JACKSON TWP — The Seneca Valley School Board received a breakdown of two 2019-20 school year budget allotments at Monday night's school board meeting.

Seneca Valley will contribute $619,005 to the Butler County Vocational-Technical School's budget of $5,809,257, according to vo-tech Director Kurt Speicher. This is a $56,711 increase from the 2018-19 school year, which accounts for more students in the classroom and program and equipment advancement.

The vo-tech will also see the addition of a sports medicine program in the coming school year.

Speicher emphasized that he has seen a growing interest in vo-tech education as well as a number of students advancing further in vo-tech education through trade schools and associate's degrees at community colleges among other “non-traditional” education routes.

“The education never stops,” Speicher said. “It just changes.”

Wayde Killmeyer, executive director, and Patricia Connolly, business services director, of the Midwestern Intermediate Unit IV also brought a budget proposal to the table.

Seneca Valley's contribution to the IU's more than $3 million operating budget will remain unchanged at $140,803.

Of the 27 school districts in the IU, Seneca Valley's contribution is the largest.

Maintaining a consistent budget without increasing over time, Killmeyer said, is a difficult feat.

“I believe in squeezing every nickel until I get six cents out of it,” Killmeyer said of his work on the budget.

The board will vote on both budgetary proposals at next week's meeting.

It will also vote on potentially supporting the enactment of legislation on Flexible Instructional Days. State Sen. Kristin Phillips-Hill, R-28th, is drafting legislation that would allow the school district to continue utilizing alternative school days to avoid tacking on snow makeup days at the end of the school year.

Also at the meeting, the board recognized Corbin Edge, who was named one of Pennsylvania's top two youth volunteers of 2019 by the Prudential Spirit of Community Awards.

Corbin was awarded this spot for raising more than $10,000 for diabetes patients and research last September, and two Seneca Valley alumni attended the board meeting to present him with the medal for his win. The board presented him with Seneca Valley apparel.