KCSD School Board Votes on Tax Collection Service, and other news

BALD EAGLE TOWNSHIP – Keystone Central School Board met Thursday night for their monthly Voting Meeting.

The meeting started later than normal due to the earlier Reorganization Meeting and an Executive Session that occurred from 6 p.m. to 6:53 p.m. for “legal issues.”

Business Manager Joni MacIntyre presented the end of year financial report for the district. The 2023-24 budget compared to the actuals ended up in a surplus of $1.3 million for the district.

“Earned income tax was about $750,000 over most likely due to increase in wages,” Joni said. “Business privilege was $275,000 more and real estate taxes increased by about $350,000, a slightly higher increase in the amount we thought people would pay this year.”

The timeline for the 2025-2026 balanced budget includes the preview of the General Fund Budget Development on March 13, reviewing the Proposed General Fund Budget & Post for Public Inspection on April 10, adopting the Proposed Final Budget on May 8, and Adopting the Final Budget for 2025-26 on June 12,2025.

The school board also heard from visitors wishing to address the board.

Parent Jennifer Marshall and her daughter addressed the board on Title IX.

“About a month and a half ago there was an incident we reported and my daughter felt unheard,” she said. “It took every bit of her soul to go down and recount the incident and it is very frustrating to go through Title IX.”

Jennifer’s daughter then addressed the board.

“About three months ago my friend reported something to the school and nothing was done about it until I went and reported my case. There were past situations where the school had not been hearing the students reported harassment. She then felt like she had to defend herself. We feel invalidated and left feeling helpless. If the school wants us to trust them, they have to show us that they can be trusted. So many students there try to confide in the adults there but in the end they feel like they are unheard.”

Mala Moore then spoke to the board, asking that the school board vote “no” to no longer providing tax collection service to the Clinton Tax Collection Committee as soon as practical, the reason being that Mala is a TCC delegate.

“We are trying to regroup, and we need you guys to partner with us. We want to go through this process, but I want to see this kept in Clinton County,” she said. “We need jobs here in the county and we need our kids to want to stay here. The TCC is starting over with new leadership. Our goal is to get set up, regroup, look at proposals, and to see a TCC delegate that is a board member that we can partner with, together.”

Castanea Township Supervisor and delegate to the TCC Brandon Coleman spoke last. “The school board holds 58.44% of the vote, the commission rate is the highest in the commonwealth at 5%, the Keystone Central office needs software upgrades, and has an office of two with room for five,” among other things.

“Be honest and save taxpayers money,” he ended.

Later during the meeting, board member Elisabeth Lynch discussed the appointment of TCC delegates.

“I think it would be beneficial if we put a school board member as delegate, alternate, and second-alternate would be school board Treasurer Joni,” Lynch said. “I think it would help bridge this partnership and help us move forward. We need to stand there next to the TCC and do it the right way,s o having a board member there would open up communication and would show TCC that we support them and apologize for what they have been put through for the past six months. I would like to make a motion that we amend this and change the voting delegate.”

Lynch then explained the motion.

“The first motion is to amend the February 8, 2024 Resolution 144, remove the voting delegate, and to remove the first alternate voting delegate, that is the first motion,” Lynch said. The vote was a tie, and the motion failed.

The school board then discussed Tax Office Operations, in particular, the recommended action of the administration recommending that the KCSD Board vote to no longer provide tax collection service to the Clinton Tax Collection Committee as soon as practical.

“We have a responsibility to the taxpayer and to the students,” Scaff said. “This tax office thing was done every way wrong that you can imagine, things were done, contracts were made, and there was no discussion between the TCC committee and the school board. We are looking at shutting it down and we as a board have had no discussion as to options and what we can do.”

School board Vice President Butch Knauff then spoke up, addressing Nick Grimes.

“Are we closing the tax office, and are they losing their positions, or being moved to other positions within the district?”

Grimes replied with, “yes there is some misinformation. You have a contract with the TCC and most counties the person who collects taxes and the taxing authorities and bodies are three separate entities. The agreement you have right now is for the tax office of the district that you are in charge of, to collect the earned income tax for the entire Clinton tax jurisdiction. if you cancel the agreement, which runs year-to-year unless both parties agree to get out of it, it would only cancel the earned income tax and would require the TCC to find someone else to collect the earned income tax. You as a board can decide what to do with staff, some is left to the administration to decide. The business privilege tax, local service tax, and real estate tax would not change unless you chose to change it. Cancelling the agreement with the TCC only cancels the earned income tax collection. It’s really up to the administration and the school boards budgeting and direction with what happens with staff. I can tell you that my job is not all tax office earned income tax. There would be collections that would need to be collected. Tax would still need to be collected and would still need staff. My recommendation is that the tax office would retain two people if there is no earned income tax collection, and you would still need someone there for the administrative oversight.”

After some discussion from the board, Superintendent Frank Redmon replied, citing information from a presentation to the board Finance Committee Meeting held on September 25, outlined options that Grimes presented.

“In that presentation you provided four options 1. continue as is, 2. continue to collect EIT and invest in changes to our local tax office, 3. appoint a new EIT collector but continue to collect business privilege, local service, and real estate taxes, 4. appoint a new EIT, BPT, and LST collector and continue to collect real estate taxes. The estimated costs for each option, respectively, are 1. $580,000 annually, 2. $650,000-$750,000 annually, 3. $450,000 annually, and 4. $395,000 annually. So if I heard your question right, by these numbers the school district retains the greatest portion of collected taxes from all sources would be the fourth option,” Redmon said. “We are always going to need someone in Nick’s position and will need to continue that position at least.”

Jeff Johnston then added, “if you want to look at the most efficient and cheapest way to do it, it would be that fourth option and instead of a staff of five people, or two or three people, you still have a person there that people could talk to if they have questions, this would be the option to go with to save the district money from a dollar standpoint. What we are doing now is not cost effective.”

“If the district continues with real estate, LST, business privilege, and then my administration duties, that would require the two remaining staff to remain there. If the district chooses someone else for LST and business privilege then only the administrative person would have to do my duties and the real estate collections which would mean that the other person there would need to transfer into a different role. What the administration does is up to them, but based on my workflow there this is what you would need,” Grimes said.

The official motion to vote to no longer provide tax collection service to the Clinton Tax Collection Committee as soon as practical was passed, with board members Elisabeth Lynch, Chris Scaff, and William Baldino voting against.

In other news, the board voted to approve the donation of a 2011 Toyota Sienna minivan with 200,000 miles on it in “good condition” to the CTC Education Department. The private party Kelley Blue Book value is listed at $5,026.00.

The expense of new furniture for the Liberty-Curtin school build was approved, not to exceed $343,740.63.

Leave of absence for Renee Pearce, Personal Care Assistant, at Central Mountain High School, effective November 15, 2024 through December 15, 2024. Absence is partially compensated.

Leave of absence for Johnna Panella, General Cafeteria Worker, at Robb Elementary School, effective November 11, 2024 through December 16, 2024. Absence is partially compensated.

Professional

Leave of absence for Samantha Jarrett, Learning Support Teacher, at Central Mountain Middle School, effective September 18, 2024 through January 2, 2025. Absence is partially compensated. Correction made to the dates of leave.

EMPLOYMENT

Support

Employment of Charlie Miller, Mechanical Maintenance at Property Services Office, effective November 25, 2024 at a rate of $17.25/hour, paid from the General Fund per the ESP Contract. Hiring is contingent upon receipt of all required paperwork including, but not limited to, all necessary background checks that meet the appropriate standard(s) as required by Pennsylvania law. Filled due to vacancy.

Employment of Marlin Russell, 210 Custodian at Central Mountain High School, effective December 9, 2024 at a rate of $14.25/hour, paid from the General Fund per the ESP Contract. Hiring is contingent upon receipt of all required paperwork including, but not limited to, all necessary background checks that meet the appropriate standard(s) as required by Pennsylvania law. Filled due to vacancy.

Employment of Alyssa Kramer, General Cafeteria Worker at Central Mountain High School, effective TBD at a rate of $14.25/hour, paid from the General Fund per the ESP Contract. Hiring is contingent upon receipt of all required paperwork including, but not limited to, all necessary background checks that meet the appropriate standard(s) as required by Pennsylvania law. Filled due to vacancy.

TRANSFERS

Support

Transfer John Fye, from Maintenance Worker – Warehouse “Distribution Clerk” at Property Services Office to Mechanical Maintenance at Property Services Office effective November 8, 2024. Filled due to vacancy.

Administrative

Transfer Noel Greene, from Tax Office Secretary at Keystone Central School District Tax Office to Tax Office Supervisor at Keystone Central School District Tax Office effective January 1, 2025.

RESIGNATIONS/RETIREMENTS/TERMINATIONS

Support

Retirement of Joseph Ransdorf, 260 Custodian at Bucktail Middle/High School effective January 10, 2025.

Resignation of Karen Bean, Tax Office Secretary at Keystone Central School District Tax Office effective November 29, 2024.

Professional

Retirement of Jodie Reeder, Instructional Coach at Mill Hall Elementary/Central Mountain Middle School effective the last day of the 2024-2025 school year.

Retirement of Jennifer Rutecki, Special Education Learning Support Teacher at Robb Elementary School effective the last day of the 2024-2025 school year.

Retirement of Melissa Rockey, Special Education Learning Support Teacher at Robb Elementary School effective the last day of the 2024-2025 school year.

Retirement of Angela Lavelle, First Grade Teacher at Renovo Elementary School effective the last day of the 2024-2025 school year.

Retirement of Donna Dangle, English Teacher at Central Mountain Middle School effective the last day of the 2024-2025 school year.

Retirement of Lisa Miller, English Teacher at Bucktail Middle/High School effective the last day of the 2024-2025 school year.

Administrative

Retirement of Lisa Harvey, Supervisor of Special Education at Keystone Central School District effective June 30, 2025.