Peg Pennepacker articulated multiple cost-saving strategies for the Upper Perkiomen School District during a recent finance committee meeting. The board member also expressed a need to better involve the community in its decision-making.

            "The community has gone through trauma," Pennepacker said. "[People] are angry. We owe them a statement."

            All nine board members attended the 90-minute meeting where the committee continued its contemplation on how to reduce the size of a proposed tax increase in the upcoming school budget. Earlier this month, the members voted to approve the district's 2025-2026 proposed final budget – worth $85.397 million – with a 4.9 percent millage increase.

            Pennepacker cast the lone vote opposing the measure that would require the average property owner to pay an additional $206.90 and require the district to utilize most of its fund balance to cover a projected $4.418 million deficit. After the May 8 meeting, she described it as a protest vote.

            "I represent retired folks in this community on a fixed income," she said following the May 8 regular meeting. "Just like them, I don't want to be taxed out of my home."

            On Monday, citing the experience earned during 36 years of working in public school, Pennepacker asked the committee to consider multiple recommendations. She suggested that the board get creative.

            "These are my truths," Pennepacker said. "If some of these proposals are not incorporated in the budget, I can't vote for it. I'm standing on my beliefs and principles."

            Pennepacker asked the members to consider potentially selling one of its buildings, possibly the Education Center or the 4th & 5th Grade Center, or renting a portion of either of them. The member seemed to even surprise herself with the comments.

            "I can't believe I'm saying this," Pennepacker said. "But that's where I believe we are at." 

Pennepacker proposed that administrators not attend conferences during the upcoming school year. "Let's stay here and do our jobs," she said.

            The member proposed that the district not purchase any new furniture. She offered to build desks for anyone who needs one.  "I'm pretty good at woodworking," Pennepacker said.

           She proposed initiating a spending freeze for departments on May 1, 2026. Pennepacker also suggested utilizing a purchase examiner.

            She said that since the district can't afford to hire an outside person, a current employee would likely have to do the job. Pennepacker suggested that any purchase over $500, an arbitrary figure she pulled out of the air, should require a written justification.

            "We need to scrutinize every single purchase," said Pennepacker, imploring the board to begin its planning for the 2026-27 school budget. "This is the new normal."

            Pennepacker asked the board to investigate alternative funding sources. She expressed a preference for increasing the district's partnerships with corporations, alumni and the booster clubs.

            The member recommends moving the three middle school sports teams that compete at the 4th & 5th Grade Center to the high school and investigate the possibility of the district hiring two athletic trainers. Its current agreement with St. Luke's Health Network expires at the end of the current school year.

            Trust between the district and the board has deteriorated, according to Pennepacker. She claimed the community has yet to recover from the issues caused by the strife leading up to the construction of the new middle school.

            According to the member, extreme conflicting statements on the condition of the 4th & 5th Grade Center, the district's former middle school, located at 510 Jefferson St. in East Greenville helped erode that trust.

            She also cited a decision not to utilize the current Education Center – located at 2229 East Buck Road in Upper Hanover – for a kindergarten center as initially planned as another reason for the distrust.

            "I don't see any five-year-olds running around here," Pennepacker said.

            The committee took no action on multiple contract proposals from St. Luke's on athletic training services. The discussion will continue on June 9 at the next committee meeting.