[{"_1":2,"_124":-5,"_125":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100,112],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6304610,"mediaKeyId","2458891-c68b1ab504516b66793efe2a6b52f0c6","parentId",2458891,"title","Board hears audit and finance questions: CCA spending figures, Fox Rothschild bills and returning charter students","audioSeconds",249,"startMs",2854000,"endMs",3103000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2458891-c68b1ab504516b66793efe2a6b52f0c6&start=2854&end=3103","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2458891-c68b1ab504516b66793efe2a6b52f0c6/thumbnail_2854000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6304610/Pennsylvania/Board-hears-audit-and-finance-questions-CCA-spending-figures-Fox-Rothschild-bills-and-returning-charter-students","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6304610-c4ecb86764d8c0139d6be148367201b1/orig.mp4?Expires=1770440118&Signature=jQpLjnvHXzo5Esl-lBE~SY-9g3ZYhWtuM2XQR5SiiJCtr-YrQ3686nE8Yp~swPU9hasi~0hzSRig0lR8Fx1oBTDAWbU40NV0zFiw04lsbH6HqPgOgIRLHaSGKDfLXB7Fb0fNrd8rsqC9lDD8aO7eLSSX4hg32GlfAxI1USHDoFIJ9KXgz2DbGGePJP7sKgjQPvWccPe~29yrii3MI521eu8RTpodDD0g5Fwkvpa0kMUePbX2Fog8Se7YrAYrHrv9bx15DcJkBiyXg4Ndrw4RsV2APH6fFFM-AYTvTIa0FwJFjDRk~JFGg38lkPUVVkUZh-OA7hfVTtMYWTsSzPqC2Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Pleasant Valley School District","date","2025-02-26T13:02:29Z","article","Finance staff and the superintendent responded Feb. 27 to multiple public questions about the district audit, outside cyber charter enrollments and legal and HR spending.

Key points presented: Missus Smell, the finance director, explained the audit line labeled roughly \"$1,000,004\" and said that figure represents an aggregate of multiple account codes and is not solely the cost of bringing students back from cyber charters. \"The $1,000,004.04... is not the amount being spent on bringing students back from outside charter student from outside charter schools to brick and mortar,\" she said, and then outlined account-code breakdowns for student activities, athletics and community services shown in the audit.

Commonwealth Charter Academy (CCA): Superintendent Conrad cited a recent auditor-general report about CCA expenditures statewide, listing large categories such as dining, entertainment and other items that the report flagged; he urged the community to press state lawmakers for more fiscal accountability for cyber charters.

Legal fees: The board heard a question about Fox Rothschild invoices; finance staff said the $220,004 figure covered a range of legal matters including personnel issues, special-education appeals, negotiations, renovation paperwork, grievances and right-to-know requests.

HR and recruit-replace costs: Missus Smell also reviewed human-resources account-line items (account 2831) and listed salaries, benefits, software contracts and other HR costs.

Construction contingency: Board members asked whether emergency construction change-order authority (referenced elsewhere on the agenda) was for the superintendent's unilateral use. Finance staff and the administration said it was intended for rapid, vetted responses on complex renovations; the board confirmed that contingency funds were included in the project budget and that change orders would undergo review by the contractor, engineers and the business office.

Next steps: Administration said it would make audit detail and contractor change-order notices available to the board and community upon request and that staff had presented the audit at a working session to give board members ample review time.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","PV Board of Education Meeting 2/27/2025","oneSentenceSummary","At the Feb. 27 board meeting, finance and administration staff responded to public questions about an auditor-general report on Commonwealth Charter Academy expenses, district audit line items tied to returning charter students, and recent invoices from outside counsel.","taxTitle","Pleasant Valley SD, School Districts, Pennsylvania","taxId",60258,"location","Pennsylvania","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6304614,"District to pilot Google Gemini for teachers only; administrators set 60 licenses under grant",2945,2791000,5736000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2458891-c68b1ab504516b66793efe2a6b52f0c6&start=2791&end=5736","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2458891-c68b1ab504516b66793efe2a6b52f0c6/thumbnail_2791000.jpg","/articles/6304614/Pennsylvania/District-to-pilot-Google-Gemini-for-teachers-only-administrators-set-60-licenses-under-grant","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6304614-42d09c3ab774bc03096f53d195d69c3c/orig.mp4?Expires=1770440118&Signature=Uqwr6Cq2khGrsHqJsgXL7xyvHLAP6x6zYqTSUhyBbbLRR-AVLwE00SnuE3EpZwi9hftENobFiBkm2S27j6FYcy7nOalA~K5zaH064g0V3gvak0I1-00mz546zXtLBCFwHJ0zWKqfhPrPbEJrvyrvMEBm~~zgr1CcvELnbIKm12AWacEFbCuHarGLT7sm~LTgKOgNofTYXUu0HDC2YXI00hr~EooVBLVXoxahvgW7597Lu12w2qhMdglD4LxYxiPLDV8CpMl2kO2pkhsrKejEYwJghpBenIUUFSybQWswyeOUmC7Ru9Cv~75HoqY2dgGyeO6hVmiUh8tGul22Dr7uvQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Pleasant Valley School District approved a one-year pilot to provide Google Gemini access to a subset of teachers, limited to grades 6 through 12 and for teacher use only.

Director of Instructional Technology Jason Vanquierhe told the board the resource is intended to help teachers prepare lessons and work more efficiently rather than to replace instruction. \"Google Gemini is gonna be accessible if it's accepted. It's teachers from grades 6 through 12. It can be used to enhance lessons... The resource is not going to be available for students... Strictly for grade teachers, grades 6 through 12,\" Vanquierhe said during the meeting.

Scope and safeguards: Administration said the initial purchase covers 60 site licenses funded in part through a grant. Licenses are reusable and can be reassigned; building administrators and select central-office staff will also receive accounts. The district plans to monitor administrative usage statistics and report back on uptake and pedagogical use.

Board discussion: Trustees asked for evaluation metrics and regular updates. Several trustees asked for conservative rollout and explicit analytics to demonstrate teacher adoption and instructional impact before any larger purchase. The technology team said administrators can monitor individual usage from the vendor's dashboard and that the district will demand a data-backed report at the end of the pilot year.

Next steps: The district will proceed with the one-year pilot, deploy licenses to early adopters and administrators, and return data and usage analytics to the board for review before any renewal decision.","Pleasant Valley administrators won board approval to pilot Google Gemini (AI) for teachers in grades 6'12, funded in part by grant money; the pilot will supply 60 reusable licenses and administrators said they will track use and report analytics.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6304618,"Board approves five-year Seneca Valley agreement for cyber services; public raises quality and oversight concerns",4699,2719000,7418000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2458891-c68b1ab504516b66793efe2a6b52f0c6&start=2719&end=7418","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2458891-c68b1ab504516b66793efe2a6b52f0c6/thumbnail_2719000.jpg","/articles/6304618/Pennsylvania/Board-approves-five-year-Seneca-Valley-agreement-for-cyber-services-public-raises-quality-and-oversight-concerns","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6304618-164e16f3a6dc5fc846007bb42cb387b3/orig.mp4?Expires=1770440118&Signature=JW0rulXpyMoDkIY7FKIisezvhe92WYAne5oEmTdhPLuCr04UynZQymz8XqSKdoXEqQIp1rPQuhGla2hMDJSRja--pnVJYX1zgxadWgSUOtARzmpEU0JBmWVgNzlIkMqUMY3MidfMJzLLUnVTctyIwSz2E9NJ~njaDLJsxDA3ATgitAhgXBRwdqwnFIuIwfz-Ubhz3iPgwmugxvoi2Ay5DUZmzmnb46u4XiaMXa-GuhjTYSIQsA6n2ssglMQKm3VuvqtnHQzzfzI~-y~lc-at90OH1RoZvnwrC~ub9VHPo25gkmQ3LtF9Xb6EU5CVFyP6rHd-sV3G-C4MKVXWKZ~diA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Pleasant Valley School District board voted Feb. 27 to approve a contract with Seneca Valley School District for cyber instruction services to support the district's Bears Academy and other online offerings.

Superintendent Doctor James Conrad and other administrators said the agreement secures online course access for students while the district develops its internal capacity. \"If you were to take a look at the Bears Academy, so when you're taking a look at seventh, eighth, and ninth ... 59 students are currently in our middle school Bears Academy,\" Conrad told the board and explained the staffing and certification challenges of running a full in-house program for small student cohorts.

Why it matters: The contract aims to provide continuity when the district cannot hire certified teachers for specialized or \"singleton\" electives and to avoid interruptions when midyear resignations occur. Administrators said Seneca Valley provides an operational online platform and teaching staff that the district can use while building its own program.

Public and board concerns: Multiple public commenters and trustees raised concerns about quality control, distance from Seneca Valley's base, and whether five years was too long. Board members discussed contract terms that allow year-to-year renewal; administrators clarified the agreement is structured as a five-year rate lock made up of one-year renewals, with termination notifications available prior to each renewal.

Administration's view: District staff said the agreement is intended as a pragmatic interim step. Doctor Conrad noted that, in some scenarios, fully staffing seven or more certification-specific positions to serve a few dozen students would cost far more than contracting services. He also described steps the district will take to monitor instruction and to survey families about their reasons for choosing cyber options.

Board action: After debate and a failed motion to table earlier in the meeting, the board approved the contract. Administrators said they will return with a status report on the Bears Academy, including why families choose outside cyber providers and what would be required to expand a PV-run program.

Next steps: District staff said they will provide periodic reports on Bears Academy enrollment and student outcomes, and will continue evaluating longer-term options for building a district-run cyber program.

","Pleasant Valley approved a contract with Seneca Valley for online instruction (Bears Academy) intended to serve students who need or choose cyber coursework. The vote followed extended public comment and questions about teacher quality, local control and whether the district can grow its own online program.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6304620,"Pleasant Valley board adopts HMH 'Into Reading' after monthslong review",1259,5410000,6669000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2458891-c68b1ab504516b66793efe2a6b52f0c6&start=5410&end=6669","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2458891-c68b1ab504516b66793efe2a6b52f0c6/thumbnail_5410000.jpg","/articles/6304620/Pennsylvania/Pleasant-Valley-board-adopts-HMH-Into-Reading-after-monthslong-review","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6304620-ee1b218de890d6e350a1b78cb0088b6a/orig.mp4?Expires=1770440118&Signature=KiChbQLs1XqhqgdbtxNrIt6REr0mZQsPbvJeV6-10v5TCHa0ZpBf7muqmq6o3FpeN43X3J8wCvVOKoGTjOkpnCujOdmH0VPzZisj~mjmXhkuSWoa5fYxecukKBdn64vrE5uLdoK6cuZ6qrDe-IeuQ0sjZNZ74gE~EpR8hjeY26ZRvuN3kptYKEiGv7-KypsZfK6ZjXVMfoBoicB6oRU8qtqekI3zuzNPQ-xjkNb9lZf3H5-Q9-Je-pLwOknQNMnQAScIV3mi1O49rWjzUT2cM7D~0r93QzCkLhK385-M8mW4yRADjcYw~Nq6ssqIlph6OjLuB6LPplz~p9nayRFSCQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Pleasant Valley School District trustees voted Feb. 27 to adopt HMH Into Reading as the district's primary elementary English-language arts curriculum, following a multi-month review of multiple programs.

The board approved the recommendation after reviewers and administrators presented a fall-long evaluation that narrowed an original set of materials to two finalists. \"As part of the reading review committee ... we as committee members feel that of the 2 programs, Into Reading is the best program to meet our students' needs,\" the review committee wrote in a summary read to the board during the meeting.

Why it matters: District leaders said the adoption seeks to correct uneven instruction across buildings and to align K-12 literacy work. Superintendent Doctor James Conrad told the board the district's standardized-test results showed a need for more consistent, vertically aligned reading instruction: \"We have to bring something together, so we aren't so disjointed, K to 12. Our teachers haven't talked a lot about what's happening in other buildings.\" He and curriculum staff said the new program will be paired with a multi-session professional-development plan before full classroom rollout.

Board discussion and dissent: Several board members and teachers urged caution. Board member Michael Fitzgerald asked for more time and more options; one teacher who submitted written comments compared the process to choosing between \"Burger King or McDonald's\" and said staff wanted more choices. Trustee John Zitzke voted against the final motion and said he'd prefer more testing of alternatives before committing district funds.

Implementation and follow-up: District curriculum staff and building leaders said training dates are already scheduled in March, April and May and that further coaching and summer professional development will follow. Doctor Howell, director of curriculum, said the plan is to align classroom practice to standards and provide follow-up coaching for teachers. Administrators told the board they will present implementation milestones to the board in the summer and early fall, and staff asked for explicit measures that will show whether the program is improving outcomes.

Board action: The board approved items related to the curriculum package (motions covering implementation steps c through i on the agenda) and later approved the specific contract item for the adopted program. Supporters emphasized professional development and monitoring; opponents urged ongoing review and asked for measurable benchmarks to be reported back to the board.

Next steps: District staff said they will present an implementation timeline and professional-development schedule, and report progress to the board after the first year of implementation. If measurable gains do not appear over the agreed monitoring period, board members indicated they will reconsider the approach.

","The Pleasant Valley School District voted to adopt HMH Into Reading for elementary ELA instruction after a multi-month review of several programs; board supporters said implementation and professional development will determine success, while some staff and community members urged more time and options.",{"_33":113,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":114,"_41":115,"_43":116,"_45":117,"_47":118,"_49":119,"_51":120,"_53":121,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":122,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":123,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6304604,"Board approves MOU resolving staffing dispute; students to be dismissed early May 27 with staff compensation provisions",116,4846000,4962000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2458891-c68b1ab504516b66793efe2a6b52f0c6&start=4846&end=4962","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2458891-c68b1ab504516b66793efe2a6b52f0c6/thumbnail_4846000.jpg","/articles/6304604/Pennsylvania/Board-approves-MOU-resolving-staffing-dispute-students-to-be-dismissed-early-May-27-with-staff-compensation-provisions","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6304604-beeabe64cf8b3747e740b340478dc1c5/orig.mp4?Expires=1770440118&Signature=GBz62VFdL63dm9bHqueo1BDyEGZuvBsZZyciWASkitKA-XWboxQj-7WyNbR3DlrLTyEXJMxK7v12Ib0-1iC~DXLqsX1MovF~fUm7TL2fnnfPoSNumUmlxbeM47PWncIy4gdKZbLSNJBdE0ayp3JYBvtSiz67iX401TJQddK4sQTb8d3YA4QixVLvYeyd5GHSGVSvFwSg6avQSKj9t8TbYKR6OrurkQsBEiMAzdTnkY85di3JD~6n7~PqeBsbLG-Pdln9eH6-0PAqWpGw3zBIlDg8nNS-WRECGAP3EWNtqDksY7q8-j6qMETyMELh8nHjO80A8RwxH7wp7rgmXVR85g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The board approved a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the district and staff that resolves a dispute tied to scheduling and compensation. The MOU provides a designated early-dismissal day for students (May 27) coupled with financial compensation to address a long-standing matter raised by staff.

Context and discussion: Board members discussed whether the district had followed the collective-bargaining agreement; administrators said the MOU is a mutual resolution to a continuing matter and not an admission of contract breach. \"I don't see that as being the case here,\" an administration representative said in response to a trustee's suggestion that the contract had not been followed; administration described the MOU as a negotiated settlement.

Why it matters: Trustees asked for clarity because the MOU alters schedules and includes financial elements intended to make staff whole without protracted arbitration. Several trustees sought to ensure there was no precedent of unilateral contract changes.

Board action and next steps: The board approved the MOU by voice vote. Administration said they would continue to work with association representatives and would implement the early-dismissal schedule for students and the compensation arrangements described in the MOU.","Pleasant Valley approved a memorandum of understanding that resolves a labor grievance by providing an early student dismissal day May 27 and related compensation in lieu of back-pay calculations; the board approved the agreement after administrators described it as a mutual settlement.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Board hears audit and finance questions: CCA spending figures, Fox Rothschild bills and returning charter students

District to pilot Google Gemini for teachers only; administrators set 60 licenses under grant

Board approves five-year Seneca Valley agreement for cyber services; public raises quality and oversight concerns

Pleasant Valley board adopts HMH 'Into Reading' after monthslong review

Board approves MOU resolving staffing dispute; students to be dismissed early May 27 with staff compensation provisions