Meet School Board Candidate Cedric Dettmar

Cedric Dettmar is one of 11 candidates running for Saucon Valley School Board in he May 21 primary.

  Cedric Dettmar Age: 52 Family: Wife: Kathleen; Daughter: Rebecca, 4th grade; Daughter Amanda, 1st grade; Mom: Ludy. Political party affiliation: Cross-filed Tell us about your educational background: BS, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT); MBA, UCLA Tell us about your professional/business background: I have almost 30 years management experience with high tech companies. I served as a Vice President at Oracle Corporation for many of those years and was responsible for a $25 million business unit. Currently I work for myself helping small businesses take advantage of new technology on the internet. In addition to my professional background, I also have experience in community service in Saucon Valley. When my daughters entered …

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School Bus Drivers Worried About Outsourcing

Supporters of Saucon Valley School District bus drivers distributed literature and packed the recent meeting of the Saucon Valley School Board to speak out against the possible outsourcing of jobs.

Saucon Valley School District bus drivers and their supporters packed a school board this week, but few answers were forthcoming about the board's decision earlier this year to explore "outsourcing" transportation services to a private company. Meeting attendees were told that a request for proposals (RFP) by the district has a deadline of May 3. At that time, bids will be opened, assuming any are received. David Haynes, speaking on behalf of the union that represents the school bus drivers, said members are "disappointed" that the district would choose to even explore the option of selling off its fleet and dismissing its 45 drivers. Firing union employees and replacing them with outside contractors "would save the district no money …

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School Bus Drivers Hope to Rally Community Support

Saucon Valley school bus drivers and their supporters are planning to attend the Tuesday meeting of the Saucon Valley School Board. They say they fear a proposal to outsource bus services will be approved.

Saucon Valley School District bus drivers and their supporters say they plan to attend the Tuesday meeting of the Saucon Valley School Board of Directors, and they are asking community members who support the current bus drivers to attend as well. The issue that has them rallying support is a proposal made earlier this year to consider contracting for school bus services outside of the district, which currently maintains its own fleet of buses. After an announcement was posted on Hellertown Patch by current school bus driver Noreen Resetar—in which she said she fears her job will be lost due to outsourcing—many readers said they oppose any effort to cut costs at the expense of the current drivers. Many cited the relationships their …

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Nearly $3,000 in Grants Provided to SVSD

The Saucon Valley Foundation for Educational Innovation recently announced the delivery of nearly $3,000 grants to provide educational opportunities for Saucon students.

School Bus Driver Fears District Will Outsource Jobs

A Saucon Valley school bus driver, Noreen Resetar, says the school district should continue to maintain its in-house transportation department.

SVSD Taxes Went Up 44 Percent in a Decade: Data

According to the online database openPAgov.org, real estate taxes in the Saucon Valley School District increased 44 percent from 2000-2001 to 2010-2011 when adjusted for inflation.

The Saucon Valley School Board of Directors hasn't approved a tax increase in a number of years, but in spite of that accomplishment many residents are concerned about real estate taxes. In fact, the tax rate in Saucon Valley is considerably higher than it was in the early 2000s, according to the online school tax information database openPAgov.org, which compares statistics from Pennsylvania's 500 school districts (501 in 2001). According to those statistics, between the 2000-2001 school year and 2010-2011, real estate taxes in Saucon Valley School District increased 44 percent if adjusted for inflation. The only Northampton County school districts that had a higher rate of increase during that period were Wilson Area School District, …

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Cafeteria Changes Coming to Saucon Valley Schools

The changes are mandated by new government rules and regulations, according to a news alert issued by the Saucon Valley School District.

Throughout Saucon Valley schools, parents and students can expect to see some changes in cafeteria offerings, the district announced in a recent news alert. According to the alert, the changes are because of "new government regulations." "The regulations outline specifically what we can and cannot serve and portion sizes," the district said. "This means that changes to what we do currently are under way to meet the new requirements." As of April 1, the following school lunch changes are scheduled to take effect: The district also announced that:

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Paula

1:23 pm on Saturday, April 20, 2013

Make it easy on youselves. Pack your child's lunch. They get what they enjoy eating and you can control how much fruit & veggies they eat.   more ›

SVSD Swim Instructor Honored for 50 Years of Service

Volunteer Red Cross swimming instructor Lachlan Peeke was honored for a half-century of service to the Saucon Valley School District at the high school pool on March 23.

A well-known face in the Saucon Valley School District, former school board president Lachlan Peeke was honored for 50 years of service as a volunteer Red Cross swim instructor, lifeguard, instructor trainer and coach on March 23. Heidi L. Weddigen-Weikert presented Peeke with a certificate and gifts in recognition of his achievement, and said he has been "instrumental" to the success of the Saucon Valley recreational swim program over the years. The brief presentation was at the conclusion of the recreational swim program's Learn-to-Swim lesson session at the high school pool. Peeke's wife, Jackie, and other family members were present for the ceremony. Weddigen-Weikert said Peeke's career began on Long Island, and noted that he has also …

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District's Tax Rebate Program Deadline is April 30

The deadline to apply for Saucon Valley School District's 2012 tax rebate program is approaching. The program is only available to district taxpayers who meet certain criteria.

The following information was provided by the Saucon Valley School District. For additional information and/or questions, contact the school district business office at 610-838-7028, ext. 1110. Information is also available online at www.svpanthers.org. Saucon Valley School District is offering a property tax rebate of up to $650 to any homeowner that was eligible and received a 2011 Pennsylvania Property Tax Rebate. The 2011 Pennsylvania Property Tax Rebate had to be processed before Dec. 31, 2012, and the Pennsylvania Property Tax Rebate check would have been received no later than March 2013. The 2012 Saucon Valley School District rebate is only available to taxpayers who received the 2011 rebate, as well as own and reside in a primary …

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11 Vying for 4 School Board Seats

Eleven people have filed petitions as school board candidates for the May primary election in the Saucon Valley School District. There are four open school board seats.

It's a crowded field in the race for four open school board seats on the Saucon Valley School District this year. According to a list of candidates provided by the Northampton County Election Office, eleven people have filed petitions to appear as school board candidates on the May primary ballot. All of the candidates are at-large and cross-filed as Republicans and Democrats.  Three incumbents (I) are seeking reelection to four-year terms on the board, while a fourth—Lanita Lum—is not seeking reelection to her seat. In no particular order, the primary election candidates are: Sandra Miller (I) Jeanne Reilly John Dowling Ralph Puerta (I) Cedric Dettmar Russell Lebkuecher Herbert C. Payung Janie A. Hecker Edward Inghrim (I) Robert Phillips …

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