[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_25":26},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5},"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","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_27":28,"_29":30},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[31,75,87,99],{"_32":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":73},"mediaId",6567082,"mediaKeyId","3195375-6c3d3703c8730174871eb4aae2e4f2c9","parentId",3195375,"title","Board review: new K–5 math, middle‑school ELA and STEM course plans; several curricular resources recommended for approval","audioSeconds",3243,"startMs",3262000,"endMs",6505000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3195375-6c3d3703c8730174871eb4aae2e4f2c9&start=3262&end=6505","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3195375-6c3d3703c8730174871eb4aae2e4f2c9/thumbnail_3262000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6567082/Pennsylvania/Board-review-new-K5-math-middleschool-ELA-and-STEM-course-plans-several-curricular-resources-recommended-for-approval","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6567082-c902e466aa32d80fe2b8c2142b333a12/orig.mp4?Expires=1769823023&Signature=nOjt~xtG4ldW2sUSuZZb31zGmkS9UdxG-w9WMg2C10zIPJq4pyBIzJP7rV6dgAqeXiS0YBH3NHhE6eBcuo3FWijHnHmLQXL1WjnbEDHPmSx6pHaZRklbmw~QZAmlUNviyBid2kYBuDWQMJPGm4gheshX9rBevheGDZjlVm8xkWPLIAr~EQdcxR-8xvmtH5zmGm7hANKyTYiQqFBAH4C3ruKuw9nVFG0wesclH58zVvQSiy9aYAvyZJ2KwzjWzX~o1aNbKADPG84EHe1xnxDcnWL3HVGljupBEBIOVNd9kk-ey6O7Qcy3v6N4WAZ4~4TUC-Szi281D0-uxQIAE4Kuww__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Perkiomen Valley School District","date","2025-05-06T01:36:19.453Z","article","District curriculum staff presented several instructional recommendations and resource pilots the board will act on at a forthcoming meeting or has recommended for approval.

What administrators presented
- Elementary music: Teachers piloted two resources. Natalie Renko, the district’s humanities curriculum supervisor, said staff recommend Musicplay for grades K–2 and Essential Elements (which includes NoteFlight composition tools and supports band/orchestra) for upper elementary so general music teachers have age‑appropriate materials across K–5.

- PebbleGo: District librarians recommended extending the PebbleGo informational database license for three more years; administrators said usage reports show sustained teacher and student engagement and that PebbleGo supplies audio read‑alouds, vocabulary supports and lesson plans.

- Middle‑school ELA: Middle‑school English teams piloted two programs and recommended Into Literature (HMH) for grades 6–8 because of teacher‑rated ease of use, assessment tools, differentiated supports and continuity with Into Reading used in K–5.

- New/expanded high‑school courses: The district is adding AP African American Studies (using a College Board‑approved textbook already used in the district’s black history course) and proposed a printmaking elective; administrators said the printmaking course may run only if minimum enrollment thresholds are met and additional materials costs will be sought if the class runs.

- K–5 math and middle school math resources: The STEM/curriculum team recommended a refreshed K–5 math curriculum and proposed adopting i‑Ready for K–5 (to align vertically with the middle‑school i‑Ready use). Administrators said i‑Ready provides a diagnostic three times per year, personalized learning pathways, built‑in progress monitoring and included professional learning supports. The team recommended a four‑year i‑Ready contract for K–5 to create continuity. For high‑school math, staff proposed continuing/adding Mathematic (open online lessons with paid assessment access) for alignment across Algebra 1 through Precalculus; they recommended a one‑year Desmos license for targeted high‑school activities.

- STEM / Project Lead The Way replacement: Curriculum leaders said they had written a new high‑school STEM course to replace the district’s prior Project Lead The Way pathway; the new course covers simple machines, fluid power, electricity, robotics, artificial intelligence and automation aligned to Pennsylvania Science Technology and Engineering (STEE) standards and includes engineering practices and systems thinking.

Why it matters: administrators said the recommendations are intended to create a guaranteed, vertically coherent curriculum from elementary through middle school, improve assessment and progress monitoring, and provide more consistent instructional supports for diverse learners. Several directors asked about pilot and vendor vetting processes after the board described past experiences with digital platforms; administrators said they will refine the pilot and evaluation timeline and consult neighboring districts that have used the products.

Next steps
Most of the curriculum adoptions will be brought to the board for formal approval at the district’s next action meeting; administrators also said they will provide usage reports, pilot rubrics and cost breakdowns for the recommended purchases.

Ending: The board discussed costs and the need for careful vendor evaluation and agreed to review detailed cost and implementation plans before final contract approvals.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","5/5/2025 PVSD School Board Work Session and Finance Committee Meeting","oneSentenceSummary","District curriculum staff recommended multiple resource and course updates including K–5 math (proposal to adopt i‑Ready), Into Literature for grades 6–8, new AP coursework and a newly written high‑school STEM course.","taxTitle","Perkiomen Valley SD, School Districts, Pennsylvania","taxId",78390,"location","Pennsylvania","headline","","shortSummary",{"_32":76,"_34":35,"_36":37,"_38":77,"_40":78,"_42":79,"_44":80,"_46":81,"_48":82,"_50":83,"_52":84,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":85,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":86,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":71,"_72":73,"_74":73},6567087,"Superintendent recommends pausing proposed grade‑level realignment after public feedback",400,3483000,3883000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3195375-6c3d3703c8730174871eb4aae2e4f2c9&start=3483&end=3883","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3195375-6c3d3703c8730174871eb4aae2e4f2c9/thumbnail_3483000.jpg","/articles/6567087/Pennsylvania/Superintendent-recommends-pausing-proposed-gradelevel-realignment-after-public-feedback","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6567087-913d34b394f02955a95d0d87d738beb8/orig.mp4?Expires=1769823023&Signature=CbrgixO2Q~8l1yUHQtOo4Nw24eTNINN~PEiZY373XKiqf5NUht4VMAS1Kjngv6E5qUM39Js8p7Jc8csBLmrnd87bnPbOswL1jWM5Dd0R-d~nXkWSp6Ntu7WW~~bfefw1CROXI5gkH~4tTS6IFGAZcB3f6dCXDabc7hAOysy0auXqgb2xUb7bJfW6YqcrrJ9SARTU~Sx5LR~EBXAvfH-eDjdI2a0EniAR5GaSgLNodkirB~8bvTyX93NvN3mG5n2g1rzEkngggo7eoPWANsdhzArzl8UetN-pZGLJagteSmcgCS0n4z3mP3WGLmRF8JWAqvXhCtPvwrkGPE01NXyjow__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Perkiomen Valley School District Superintendent Dr. Russell recommended the board pause plans for a proposed grade‑level realignment after months of staff study and public discussion.

Dr. Russell said the administrative team and district staff had examined several alignment options — including creating a 5–6 intermediate school at West and a 7–8 middle school at East — with the stated goals of improving program cohesion and making more efficient use of building space. But after multiple public forums and board conversations, Dr. Russell said the community reaction raised operational and equity questions that exceed the district’s current readiness to implement the changes.

\"At this time, my recommendation to the board is that we pause these conversations and this realignment of grade levels,\" Dr. Russell told directors.

Why it matters: the realignment was proposed in part to address localized space constraints at one elementary school, to consolidate specialized programs and to create more consistent programming for middle‑level students. Supporters cited potential instructional and special‑education efficiencies; opponents raised concerns about longer travel for families, more transitions for some students, sibling separation across buildings and reduced extracurricular opportunities for seventh‑ and eighth‑grade students.

Board and administration overview
Dr. Russell said the administrative team supported the idea in principle — citing potential benefits such as unified programming and concentrated specialized staff — but concluded the district and community are not yet sufficiently ready for a near‑term shift. She recalled earlier, long‑running facility and scheduling discussions and offered the example of block scheduling as a concept that took many years to gain community acceptance.

Board members thanked administrators for conducting public forums and acknowledged the differing viewpoints. One director said the transparent public engagement produced useful information that will help shape future facility and program work.

Next steps
Dr. Russell asked the board to pause the realignment proposal and instead direct administration to continue evaluating facility utilization, student transition supports and programming needs for specialized learners as part of the district’s ongoing comprehensive plan work. The district will continue to examine ways to address the elementary school space constraint referenced by staff and to consider other operational changes that do not involve full grade‑span realignment.

Ending: The board did not vote to adopt a grade‑level change at the meeting; administrators will return with further analysis and recommendations as they continue to review facilities, enrollment projections and program needs.","After months of public engagement and internal study, Perkiomen Valley superintendent told the board she recommends pausing the proposed grade‑level realignment; administrators cited community concerns about travel distances, additional transitions and extracurricular impacts.",{"_32":88,"_34":35,"_36":37,"_38":89,"_40":90,"_42":91,"_44":92,"_46":93,"_48":94,"_50":95,"_52":96,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":97,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":98,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":71,"_72":73,"_74":73},6567092,"Study: Perkiomen Valley enrollment projected to decline about 8–10% over 10 years under baseline scenarios",1431,2213000,3644000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3195375-6c3d3703c8730174871eb4aae2e4f2c9&start=2213&end=3644","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3195375-6c3d3703c8730174871eb4aae2e4f2c9/thumbnail_2213000.jpg","/articles/6567092/Pennsylvania/Study-Perkiomen-Valley-enrollment-projected-to-decline-about-810-over-10-years-under-baseline-scenarios","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6567092-8a082e51aad6d68be6b1c180965d9ca2/orig.mp4?Expires=1769823023&Signature=BhK9T9rNq21Tq655lPe0eFnvyWmgS1zrlYAm5r2CS7j5VcpncjYhzHe9CjUbdpBKhPVBZiLREoxaEPxzBgh8VS2POOXyvUTM8CILseKaQjWLRlQCtbRWGQrFhCy7QDfCWLjTGJK-VocC4tYmNUv6GJkTON8rldI~Xc3QcJ6ZM4oMozCvb6THAhlMrrM8SfUzVyBxLGSbj0cRhAJ7msNwEtXzxtusc0sSkxGlCAW4AdQVsGp5xMya39V6WnZ0SFnnTZ-XhtoAtfKl7gfeCZ7dtwoWoOH142Mr3RAvya50gAkelRkok4e~RvRMFGSIK-WmxIqP5E3BHt0FoqRLH8JdXw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Perkiomen Valley School District officials heard an updated enrollment study from the Montgomery County Planning Commission on the district’s current population trends, housing activity and 10‑year enrollment projections.

The study, presented by Anne Liebeck Gruber and David Greenberg, used a cohort‑progression method that combines recent birth totals, current rosters, housing construction and sales data to model several scenarios. Gruber and Greenberg told the school board the district currently enrolls about 4,684 students and that, under the study’s baseline assumptions, total enrollment would fall to roughly 4,200–4,250 students in about 10 years — a decline in the neighborhood of 9–10 percent.

Why it matters: district leaders said the projections inform long‑range facility and program planning as the district considers grade‑level configurations and services for specialized learners. The study found that adding full‑day kindergarten and modest new housing will slow the decline but not fully offset it; the Planning Commission estimated pending housing activity could add roughly 50–100 students over the next 5–10 years.

Key findings and methods
Gruber and Greenberg said the commission used standard cohort‑progression techniques and a mix of local data sources, including Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission (DVRPC) population projections, county birth records and county property‑sale records. The presenters noted that birth data are reported with a lag of about a year and that American Community Survey estimates carry sampling uncertainty.

The commission offered three scenarios: a baseline that holds future birth rates roughly steady; a higher‑birth alternative; and a baseline plus a housing adjustment that counts units in active land‑development pipelines. All three scenarios show a downward trend in total K‑12 enrollment. The presenters also highlighted a possible short‑term blip in kindergarten enrollments because pandemic‑era birth spikes have begun to enter the school‑age population.

Full‑day kindergarten: the presenters also reviewed national and peer‑district evidence that shifting to full‑day kindergarten typically increases kindergarten enrollment (the presenters cited research showing kindergarten rosters can rise by roughly 20 percent after a switch) and may slightly reduce the number of first‑time first‑grade entrants. For Perkiomen Valley, administrators said the district’s initial full‑day kindergarten year produced a larger birth‑to‑kindergarten ratio than historical averages; the study incorporated that effect in its “higher kindergarten enrollment” variant.

Housing, sales and student yields
The presentation reviewed recent new‑construction patterns and student yields by housing type. New single‑family detached units remain the largest producer of students (about one student per new single‑family household in the region), while multifamily units typically yield fewer students per unit. The commission reported roughly 50–60 students per year coming from new construction in the district during recent years, with concentrated development in pockets such as Meadow Glen and some age‑restricted units in Skippack Township.

Board reaction and next steps
Superintendent Dr. Russell and board members said the study will be used alongside the district’s comprehensive plan and operational planning. Gruber and Greenberg told the board they will deliver a final written report after the presenters make minor text edits to the draft provided to directors.

Provenance: The board heard the presentation and received the draft slide deck during the meeting; Planning Commission staff answered board questions and described the projection scenarios. The presenters offered the study’s final report to the district once minor drafting work is completed.

Ending: The district will keep the study as one input among several for decisions about facilities, staffing and program design going forward; board members asked administration to incorporate the projections into any future facility or grade‑span proposals.","A Montgomery County Planning Commission enrollment study presented to the Perkiomen Valley School District projects declining overall enrollment over the next decade under several scenarios; full‑day kindergarten and modest housing growth could slow but not reverse the decline.",{"_32":100,"_34":35,"_36":37,"_38":101,"_40":102,"_42":103,"_44":104,"_46":105,"_48":106,"_50":107,"_52":108,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":109,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":110,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":71,"_72":73,"_74":73},6567077,"Board approves preliminary 2025–26 budget and authorizes $300,000 draw from unassigned fund balance",1441,6848000,8289000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3195375-6c3d3703c8730174871eb4aae2e4f2c9&start=6848&end=8289","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3195375-6c3d3703c8730174871eb4aae2e4f2c9/thumbnail_6848000.jpg","/articles/6567077/Pennsylvania/Board-approves-preliminary-202526-budget-and-authorizes-300000-draw-from-unassigned-fund-balance","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6567077-0ad464ed4aa0f09e99bb6b8dc1c13174/orig.mp4?Expires=1769823023&Signature=cxuc3hlyCUze11YuILMN~DM1uDej8Oa40JGhjddFJz2TPttj~hwLCr9S4GEZFcZLWMNpeYD9sZ32YZdDihOBYHgTtuCN3ahtzOyblq5YLL~x~e2ebEfl~HT00VaKTHVqolsmUd8iICU90tYTGr-5Vs~wHxVBgo7VvVbmZA5I5Go-iqQc004~r5e6CXimpyB-9x9N0Oww9UmgDKGWu18zl5nmWdw8qFvKEDcm6EGtHUJNqsD7UdQf60X2cd1n~BUGTO525k8D7-FRIaGn5z2L2n9yVJdD0jENw0UeW3KO5GpkipY8BxYdAUo-5Kj2LQbQQbFgi3OtDKxwTIQTXMXn-w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Perkiomen Valley School District board approved two finance motions: a $300,000 use of unassigned fund balance and preliminary adoption of the 2025–26 general fund budget.

Use of unassigned fund balance
Business officials presented updated projections showing the district’s projected unassigned fund balance at about $8.12 million before any planned uses. The finance presentation recommended using $300,000 of unassigned fund balance to help close the 2025–26 budget gap; doing so, presenters said, would leave an estimated unassigned fund balance at about 5.92 percent of next year’s projected expenditures.

The motion to use $300,000 passed on a roll call vote: Mr. Fountain — yes; Mr. Keenan — yes; Mr. Leggett — no; Mr. McKinney — yes; Dr. Sadler — yes; Mr. Sailor — no; Ms. White — yes. The board recorded the vote during the meeting’s finance section.

Preliminary general fund budget
The board then approved the district’s preliminary general fund budget for 2025–26 by voice vote. Administrators said the preliminary budget shows total general fund revenues and expenditures consistent with the district’s current revenue assumptions and an overall proposed tax effect of 3.79 percent. Administration presented an estimated shortfall figure and said the projection reflected a net expenditure adjustment of about $87,000 from the previous month’s projection (including a $117,000 downward adjustment due to final employee compensation assumptions and an added $30,000 for referee and tournament fees in specific athletics programs).

Officials provided the board with additional budget details: a preliminary general fund total near $133 million (presentation slides), an estimated average taxpayer assessed at $180,000 would see an annual tax increase of approximately $254 under the preliminary budget, and a projected $75,000 loss in the food service fund for 2024–25 that will be discussed at final budget action.

Why it matters: administration said keeping reserves near commonly recommended levels protects the district’s bond and cash‑flow position; board members who voted against using unassigned fund balance said they preferred holding the reserve at or above the 6 percent threshold if possible. District staff said investment interest movements and final state budget actions will be monitored and could change final reserve estimates before June’s final budget vote.

Next steps
The board’s vote approved only the preliminary budget; under state practice the district must adopt a final budget at its June meeting. Administration said it will continue to monitor revenues (including earned income tax and investment earnings) and expenditures, and will update directors before final adoption on June 9.

Ending: The board approved the two finance motions to allow the district to meet preliminary budget‑notice timelines; administration will return in June with final budget figures and any recommended adjustments.","The Perkiomen Valley board voted to use $300,000 from unassigned fund balance and approved a preliminary 2025–26 general fund budget with a 3.79% tax impact; administration said the action leaves estimated unassigned reserves at about 5.92 percent of expenditures.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Board review: new K–5 math, middle‑school ELA and STEM course plans; several curricular resources recommended for approval

Superintendent recommends pausing proposed grade‑level realignment after public feedback

Study: Perkiomen Valley enrollment projected to decline about 8–10% over 10 years under baseline scenarios

Board approves preliminary 2025–26 budget and authorizes $300,000 draw from unassigned fund balance