary level for simpler tasks, such as word processing. Fellin said obsolete technology is recycled.

In other news, Fellin announced that Saucon Valley recently received the District 11 Robert Stimmel Award for Athletic Director of the Year.

Fellin congratulated Frey and said that as the district's athletic director he has gone “above and beyond the call of duty.”