Lehighton Area School District will begin the 2024-25 school year with a new business administrator in place after the school board approved the hiring of Steven Sofranko on Thursday night.

According to the agreement, which starts July 1 through June 30, 2027, Sofranko will have a starting salary of $110,000 with a 3% increase in 2025-26 and 2026-27 should he achieve at least a proficient rating during his evaluation period.

The agreement also allows for performance bonuses, “not to exceed 1.5% of the business administrator’s base salary in the preceding fiscal year.”

With only four board members attending the meeting in person and the remaining four calling in, the motion to hire Sofranko passed by a 6-2 margin. Jeremy Glaush, Sean Gleaves, April Walker, Heather Neff, Richard Beltz and Joy Beers voted in favor, while Barbara Bowes and Kerry Sittler dissented.

Sofranko comes to Lehighton after nearly 15 years as a Knights of Columbus insurance field agent.

“My kids graduated from Lehighton and I think they received a great education here,” Sofranko said. “I think I can add a lot of value with my experience and I just think it’s a time in my life when it’s right for me to dig in here.”

The number one goal, Sofranko said, is for the business office to be as transparent as possible.

“We want to open the doors and educate the public,” he said. “Transparency is key. I understand that I’m coming in to join a very good and dependable staff in the business office, which has been doing quite well during this search. I’m anxious to come in and get to know them and learn from them.”

According to Sofranko’s agreement with the district, “the business administrator shall work with the superintendent of schools on the strategic vision, including fostering and cultivating stakeholder relationships on local and state levels, as well as assisting in the development and negotiation of contracts.”

Susan Famularo, who retired from Pleasant Valley in 2020, has been providing interim business manager services for Lehighton since January. Former business manager Edward Rarick resigned Jan. 10 after the district informed him his contract would not be renewed. Weatherly Area School District hired Rarick as its business manager on Wednesday at a salary of $90,000.

Lehighton on Thursday also approved an agreement with Garnet Financial LLC for services including business management, mentoring, and professional development.

Under the terms of the agreement, Garnet Financial will be compensated at a rate of $100 per hour for services provided between July 1, 2024, and June 30, 2025. This rate will increase to $125 per hour starting July 1, 2025. Attendance at evening school board meetings will be billed at $130 per hour. Additionally, the agreement stipulates that the school district will reimburse Garnet Financial for various costs such as legal reviews, long-distance phone calls, mileage, and postage.

“We don’t have a cap on the amount of hours, but I can tell you it won’t be a 40-hour a week job,” Jack Corby, Lehighton acting superintendent, said. “It will be spread out over the year at certain times for certain responsibilities.”

The services through Garnet will be provided by Stacey Gober, a former chief financial officer in Bethlehem Area School District.

“This hire will be helping us to plug some other holes the district has,” Corby said.

“In addition to helping out and mentoring the new business manager, this person is highly qualified to look at our systems and the different things we have in place. We want to look at the way we do business and improve if we can.”

A number of termination causes are outlined in Lehighton’s agreement with Sofranko including an option for the board to cut ties with Sofranko with seven days’ notice for “a serious breach of loyalty to the superintendent and/or the board.”

Lehighton’s agreement with Sofranko also provides an early severance option, where the board may sever employment either by mutual agreement or for any reason during the last year of the term.

Corby said the interview team for the business administrator position consisted of board members and administrators during the first round and just board members in the second round.

District resident and former board member Brian Shaner questioned whether anyone on the board had a personal relationship with Sofranko.

“Steve and I did some work with the county Republican Party,” Glaush, who is Lehighton’s board president, said. “I have talked to him here and there over the years. That’s as far as my personal relationship goes with him.”

“I do remember hearing a lot about nepotism from the prior board,” Shaner responded. “It seems like not much has changed.”

Lehighton also continues its search for a new superintendent. The board approved a separation agreement with Dr. Christina Fish in May calling for her to receive a $115,000 buyout of her contract that was to run through Aug. 31, 2025. Fish had spent nearly two years in the district before the parting of ways.

Corby is currently working as Lehighton’s interim superintendent at a rate of $680 per day.