The Quakertown Community School Board held its reorganization along with a regular voting meeting last Wednesday evening.

            After Member Ron Jackson was nominated to sit in as temporary president and lead the reorganization segment of the meeting, Todd Hippauf was elected as the new board president by a 6-3 vote, replacing Glen Iosue, who was elected the board's vice president by a 5-4 vote.

            When the regular meeting commenced, the board voted on the 2023-2024 Capital Improvement Plan. By approving the plan, the board grants the administration authority to go to bid and/or utilize cooperative purchasing platforms to complete the projects.

            Many of the projects will require a consulting agreement for engineering as well as project management services. Formal agreements will be brought back to the board at a future meeting for consideration.

            The estimated cost for the five-year capital plan is $1,243,495. Strayer Middle School, Richland Elementary, the high school and the facilities building will be the location of the improvements. These include replacing split-rail fencing, playground equipment, replacement of gas and diesel pumps and other improvements.

             Two items pertaining to the multi-use athletic field required approval by the board. A contract with Costars for a digital scoreboard was approved for $234,900.

            During the design phase, field security cameras were not included in the proposal, but the board requested that administration solicit a proposal for the cost of the cameras, which is pegged at $18,507.

            St. Luke's is partnering with Quakertown as a sponsor for aspects of the Sixth Grade Center multi-use athletic field. The financial contribution positively impacts the district as they move forward with these projects.

            Superintendent Dr. Matthew Friedman explained how the meetings with St. Luke's were advantageous and beneficial to all parties involved.

"It built upon a great working relationship to begin with," he said.

            Attending the school board meeting were numerous students and parents as students from elementary through high school were recognized for their achievements. All students were called up to receive certificates acknowledging their talents and hard work.

            In addition, all the high school athletic teams were honored for their abilities and sportsmanship as they represented the district during the season.