LEWISTOWN — The Mifflin County School District Board of Directors met Thursday, April 16, to discuss potential upgrades and maintenance for equipment and buildings in the district.

Director of Buildings and Grounds Tom White shared that part of the playground equipment at Indian Valley Elementary Center dates back to 1999 and is in need of repair.

According to White, this equipment was moved from another school and temporary fixes would only delay the inevitable need to replace the equipment.

White said the plastic slide tube would cost about $11,000 and an additional $20,000 in the future. He added that a plastic bubble could be installed at the slide entrance for under $1,000.

However, he said the most cost-effective option would be to replace the equipment for $60,000, with an additional $25,000 for mulch to meet ADA guidelines.

White also discussed HVAC work needed in the district. He stated that the district has 10 remaining JACE (Java Application Control Engine) controllers that need to be updated before support for the system ends in 2028.

He shared that a promotion that lasts until June 27 could save the district money; replacing all 10 controllers would cost $33,300.

The controllers at Mifflin County Junior High School and Indian Valley Elementary Center also require upgrades because they are operating on an obsolete platform. White said this upgrade would cost $42,570.

White added that purchasing the equipment and the upgrade together would cost $11,210 less, bringing the total to $64,600 if the board acts before the end of the promotion.

Discussion about playground equipment, HVAC upgrades and other buildings and grounds projects will continue at the board’s regular voting meeting on Thursday.

During the Committee of the Whole meeting, directors also discussed items under the consent agenda including the transfer of Susan A. Slonaker, an approved driver for BGJ Enterprise, to Krise Transportation effective April 8.

Under personnel, a couple of notable resignations include Mifflin County Middle School art teacher Rachel L. Wozniak and sixth-grade physical education teacher Sarah R. Demmo, effective at the end of the 2025-26 school year.

The notable new hire is Dr. G. Eric McGinnis as an English teacher at Mifflin County High School, starting in the 2026-27 school year at a salary of $59,633.

Additional consent agenda items include recommending approval for the cross-country teams to attend the HOKA Showcase on Aug. 29 at the Spire Academy in Geneva, Ohio.

The Cross Country Boosters will be responsible for paying the costs of hotel and food accommodations.

The high school boys’ HOKA Showcase is at 9:50 p.m., and the girls’ HOKA Showcase is at 9:20 p.m. This girls’ cross country team submitted for the Gold Division but can race up.

Board action/roll call items include the:

Recommendation to approve Kara M. McMullen’s resignation from working ESY as a certified occupational therapy assistant (COTA), effective at the end of the 2026-27 school year. She will no longer receive the $2,500 stipend for working ESY;

Recommendation to approve Steven F. DeArment as the federal programs coordinator at a monthly stipend of $600/month, effective July 1;

Recommendation to approve girls’ wrestling (varsity and junior high) as fully funded Mifflin County School District sports beginning during the 2026-27 school year. The estimated cost for varsity is $21,000 and for junior high is $12,000;

Recommendation to approve junior high baseball as a fully funded Mifflin County School District sport beginning during the 2026-27 school year. The estimated cost is $13,000;

Recommendation to approve the resignation of Jessica Baumgardner as a member of the Operating Committee for the Mifflin County Academy of Science and Technology, effective immediately;

Recommendation to approve to nominate and elect an Operating Committee member and alternate for the Mifflin County Academy of Science and Technology;

Recommendation to approve the 2026-27 and 2027-28 agreement between Mifflin County School District and Folium, INC. d/b/a Laurel Life Services for the junior/senior school transition classroom. The program will be held at Mifflin County High School;

Recommendation to approve the purchase of 1,423 Dell Pro Education 11 PE11260 Laptops at the price of $508.24 each. The total purchase price is $723,225.52 with Mifflin County School District purchasing 1,315 of those laptops for $668,335.60 and the Academy purchasing 108 laptops for $54,889.92;

Recommendation to approve the purchase of a Synology Storage System along with supporting hardware and software for district backups at a price of $42,053.26.

The Mifflin County School District Board of Directors will hold its voting meeting at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday at the district’s administration building.