[{"_1":2,"_100":-5,"_101":-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],{"_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",6227965,"mediaKeyId","3478244-fec4ee6ddf68e00c14999933edbc213e","parentId",3478244,"title","Public commenter urges more African American history in Woodland Hills curriculum","audioSeconds",162,"startMs",4510000,"endMs",4672000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3478244-fec4ee6ddf68e00c14999933edbc213e&start=4510&end=4672","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3478244-fec4ee6ddf68e00c14999933edbc213e/thumbnail_4510000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6227965/Pennsylvania/Public-commenter-urges-more-African-American-history-in-Woodland-Hills-curriculum","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6227965-d8e3715a0e2b8c92358b2b16d06726bb/orig.mp4?Expires=1771142034&Signature=MuIIW3oFMr-x-~U-hgO-9aBblpq3zM-cIFY7pTEx~C-vHjX85AYiQTAqsIKFBCPgySC7ZAK0xictM92Bv9foG-N3LkMXJ1LWuJm0OxcD5uF64RbSCoVD0aEe4MWIO9LTw3RogmNsJJSKEGQH4A2VU4Uv5dNV6PUw8BZlwj3IJrp9U67cfNUJRzFYKqnASst8yXoIhUcSyTqKd1wot~CZEkoeqCekMLO9NmWt26pXFQdLg5wYL3HLvNEHoVLvvxWM3F9Wl-iupaxX4z3Q3gMi7Pqo6WzoupuZBqWP0nXgXFafqYFGb6Wl5IXPLbY3aefmdOeneULCi6X4BZYp1OhDBw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Woodland Hills School District","date","2025-05-24T00:55:54.843Z","article","During public comment at the Woodland Hills School District board meeting on May 21, a resident urged the district to add African American history across grades K-12 and said current curriculum choices reflect a \"maladjusted\" approach to the needs of the student body.

The speaker said the curriculum director's response so far showed \"apathy towards improving the curriculum by infusing African American history, which is American history, K through 12.\" The commenter, who identified previous service on the board for the period January 2022'December 2023, said the district's student population has shifted and that curriculum change should follow to better serve students and address broader community needs.

The board did not take formal action on the comment during the meeting. Directors heard the speaker but did not announce an immediate agenda item to respond. The district's public comment record shows the concern was registered and will be part of ongoing curriculum discussions; staff previously referenced the district's future-ready index and ongoing reporting obligations when describing curricular work.

Residents who want to see district curriculum changes were advised to follow up with the superintendent's office and curriculum staff to request specific materials or proposals for board consideration.

","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","WHSD Legislative Meeting 5/21/2025","oneSentenceSummary","A community member used the meeting's public-comment period to urge the district to infuse African American history throughout K-12 curriculum, saying current materials do not meet student and community needs.","taxTitle","Woodland Hills SD, School Districts, Pennsylvania","taxId",38760,"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},6227967,"Woodland Hills spotlights expansion of VEX robotics, \"future ready\" student leadership and district AI plans",1866,1766000,3632000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3478244-fec4ee6ddf68e00c14999933edbc213e&start=1766&end=3632","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3478244-fec4ee6ddf68e00c14999933edbc213e/thumbnail_1766000.jpg","/articles/6227967/Pennsylvania/Woodland-Hills-spotlights-expansion-of-VEX-robotics-future-ready-student-leadership-and-district-AI-plans","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6227967-74006fee5a7120993e6fa1d36ea2ca59/orig.mp4?Expires=1771142034&Signature=gNCr8vk0EjfOYC04NLuhpAseXphJN0jwm7OjAJUn8J3pPUQ8xBtzL~RC5-3kj456i1VVwwCqYfINk3CyuVa~JTKm1Tlr2xl2ZoR5Y34N28Pxkwd0YvhFKkCrgFVyTv--~-J-MnmxeUAbB18u3AVHWlUsqUNN8uu2xY48iddyopQ-5fTA5N~o6Y2MO1nyEs6HWU5synK7iV2O5uVIcI5y1S~-lEzRAY8f2wpuL63fWU4BvZixhRO3ThRW9QtwqhRMT6Yi~EOdsqFWBKORZlHSfd3vkxIi2LEwRCAYtjnSQRJ67KkmRepxiAkNN7FXG2uXKw-C~D6hq~nKV6SCToIwcw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Students from Woodland Hills High School and district staff presented the Future Ready Leaders project and a district STEM update at the May 21 board meeting, showcasing near-peer mentorship, regional field trips and plans to broaden coding and AI education across grades K-12.

Kevin McGuire, the high-school librarian who co-leads the Future Ready Leaders team, said the program seeks to make the district's state-required future-ready reporting meaningful and student-driven. \"How do we make sure what we do at Woodland Hills prepares students for when they leave Woodland Hills?\" McGuire asked at the microphone, describing a year-long project that asked students to evaluate programming and design a peer-mentoring initiative for Dixon STEAM Academy eighth-graders.

Students described their project work and what they learned. Jordan Parsons, a senior, said participation helped him \"come out of my shell senior year\" and inspired him to pursue teaching. Student teams handled planning, marketing, surveys and small-group visits; they also organized field trips to Penn State Greater Allegheny, UPMC facilities, the Bricklayers Union training site and Chatham University to expose students to a range of careers.

Tina Dietrich, director of team and innovation, updated the board on VEX Robotics and district STEAM goals. Dietrich said the district's VEX program recently sent teams to Worlds, and the district intends to expand coding, computer science and AI education into lower grades. \"We're gonna look at bringing in AI...we want to bring that down into the elementary schools as well,\" Dietrich said, noting an executive order promoting K-12 AI education and that VEX has released an AI-enhanced platform the district plans to pilot.

Administrators and teachers described concrete next steps: establishing a cross-grade teacher team to craft a three-year STEAM plan, seeking community and alumni partnerships (Dietrich named Mitsubishi and local engineering alumni as partners), increasing club and competition opportunities, and exploring an activity period at the middle school so students can practice robotics and STEAM skills without sacrificing after-school activities.

McGuire and staff also noted that Goodwill and the Consortium for Public Education worked with the students; the district said those partners helped arrange work-experience pay for some student participants through Department of Labor connections. Board members praised the student presentations and the district's efforts to broaden participation; one administrator described VEX Worlds as \"the Super Bowl of robotics.\" District staff said they intend to continue the program and expand elementary-team participation next year.

The board took no formal action on curriculum changes; the presentation was informational. Administrators said they will continue summer planning and engagement with teachers and community partners to implement the STEAM expansion and will report back to the board on pilot results.

","Students and staff presented the Future Ready Leaders project and district STEM leaders outlined plans to expand VEX robotics, coding, AI education and partnerships. Presenters described field trips, near-peer mentorship with eighth graders and growing elementary VEX participation.",{"_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},6227972,"Woodland Hills board approves tax increase and posts proposed 2025-26 budget after divided votes",493,6827000,7320000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3478244-fec4ee6ddf68e00c14999933edbc213e&start=6827&end=7320","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3478244-fec4ee6ddf68e00c14999933edbc213e/thumbnail_6827000.jpg","/articles/6227972/Pennsylvania/Woodland-Hills-board-approves-tax-increase-and-posts-proposed-2025-26-budget-after-divided-votes","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6227972-7d1e29d4fefbaffc122161ffe2ae080f/orig.mp4?Expires=1771142034&Signature=d7V~dxbirUzCocEov2-zkw2Bo2~wjD5cAplffFS~jlZEKhGIyNnGSOTb80RXvn4bvtf94YWeyoPmTZDYdQISOvKSyWOsJgwhPOsOu4Bghy~EXzGJEvvXA6S79g71uzqSbpzgv3kQQDz7OtwbnUi94pI17tAoyiq1z96DvjoUGPhLznJxWGOhDaFhvQFZot-kTXWZvcVQ~ImTHO1LrQwk589RptuumK5LSunUQhsaWyR1oRaBd5hq8S3bQhlxT1jOe5bhRLfO-ZjwOBKzjF8qo0fayJcFcaMfBw9Qmz7xH6Yhigx8Sz-cRUYAaHpXwytt2bYIJPAPWzCh1O0flKtrkQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Woodland Hills School District Board of School Directors voted on May 21 to raise the district's tax rate and to approve a proposed final general-fund budget for 2025-26, moves administrators said are needed to close a multi-million-dollar revenue gap.

Board Secretary Jill Regan, who presented the tax and budget analysis, said the district is asking the board to set its millage at the top of the index, a 1.33-mill increase, to stabilize revenue amid falling assessed values and lower-than-budgeted collections. \"That means 10,626 taxpayers are paying an average of $6.33 a month; 11,913 taxpayers are paying an average increase of $10.50 a month,\" Regan said, describing the effect on the typical homeowner by comparing last year's average tax bill to the proposed rate.

Regan told directors the district faced two revenue losses: a roughly $929,000 shortfall between budgeted and actual collections this year and a drop in assessed value that reduced revenue by roughly $736,000. Without the millage increase, Regan said the district would face an additional estimated $2.16 million shortfall; the combined effect, she argued, would leave the district more than $4.2 million behind the prior budget baseline.

Board members debated the items before voting. The tax levy motion passed 6-1. A separate vote to approve the proposed final general fund budget for 2025-26 passed 5-2; the board will advertise the proposed budget and return for final action after the 30-day public review period. The proposed budget will be available for public inspection as required by state law.

Not all directors supported the budget motion. One director said the district needs improved financial transparency before approving major fiscal actions, telling colleagues she had requested financial documents and audit materials that she said were not provided and that she therefore could not make an informed decision; she said she would vote against the budget.

Regan and other administrators also explained several technical elements that affect families: the homestead exclusion, differences among bargaining-unit calendars (Act 93, 183/187/260/211-day work schedules), and that graduation dates and parent-teacher conference dates are labeled \"subject to change\" to allow the district to meet state-required instructional hours if emergency closures occur.

The board's votes:
- Tax levy/millage increase (proposed to top allowable index; increase of 1.33 mills): approved 6-1.
- Proposed final general-fund budget for 2025-26 (to be advertised for 30-day public inspection): approved 5-2.

The board president said the proposed budget would be posted and that the board will hold the statutorily required final vote after the public comment period. Administrators cautioned that federal and state funding streams remain uncertain and that ESSER relief dollars have expired, increasing unpredictability for next year.

The board also approved several routine finance motions during the meeting, including bill lists and p-card reports; those passed by majority votes recorded in the minutes.

Directors urged residents with questions about tax or budget impacts to review the proposed budget when it is posted and to bring questions to the upcoming public review period.

Looking ahead, the board will return to finalize the budget after the required public posting and comment window; the millage rate set on May 21 will be used for advertising and the 30-day review process.

","The Woodland Hills School District board adopted a millage increase and approved a proposed final 2025-26 general fund budget after debate over transparency and taxpayer impact. The millage vote passed 6-1; the proposed budget passed 5-2 and will be advertised for public review.","actionData","errors"]

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Public commenter urges more African American history in Woodland Hills curriculum

Woodland Hills spotlights expansion of VEX robotics, "future ready" student leadership and district AI plans

Woodland Hills board approves tax increase and posts proposed 2025-26 budget after divided votes