CRESSON — The Penn Cambria School Board appointed a new member Tuesday night after a former board member resigned.

During Tuesday’s meeting, former board member Jennifer Gmuca’s resignation was accepted before the board appointed Anthony Tomaselli of Cresson to fill the vacancy. Board members Jeffrey Stohon and Anthony Dziabo did not attend the meeting.

Tomaselli, who was a teacher in the district for 31 years, will serve as a board member through at least December, when Gmuca’s term expires. He is on the ballot in November’s election.

“I’ve been around here a long time and I just wanted to give back to a place that was very good to me over the years,” Tomaselli said, noting that he appreciated the board’s confidence in him to fill the vacant seat.

“I’m hoping that the confidence that they have in me is based on my experience of who I am,” he said after the meeting. “It’s nice to be active in the community and I think familiarity hopefully played a big part in their decision and I appreciate their support.”

During the meeting, the board approved a fund balance transfer of $2 million from the general fund unassigned balance to the committed fund balance for future capital improvements and renovations retroactive to June 30.

The board also approved the first reading of three new or revised board policies: acceptable use of computer networks, artificial intelligence and federal fiscal compliance attachment.

“We have not heard anything out of Harrisburg suggesting that we’re going to see a budget within the next couple days,” said Solicitor Ron Repak in his report to the board.

Repak said officials were hoping for a state budget in September, but they are now hoping for one by October.

Business Administrator Jill Francisco said Penn Cambria was supposed to receive a payment of about $200,000 in July and another payment of about $1.8 million in August.

Francisco, said there were additional payments that were supposed to be made in September, totaling about $1.2 million. But the district is relying on its real estate tax revenue to get by for another month or two, she said.

“We will be OK cash flow wise for another month or two, but if the state budget continues to get closer to the end of the year and there’s still no budget passed, then we would have to start looking at options,” she said.

Those options include taking out loans or cashing in bonds, Francisco said.

Once district officials get a feel for how much longer the budget impasse will last, Francisco said they plan to further pursue critical spending options and will look into what payments can be held in order to get by.

Penn Cambria took advantage of Act 85 of 2016 in which the state agreed to step in and make a district’s debt service payments, Francisco said, noting once the budget is passed, the district essentially returns the money, which is withheld from its future basic education subsidy.

“Once those monies would start flowing in, they just would hold that money and keep it. So, we took advantage of that,” she said, adding a little over $700,000 in payments for Penn Cambria’s 2024 and 2025 bonds were paid by the state. “That gives us a little extra time with that money cash flow-wise during this state budget impasse.”

Prior to the board meeting, the district held a public hearing regarding its future two-story addition to the high school campus. This addition will house students in grades two through six.

Details of the district’s plans — explaining what the project looks like and what it’s going to be — will be posted on the district’s website today, Francisco said.

The district has to wait until Oct. 16, after a 30-day cooldown period expires, before passing a resolution to put the project out for bid, Repak said after the meeting.

Superintendent Jamie Hartline said district officials are hoping to approve the bids in December or January, have the project under construction in February or March and then move into the new building in the 2027-28 school year.

“It’ll be done in the summer of 2027,” Hartline said.

Mirror Staff Writer Matt Churella is at 814-946-7520.