ADAMS TWP — Board directors at Mars Area School District failed to renew membership for the Pennsylvania School Board Association at a meeting Tuesday, May 14.

A tied vote of 4 to 4, with one abstention, meant the motion failed to renew membership for the 2024-25 school year, which costs $19,416.

The statewide association provides policy review services to assist school boards with keeping policies current and researching state and federal laws “related to the school board’s governance responsibilities,” according to its website.

The PSBA states it does not have oversight over school board decisions.

Board director Jennifer DiCuccio noted Tuesday evening the school board is not obligated to adopt any policy posted by the association.

Following the vote, superintendent Mark Gross told the school board it would now have to consider other organizations to help the district stay apprised of current policies.

“We need to make sure we have some type of mechanism to keep (our policies) up to date,” Gross said.

The school district had been a member of the school board association until 2016-17 school year, when it opted not to renew its membership, according to communications director Josh Schwoebel. It re-entered the organization for the 2023-24 school year, he stated.