North Hills School Board to Vote on Resolution Urging State Leaders for More Education Funding

The North Hills School Board meets tonight at 7:30 p.m. at the . The agenda includes: 

* A resolution to be voted on that urges the General Assembly to increase state funding for K-12 education in the 2012-13 budget, including at a minimum, additional funding for basic education and special education subsidies, and restoration of funding for charter school reimbursement and Accountability Block Grants. 

If approved, the resolution will be posted on the North Hills School District website and be submitted to the district's elected senators and representatives. 

* A request to approve Dollar Bank as the district's new main depository bank, following the closure of the government banking division of the district's former bank Citizens.

A request for proposals issued by the district resulted in 12 proposals, according to a memo submitted to the board by its finance manager, David Hall. Two firms, First Niagara and Dollar Bank, were interviewed. 

"They offered the lowest compensating balance requirements with a full sweep account banking structure as requested," Hall wrote. "While their sweep account's interest at .3 percent is not the highest offered, it exceeds most of the proposed rates, while their current .3 percent money market rates are competitive with all other providers." 

Hall also noted in his recommendation that the bank has a local branch in McIntyre Square, and that the bank uses BNY Mellon as the third party collateral holding institution.

* A resolution to be voted on that, if approved, would give the Highcliff Elementary School Parent Teacher Organization status as a booster organization, allowing them to apply for a Local Options Small Games of Chance license from Allegheny County, which requires that any organization applying for the license be considered a booster, or non-profit, organization. 

The license permits the booster club to legally conduct games such as bingo, 50/50, lottery or anything involving the sale of tickets.

The Highcliff Elementary PTO is the latest in a number of similar requests by organizations in the district. 

Last year, the board , and . 

* A request by third-grade teachers at to take 63 of their students on a field trip to the Jennings Environmental Education Center in Slippery Rock May 7. 

Students will pack a lunch and parents will be asked to pay a $3 fee; the PTA will pay bus expenses, according to the formal request submitted to the board. 

To view the full agenda and related documents, click here. 

What item on the agenda interests you the most? Tell us in the comments!