The Elizabethtown Area School District board took a series of formal actions at its September meeting, approving grouped consent items, overnight field trips, a district investment plan, quarterly air-quality testing and accepting the finance and personnel reports.

Grouped consent items: The board conducted a consensus roll-call vote on four routine items — approval of minutes, a new club, family and consumer science curriculum materials, and the Pennsylvania School Boards Association slate of officers — and approved them together. Details of each item were contained in the board packet and were approved by consensus.

Overnight field trips: The board approved the 2025–26 overnight field trips after members reviewed revised chaperone and supervisory guidelines tied to student conduct, room checks and disciplinary consequences on overnight excursions. The board’s roll-call vote recorded a single dissenting vote by Director Riggleman and approvals from the remaining members present (vote record: 7 yes, 1 no, 1 absent). The policy materials attached to the agenda require chaperones to conduct room checks near curfew and require students and guardians to sign trip conduct agreements.

Investment plan: Trustees approved the district investment plan as presented at the Sept. 9 workshop in a roll-call vote with board members present voting in favor.

Air-quality testing: The board approved Cumberland Analytical Laboratories to perform quarterly air-quality testing district-wide, with laboratory mold sampling performed only when field instruments indicate the need. The roll-call vote for the testing contract was recorded in favor by all members present (8–0).

Finance and personnel reports: The board accepted the finance report and the personnel report as presented. The finance discussion highlighted the district’s current negative food-service balance, reported in the meeting packet as roughly $31,158 across families; administrators said they are contacting families and that numbers may rise under new state procedures unless families complete required eligibility paperwork.

Votes at a glance (key items)
- Grouped consent (minutes; club approval; Family & Consumer Science curriculum; PSBA slate): outcome — approved (consensus vote). Details — agenda packet; vote recorded by consensus.
- Overnight field trips: outcome — approved; mover — Missus Carter; second — not specified; vote — yes: 7, no: 1 (Riggleman), absent: 1; notes — updated chaperone guidelines and disciplinary tiers attached to agenda.
- 2025–26 investment plan: outcome — approved; mover — Missus Lindemuth; vote — unanimous among members present.
- Quarterly air-quality testing (Cumberland Analytical Laboratories): outcome — approved; mover — Jim Emery; vote — unanimous among members present (8–0); cost guidance: $600 per district visit; mold lab samples $80 each.
- Finance report: outcome — accepted; vote — approved by roll call of members present.
- Personnel report: outcome — accepted; vote — approved by roll call of members present.

What’s next: The board deferred a decision on selection of a contractor for an elementary HVAC project to the next workshop meeting, where administrators will present a recommendation from among RFP responders. The district will publish air-quality results on a new web page and administrators said they will continue outreach to families about food-service balances.

Ending: The votes wrap up the board’s scheduled action items for the evening; several larger matters — notably the elementary HVAC procurement — remain under active consideration and will return to the board for additional public deliberation.