Antietam Board Votes on $152K Assistant Superintendent

The Antietam School Board votes Monday on moving its high school principal into a $152,495.62-a-year job as the district's assistant superintendent. Three roll-call resolutions under Personnel on the Oct. 26 agenda would establish the position, set the pay and elect Felice Stern, Ed.D., to a three-year term starting Tuesday. The meeting is Monday, Oct. 26 at 7 p.m. in the District Office Boardroom, 100 Antietam Road, Reading, per the district's meeting-dates page.

The district's 2026-27 general fund budget totals $30,563,100, per the PDE-2028 form the board adopted June 22.

Three votes, one job

The first resolution says the board, "pursuant to Section 1071(a) of the Public School Code of 1949," "establishes the position of Assistant Superintendent of the Antietam School District." It then adds: "To the extent the position was previously established by the Board and has not been abolished, this Resolution confirms and continues the position." The agenda does not say whether the district has had one before.

The second, taken "before voting on the election," fixes Stern's salary at "($152,495.62) per year, prorated for the 2026–2027 school year from her first day of service, and subject to the annual adjustments provided in the Employment Agreement presented at this meeting."

The third "elects Felice Stern, Ed.D., as Assistant Superintendent for a three-year term commencing October 27, 2026 and ending October 26, 2029," approves the agreement "including its Appendix A (job description) and Appendix B (objective performance standards)," and has the board president and secretary sign it. The agreement is not posted with the agenda, so the adjustment formula and the job description are not public yet.

A transfer from the high school

The Oct. 19 workshop agenda listed the move more plainly: "Approve the transfer of Dr. Felice Stern, Antietam High School Principal, to the Assistant Superintendent of the Antietam School District, effective October 26, 2026." It gave no salary, and it had her starting a day earlier than Monday's resolution does. The district's staff directory still lists Stern as Principal at Antietam High School, and her welcome letter on the school's site opens, "My name is Dr. Felice Stern, and I am proud to serve as the Principal of Antietam High School." The agenda does not say who will lead the high school once she moves to the district office. A keyword search of the directory on Sunday returned no one titled assistant superintendent, only Superintendent Dr. Timothy Matlack and his secretary. The resolutions say the appointment comes on the recommendation and nomination of "the District Superintendent."

Two other Berks boards are filling central-office leadership posts this month: Governor Mifflin votes the same night on a substitute superintendent during its superintendent's leave, and Conrad Weiser had a new assistant superintendent on its Oct. 21 agenda with no salary printed.

Money on the agenda

• Treasurer's report: a $12,619,109.54 unaudited beginning balance on July 1, $14,565,851.86 in revenue, $6,584,979.30 in expenses, and an unaudited fund balance of $20,599,982.10 on Sept. 30. Cash and investments are listed at $16,844,764.46.
• A Pathway School agreement "for one 6th grader for the 2026-2027 School year, effective August 4, 2026 through June 11, 2026, in the amount of $79,500.00." The end date as printed falls before the start date; the agenda does not correct it. The agenda says the tuition is to be prorated "from the initial enrollment date or a 90 school-day diagnostic period, if applicable," and the agreement awaits the solicitor's review.
• A per-diem contract with "M" Powerment for a 10th-grade student at $320 per day from Oct. 13, pending the solicitor's review.
• A Garaventa vertical wheelchair lift, "Quote # 4021-02 dated June 9, 2026," for Kerry C. Hoffman Intermediate School, $28,000.00.
• GenServe generator repairs and maintenance at Hoffman, 2310 Cumberland Ave., $1,211.95.
• Two Donors Choose material donations, for "Our Esports Expansion" and "Happy Tummies and Happy Minds."

Personnel and committees

The board would amend two Sept. 28 votes. One replaces the 2026-27 co-curricular list with "the updated list of staff and amounts dated October 19, 2026." The other corrects the pay of four classroom monitors, Chelsea Boudreau, Lauren Yelk, Kristin Heller (spelled Kristen on the Sept. 28 agenda) and Robin Derr, "from their current rate to daily substitute rates"; the Sept. 28 agenda had approved them "at their regular rates of pay." Also listed: residency affidavits for six students, first through 11th grade; a S.M.I.L.E.S. volunteer; a BCIU guest teacher; and one FMLA request for spring 2027.

The Policy and Curriculum committees canceled their Oct. 19 meetings; both meet next Nov. 9, at 6:15 and 5:30 p.m. The Property Committee meets Monday at 6:30 p.m., with a Hoffman "Tree" discussion item, and again Nov. 16. Matlack's report carries a Nov. 7 Health Fair, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., plus the Oct. 19 items: Infinite Campus grade-report training, a facilities analysis update, a Safety and Security Grant and a Facilities Grant, with no amounts printed.

How to attend / comment

Monday, Oct. 26, 7 p.m., District Office Boardroom, 100 Antietam Road, Reading 19606; the district office number is (610) 779-0554. Public comment is item 4, with "a 3-minute time limit," and speakers are asked to "state your name and address for the record." The agenda says comment "is not intended to be a question and answer session." Board President Kyla Ramsey presides; the roster lists Jennifer Ann Miller as vice president, Lorraine Storms as treasurer, and Kimberly Alarcon, Susan Randolph, Michael Roberts, Amanda Stief, Gabriel Trieb and Clara Worrall. The board goes into executive session on personnel afterward and will not reconvene. The next workshop is Monday, Nov. 9 at 7 p.m.; the next voting meeting is Nov. 16. Agendas are posted as PDFs on the district's 2026-2027 agendas page.