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LEWISTOWN -- The Mifflin County School Board of Directors heard a tax exoneration request involving a 2023 delinquent real estate tax bill of approximately $394 at Thursday's voting meeting.
Mifflin County Tax Claim Bureau Director Kathy Whitsel and Mifflin County Solicitor Steve Snook explained that the delinquent bill went unchecked due to a county computer system error, causing duplicate parcel records.
Whitsel shared that the error prevented proper lien certification during property settlement, resulting in unpaid taxes erroneously marked as zero balance.
Snook stated that Mifflin County and the local municipality agreed to forgive their portions of this tax. He asked the board to consider doing the same to resolve the issue, given the system error.
Snook explained that the tax bureau contacted its vendor, INFOCON Corp., to resolve the issue.
According to Snook and Whitsel, INFOCON flagged the duplicate parcel records as inactive but could not remove them due to software constraints; the vendor implemented a fix to hide these inactive entries to prevent recurrence.
Superintendent of Schools Vance Varner later stated that the board will place this tax exoneration request on the Nov. 20 agenda.
Earlier during the meeting, directors approved the following transportation items:
-Hiring Jordan W. Beers of Krise Transportation, effective Oct. 2;
-Hiring Brian V. Corcelius of BGJ Enterprise LLC, effective Oct. 7;
-Hiring Du Hwan Yu of BGJ Enterprise LLC, effective Oct. 7;
-Hiring Meagan S. Henderson of BGJ Enterprise LLC, effective Oct. 7;
-Hiring Scott A. Decker of Krise Transportation, effective Oct. 10;
-Hiring James A. White of BGJ Enterprise LLC, effective Oct. 15;
-Hiring Doug P. Detweiler of BGJ Enterprise LLC, effective Oct. 15;
-Hiring Julie C. Gingerich of KV Bus Line.
Directors also approved notable personnel changes, including:
-Retirement of Chief Financial Officer Melinda Kenepp effective Aug. 15, 2026;
-Retirement of East Derry Elementary School first-grade teacher Brenda L. Ishler, effective at the end of the 2025-26 school year;
– Retirement of Strodes Mills Elementary School Principal and Federal Programs Coordinator Frank W. Miller, effective June 30, 2026.
In Board action/roll call items, directors:
-Approved the Mifflin County High School Marching Band to attend the Tournament of Bands Atlantic Coast Championship Series show held on Sunday, Nov. 2, at noon at the Hersheypark Stadium in Hershey;
-Approved the Active STS Guest Teachers list;
-Approved Nicole Lewis, Board secretary, to register majority votes for PSBA Officer Elections;
-Approved Outdoor School for Lewistown Intermediate School fifth-grade students on March 30 to April 2, April 7 to 10, and April 14 to 17 to Camp Blue Diamond (part of Shaver's Creek Environmental Center). Students stay for four days and three nights;
-Approved the resignation of Wanda L. Harpster as a full-time autistic support paraprofessional at Lewistown Elementary School, effective Oct. 13;
-Approved the creation of a school-sanctioned Mifflin County Junior High School Baseball Club at no cost to the district, effective Jan. 1, 2026.