School board puts brakes on ‘Lebo Gives’ capital campaign
The Mt. Lebanon School Board put its re-launch of the district’s capital campaign on hold, saying its goals must first be more clearly and transparently outlined.
The board voted unanimously at its June 18 regular meeting to table a resolution approving the new “Lebo Gives” fundraising effort pending further action.
“The Lebo Gives proposal was submitted to the board last week, but it was not submitted to the public,” board member Elaine Cappucci said. “And I don’t think it’s fair that we are voting on something that the public has had no information about.”
The campaign was announced in March as the successor to the district’s Century of Excellence capital campaign, which lost money in pursuit of a $6 million fundraising goal. Co-chairs Noelle Conover and Bill Moorehead previously said the fundraiser would be an ongoing, volunteer effort as opposed to a finite drive.
But members of the board said the proposal’s lack of goals made them wary of supporting it in its current form. They also took issue with the initiatives proposed budget of $85,000, as did several residents who attended Monday’s meeting.
“I, too, am having some issues with the cost here associated with this,” board President Michael Riemer said. “I have received a number of phone calls over the past week about this from residents of our community.”
Board members William Cooper and Lawrence Lebowitz pointed out that the board bears some responsibility in defining the fundraiser’s objectives, as the capital campaign originated from within the district. Board member Alfonso Frioni suggested during the meeting that the effort be incorporated as a nonprofit organization separate from the district.
“I do believe that this is something that we can work out,” board member Sarah Olbrich said. “I think we need to think long and hard about what we as a board want this to look like.”
Also during the meeting, the board approved the following:
- Salary increases of 2.9 percent for custodian and maintenance employees, administrative assistants and supervisors, specialists, head custodians and administrators.
- Contracted salaries for 12-month secretaries reflecting an average increase of 3.35-percent.
- A salary of $155,005 for Assistant Superintendent Ronald Davis and a $142,005 salary for Assistant Superintendent Marybeth Irvin.
- A contract with AstroTurf Corporation based on a pricing bid of $1.57 million for the resurfacing of the upper practice field, subject to final approval by the superintendent and solicitor.
- The awarding of a contract bid for district-wide asphalt sealing and paving to T.A. Robinson at their price of $102,870.
- The awarding of a contract for district-wide brick tuck-pointing and sealing to Mariani-Richards at their price of $49,400.