[{"_1":2,"_98":-5,"_99":-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",[32,74,86],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":44,"_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":55,"_73":55},"mediaId",6247231,"mediaKeyId","3213237-7497d5c685ea08eefaf316b6a9d8cb5f","parentId",3213237,"title","Board debates bus delays, driver shortage and contract terms; no immediate vote taken","audioSeconds",0,"startMs",4196000,"endMs","viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3213237-7497d5c685ea08eefaf316b6a9d8cb5f&start=4196&end=4196","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3213237-7497d5c685ea08eefaf316b6a9d8cb5f/thumbnail_4196000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6247231/Pennsylvania/Board-debates-bus-delays-driver-shortage-and-contract-terms-no-immediate-vote-taken","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6247231-044e731eb70acb9d41f47fa9a4686161/orig.mp4?Expires=1771159092&Signature=bm4pKiKvTJba4NFQoh1IMx~Gf--6tCDzF1TW0vnYcr~wTKVElooNC39uEnXeIlYyohoB-3TSnilCU4Nn8EUkcHmkjiG3V8-F7N~x0V7MowxoDKt3nRlDTV8etEFUo-dKyFLrlSheFE3mEzs6cw0U0trhsGAmZqa76qVIaK1TZPHc6ovAOsN5enNPiSjnonXeyln8UI2xNoKr-zRHYktURewT28m9W-AOYAv1SA0GJAvMnRwKnC8w9S6fUe72jEKWEMvxUDBSwDKkS0DuslVWgY-0b3v-gDfuf6F0bNaWkulMaNqSNpaMIxuhlKvF5Xwewn9aFZbsZ--BhSrlv4N52Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","","date","2025-05-07T16:52:50.32Z","article","Board members pressed district transportation staff and discussed contractor practices Monday after repeated reports of late buses and long student ride times.

Several board members described afternoon drop‑offs as late as 4:30–4:45 p.m. for elementary students and said some morning routes arrive 25–30 minutes behind schedule. Members noted split routes and the nationwide bus‑driver shortage as contributing factors.

Board members asked staff to press the contractor about staffing, scheduling and the use of older vehicles. A board member said the district had previously negotiated language to limit vehicle age to 10 years but that an extension had been granted for one year; staff said vehicles in service must pass inspection. Staff also said transportation contractors have sometimes used senior staff to fill routes and that the contractor’s ownership has occasionally driven routes themselves to cover gaps.

Board members suggested the district pursue creative short‑term measures — including recruiting district staff or teachers who are certified to drive buses, and requesting specific bus route numbers when reporting incidents — to reduce delays while the district continues addressing staffing shortages with the contractor.

Transportation and contract items were discussed as part of the meeting’s consent and contract agenda; no specific new motion or board vote on the transportation contract was recorded in the meeting excerpt.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","May 5, 2025, STSD School Board Meeting","oneSentenceSummary","Board members raised persistent student bus‑route delays and staff shortages during the meeting, pressing district leaders and transportation representatives about late drop‑offs, split routes and contract provisions for vehicle age and overtime.","taxTitle","Susquehanna Township SD, School Districts, Pennsylvania","taxId",60620,"location","Pennsylvania","headline","shortSummary",{"_33":75,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":76,"_41":77,"_43":78,"_45":79,"_46":80,"_48":81,"_50":82,"_52":83,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":84,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":85,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":71,"_72":55,"_73":55},6247237,"District outlines short‑ and long‑term plan for rising enrollment; Deer Path purchase part of strategy",1594,2670000,4264000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3213237-7497d5c685ea08eefaf316b6a9d8cb5f&start=2670&end=4264","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3213237-7497d5c685ea08eefaf316b6a9d8cb5f/thumbnail_2670000.jpg","/articles/6247237/Pennsylvania/District-outlines-short-and-longterm-plan-for-rising-enrollment-Deer-Path-purchase-part-of-strategy","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6247237-436f296c90b87e4e7df0f4532e1c561a/orig.mp4?Expires=1771159092&Signature=Elx9rzZkhkmHDFAXLhCj1WYkgqc-t5~gbCw7sCbki47uVChnHOPEI08i~pUdN9jkf6cZ2oIiE3QqlmlrovS3KWO~suyvUC1xG7s8aD10K99QcVPQzAszIR-Eev3MLWRLkgzWjCPHpiVEsy4YPvFZxSxj7Aq5dg~9VwlnCRK8lCl61K6UXyrIqumZZeUcTNWmTYi2T14aTqOQGVIm9f7nERQtqoksRyDflEeg3hbiGcPv1TYXScef4V2ybLARoMUBhuwcsoD79reU55rEJ9aDXRBjZZ8Ox-elXUJKGbXo9HSPpbraXDm8s~21RUtR5hhOgQEYazA~Td7RVCu8rsFPsw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Susquehanna Township School District officials presented a multi‑part plan Monday to address rapid enrollment growth that has pushed the district into temporary trailers and overcrowded classrooms.

The superintendent told the board the district has grown from about 2,600 students in 2017 to more than 3,100 today — a roughly 19% increase — driving the need for 20 temporary trailer classrooms and prompting a multi‑pronged strategy involving a short‑term facility purchase and a planned new school.

Administrators said the board-approved sale agreement for 4401 Deer Path Road (an office building near Thomas Holtzman Elementary) appears on the meeting agenda as part of the short‑term plan. Deer Path, district staff said, would be renovated to host district administration and program space and would allow the district to remove students from trailers at Thomas Holtzman and relieve some crowding at the middle school.

The district described a phased use of Deer Path: a locally run cyber‑program (to retain students who now attend outside cyber schools), an AEDY (alternative education for disruptive youth) or capital academy placement, and a diagnostic center for 45‑day placements. Staff said those programs could reduce out‑of‑district placements, allow the district to recoup costs by offering limited seats to other districts, and retain local funding that currently leaves the district.

Officials identified revenue and cost reasons for the plan: district staff said the district loses more than $4 million per year to charter and cyber providers and that operating an in‑district cyber program and diagnostic center could recover some of that funding. They also said the Deer Path purchase shortens the need to build administrative space on the Stanley Drive site and addresses community concerns about placing athletic fields there.

The district said it closed on 42 acres on Stanley Drive earlier this year and views that site as the long‑term location for a new school that would remove trailers districtwide. Administrators proposed a timeline: purchase Deer Path this spring, begin renovations over the summer, and occupy the Deer Path facility by the start of the 2026–27 school year, with a new school on Stanley Drive to follow if voters approve the EIT referendum.

The superintendent said the EIT referendum will appear on the Nov. 4 ballot; the district plans a public hearing on May 5, and staff said more presentations and community outreach will follow. Board members asked questions about capacity, timing, and the extent to which Deer Path could absorb elementary trailers; staff replied Deer Path would not eliminate all trailers but would meaningfully reduce overcrowding at Thomas Holtzman and the middle school.

No final board vote on the Deer Path purchase or the Stanley Drive build plan was recorded during this session; the sales agreement was noted as appearing on the agenda for consideration.","Superintendent presented a multi‑year plan to address enrollment growth — including purchase of 4401 Deer Path for temporary space, a planned new school on Stanley Drive and programs to generate revenue — and gave a proposed renovation timeline and occupancy target of fall 2026.",{"_33":87,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":88,"_41":89,"_43":90,"_45":91,"_46":92,"_48":93,"_50":94,"_52":95,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":96,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":97,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":71,"_72":55,"_73":55},6247242,"Susquehanna Township SD discusses PennWest dual‑enrollment partnership at reduced per‑credit rate",529,2188000,2717000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3213237-7497d5c685ea08eefaf316b6a9d8cb5f&start=2188&end=2717","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3213237-7497d5c685ea08eefaf316b6a9d8cb5f/thumbnail_2188000.jpg","/articles/6247242/Pennsylvania/Susquehanna-Township-SD-discusses-PennWest-dualenrollment-partnership-at-reduced-percredit-rate","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6247242-844cd5a3620daf6196ce1fe61fe5d472/orig.mp4?Expires=1771159092&Signature=fGu3ztczCgTOPMnr6MwkScgy4kKzvtBr~scACQE~WU306vb5FglmJOcOvpLMSrbMaFVAWW2GU~LJfqY4KRUEH8qxGtQBXMKpdxVoORN7FUMUXwwZFdWkDg648syCk~vuxTGJ88JpdVj3t33NngIiaYKUMNdaf9IeWV~vP~VzjEkg-EtRGIiN7XGkUHkjPqr4n1NI5FXR0cKOUPQ0ZCyq0ik6TqdYVBQS0mMPQnAAHB8YIJV5SBICgPtT4nKRqFVegkfjEaECY4fgKoyVhIQQTfA5swUyhR-vys2flbMIaTDKC0bZkDG7EyqkomAAofmf4IX9exrFIDJsSBgTcUt-Eg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Susquehanna Township School District officials outlined a proposed dual‑enrollment agreement with Pennsylvania Western University (PennWest) that would offer credit courses to eligible high school students at roughly $75 per credit, a district presenter said Monday during the board meeting.

District staff told the board the PennWest option would be significantly cheaper than some existing partners and could expand access to college credit for juniors and seniors and, in limited cases, qualified sophomores.

The presenter said PennWest offers asynchronous online classes plus some on‑campus options at its western Pennsylvania campuses. Officials compared the cost to the district’s other partnerships — citing roughly $125 per credit at HACC and about $200 per credit at Harrisburg University — and said the lower rate would produce savings for families and the district. The presenter also said PennWest lists more than 50 in‑person and online course options.

Board members asked about course weighting, transferability and timing. Board member Mr. Archer said college courses already receive different weight than non‑honors high school classes and confirmed that would apply to PennWest credits. The presenter said PennWest requires students to be juniors or seniors to enroll, with sophomores eligible under certain admissions conditions and typically a 3.0 GPA requirement for those exceptions.

District staff said summer sessions at PennWest run in six‑week blocks and that previously started sessions may limit immediate summer enrollment; they said the second summer session typically begins in June. The district also said it will continue discussions about a possible summer bridge or cohort model to introduce students to campus settings.

Superintendent and staff members said they plan to pursue foundation scholarships to cover dual‑enrollment fees for students who cannot afford them, and that they will continue conversations with the district foundation about funding pathways.

The proposed partnership was presented for discussion and is scheduled to appear on a future agenda for formal approval. No board vote on the PennWest agreement was recorded in the meeting record presented Monday.

If approved, staff said they would notify families and publish enrollment steps and deadlines once the agreement and operational details are finalized.","School officials presented a proposed dual‑enrollment partnership with Pennsylvania Western University (PennWest) offering courses at about $75 per credit and discussed eligibility, online options and possible foundation scholarships.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Board debates bus delays, driver shortage and contract terms; no immediate vote taken

District outlines short‑ and long‑term plan for rising enrollment; Deer Path purchase part of strategy

Susquehanna Township SD discusses PennWest dual‑enrollment partnership at reduced per‑credit rate