The Seneca Valley School Board approved a seven-year transportation contract with First Student and grappled with a proposed 7.6% increase to the Butler County vocational-technical school budget during its March 3, 2025, work session.

The meeting opened with a moment of silence for retired Athletic Director and Football Coach Terry Henry, who passed away recently. Henry served the district from 1984 to 2004 and guided the Raider football team to its first-ever WPIAL Championship game. A member of the Seneca Valley Sports Hall of Fame, he was also inducted into the Butler County Hall of Fame, the Minor Pro Football Hall of Fame, and the Pennsylvania Scholastic Football Coaches Hall of Fame.

The board approved the transportation contract proposal with First Student covering the 2025-2026 through 2031-2032 school years, pending final solicitor review. A public comment from Todd O'Shell addressed the contract before the vote. Board President Eric DiTullio motioned and Susan Harrison seconded; the motion carried on a voice vote.

Dr. Regina Hiler of the Butler County Area Vocational-Technical School presented the proposed 2025-2026 operating budget totaling $7,351,613, representing a 7.595% increase from the prior year. Seneca Valley's share would rise by $58,405. Board member Tim Hester expressed disappointment at the increase and urged evaluation of each program. Susan Harrison requested data on student enrollment by program and asked how rising SV participation would affect capacity. Fred Peterson challenged the Joint Operating Committee to scrutinize all budget areas.

DiTullio noted that just 15 years ago, fewer than 100 SV students attended the vo-tech; today that number has more than doubled. He asked whether plans exist to accommodate continued growth. Dr. Hiler said adjustments would be made based on labor market needs. Nick Brower requested that the MIU IV budget and BCAVTS budget be placed in separate voting blocks at the March 10 action meeting.

The board also approved Seneca Valley's $161,240 contribution to the Midwestern Intermediate Unit IV's $4,442,185 general operating budget for 2025-2026. DiTullio noted the total has not changed in 30 years across all member districts.

On the legislative front, DiTullio reported the governor's budget proposal includes a significant increase for public education, with negotiations ongoing ahead of the June 30 deadline. At the federal level, funding continues to flow, with no impact on the district's approximately $4 million in Title IV, Title I, and Title IIA support. The board reaffirmed that special education remains a top funding priority.

In financial business, the board approved $8,522,260.69 in general fund bills and $901,939.99 in construction fund bills. Additional approvals included a security contract with Capital Asset Protection, Inc., a waste removal renewal with Waste Management of Pennsylvania, and budget transfers.

Four Seneca Valley students earned gold at the SkillsUSA District 10 Competition: sophomores Tucker Ray and Elizabeth Semenenko, senior Nathan Taylor, and junior Gavin Uber won in entrepreneurship, promotional bulletin board, photography, and ad design. All four qualified for the state conference in Hershey in April.

Seniors Eric Chen and Ophelia Crano were recognized as finalists in the 70th Annual National Merit Scholarship Program, placing them among approximately 15,000 finalists nationwide.

The board approved an updated anti-bullying policy (Policy 249) on second and final reading, set meeting dates for August 2025 through June 2026, and approved agreements with Cray Youth and Family Services and The Watson Institute for special education services. A middle school ski trip to Telluride, Colorado, in January 2026 and a cross country preseason camp in Jennerstown were both approved at no cost to the district.

Personnel actions included three classified resignations, numerous supplemental and coaching appointments, multiple professional leaves, and four retirements: teachers Barry Murray, Joseph Rubaker, Judi Spinelli, Jodi Albert, and Anita Duffy, along with classified staff member Margaret Fennell.

The meeting adjourned at 8:12 p.m. All nine board members were present.