The Harrisburg School District board on Tuesday
At a meeting Tuesday night, Harrisburg School Board members moved to eliminate the district’s payroll coordinator position and begin running payroll services through an outside firm.
After much discussion, board members voted 7-2 to immediately begin using EDM Financial for employee payroll. The company estimated the cost would be $80,000 to $89,000 per year for its services, which will be billed hourly and extend through Dec. 31, 2026.
Chief Financial Officer Marcia Stokes explained that the move would save the district an estimated $45,000 and help streamline the payroll process.
However, Chief Recovery Officer Lori Suski, the district’s former state-appointed receiver, cautioned the board Tuesday about the estimate.
The district, which exited receivership in June, is still on a tight leash financially as it is monitored by the state.
“I just want to make sure that it doesn’t exceed $89,000 because, obviously, there would be a lot more costs incurred, considering the fact that we are not reducing personnel to offset this cost,” commented Suski, who continues to advise the board.
Up until this point, a single school district employee had overseen all payroll operations. In line with bringing on EDM, the board moved 8-1 to eliminate the employee’s payroll coordinator position. It then voted unanimously to create a new staffing accountant position for the same employee.
According to Human Resources Director Marlena Lang, the employee’s salary as payroll coordinator fell between $71,000 and $96,000 and will remain the same in her new role.
Board members Ellis Roy and Brian Carter questioned the payroll’s outsourcing.
“My biggest thing is: Is this cost effective for the district?” asked Roy.
Carter, the lone ‘no’ vote for eliminating the payroll position, questioned why district employees couldn’t continue to do payroll themselves.
“Shouldn’t we be cross training our employees to do these jobs, so we don’t have to outsource anything?” Carter said.
Stokes added that having payroll people “who service other districts” could help Harrisburg improve its process, which is currently “a pretty heavy lift.”
“This is just a payroll accountant, who is hired through EDM,” she said.
Stokes clarified that the district can get out of the contract with EDM “with very little notice,” if payroll services end up costing more than expected.
In another decision, the board approved extending a license agreement with Harrisburg-based Wildheart Ministries in a 5-3 vote. The organization will continue operating the Hill Farm, located on district-owned property at 18th Street and Eugene Alley, through November 2028, using the land to grow food and provide educational opportunities for students.
Board members Danielle Robinson, Carter and Roy voted ‘no,’ while board member Annie Hughes abstained from the vote, as a member of Hill Farm’s advisory board.
The district also unanimously greenlit several other contracts at the meeting.
One contract continued a dual enrollment agreement with Temple University that gives qualifying 11th- and 12th-grade students, with a GPA of at least 3.0, the chance to take college courses for both high school and college credit. Per the contract, Temple will offer a range of classes, including those on interpersonal communication, mental illness, special education, and child and teen development. Additional classes will examine hip hop and young adult books through lenses of race and identity and the importance of college.
Additional contracts approved a total of $2.1 million for roof restorations for four school buildings: Foose Elementary, Lincoln Elementary, Camp Curtin and SciTech. The work will be done by Tremco Roofing and Building Maintenance.
The board also approved $3,879 for John Harris High School’s spring musical. The amount will cover licensing and materials to run three performances of the one-act musical “Once on This Island” between March 27-29, 2026.
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