[{"_1":2,"_88":-5,"_89":-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],{"_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",6515800,"mediaKeyId","3846157-9110118d0194a13d1e6e3011885ae4cd","parentId",3846157,"title","Parents and students press Pennridge board for action on LGBTQ student safety; board notes Pride Month recognition","audioSeconds",1716,"startMs",1513000,"endMs",3229000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3846157-9110118d0194a13d1e6e3011885ae4cd&start=1513&end=3229","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3846157-9110118d0194a13d1e6e3011885ae4cd/thumbnail_1513000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6515800/Pennsylvania/Parents-and-students-press-Pennridge-board-for-action-on-LGBTQ-student-safety-board-notes-Pride-Month-recognition","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6515800-c7127c3d3610d4467bc6a2950bfe79c9/orig.mp4?Expires=1771134723&Signature=DZH62kSXRVU3Yjrckqrjp6hd5u6asqUByLApcaoDau3lFDq3ZlKkThgEJvt-MlOmn2~KjpY1qOKjCj8V8S6kmO1SH0EFfVWpXrI12y1Q0d-cjuJMWDAmwUPgPjBgBljow~8a7XqCGBwFCBb-Y2rmA1JwlxwPEbKp7F~HfpartB63XZ9Q13ogvie41S2WgnbDE2Atp70w1681pDMUgYRRmCnsnZMTiKKB37U4cdbI5hieU07LNCxjJ04qIyUi8pkqLynl8SHCEoyzheGWNAZC3TKOVwI-P5wutW-9hmltlnvv5mcx9eKdppmr5xf8dETNSWVqevInLDCT4mrqHXEDdw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Pennridge School District","date","2025-06-17T00:12:15.353Z","article","Several parents and community members used the public-comment portion of the Pennridge School Board's June meeting to urge stronger action to safeguard LGBTQ students and to press the board to make Pride Month more than a symbolic acknowledgment.

Laura Foster, identified in the record as a parent, told the board she was \"so sick of coming up here and asking for the absolute bare minimum\" and said the district continues to allow what she described as a hostile environment for queer students. Foster said a student she identified as \"Camille\" experienced harassment including slurs, threats and being targeted in school bathrooms; Foster said the student missed a semester and required residential treatment because of mental-health struggles connected to incidents at school. \"Policy doesn't change culture. You change culture,\" Foster said, urging the board to take action beyond calendars and statements.

Another parent, recorded in the transcript as Laura Easterico, described what she called personal significance in the district's acknowledgement of Pride Month and urged the board to keep listening to students. Several board members also offered remarks recognizing Pride Month and the need to hear directly from student groups.

Board member remarks during new business reiterated support for recognizing Pride Month while also expressing concern about heightened scrutiny and political debate. One director said acknowledging Pride Month \"is more than just a symbolic gesture. It's a powerful statement of respect, support, and acceptance to our students and staff\" but also cautioned that public attention can revive misinformation used in political debate at meetings. Another board member said meeting with the GSA provided helpful perspective and called for listening to students.

Why it matters: parents and students described incidents they say have harmed youth mental health and educational continuity. The public comments and board statements show the issue has moved beyond symbolic recognition at the district level into calls for actionable steps to change school culture and support harmed students.

What the record shows and does not: the transcript records multiple allegations and a parent's description of a student having to enter residential treatment. The board did not record a formal motion or vote to adopt new specific policies or programs addressing these allegations during the meeting. The district's current policies and specific remedial steps were referenced in discussion but not amended at this meeting.

Speakers in the public record: Tom Trotter (taxpayer), Laura Foster (parent), Laura Easterico (parent), and several board directors who spoke in the meeting about Pride Month and listening to student groups. The district's public-comment policy (Policy 903) was announced at the start of the comment period and guided time limits for speakers.

Next steps: callers said they will continue to press the board at future meetings. Board members encouraged continued dialogue with the GSA and students; no binding action was taken at this meeting to change district policy.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Monday, June 16th, 2025 - PSD School Board Meeting","oneSentenceSummary","Multiple parents and a student speaker told the Pennridge School Board the district should take stronger steps to protect LGBTQ students and move beyond symbolic recognition of Pride Month. Board members expressed support for listening to student groups while also noting concern about community backlash.","taxTitle","Pennridge SD, School Districts, Pennsylvania","taxId",51485,"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},6515805,"Pennridge board adopts $164.16 million budget, approves range of contracts and capital assessments",1413,2002000,3415000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3846157-9110118d0194a13d1e6e3011885ae4cd&start=2002&end=3415","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3846157-9110118d0194a13d1e6e3011885ae4cd/thumbnail_2002000.jpg","/articles/6515805/Pennsylvania/Pennridge-board-adopts-16416-million-budget-approves-range-of-contracts-and-capital-assessments","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6515805-9d0c1e485f22ba966d5bc4f7d57d2d96/orig.mp4?Expires=1771134723&Signature=Kxm1ItLX3WrodaFEstpu~l2UicLY5WA7X8ILJAzNX-rmxBMLExZbaCcfcMhnRnaL5mirUKRa7Xqfg5PBuEjNGen7-Gaoksq5r8Kb9Y~nbfWnSCrUmYzmj-QDrpay7qMBNtVHoRixrzKocGy3CvgENMw7A0-pvZCyw0kolZAxWjbP745I0Jnl428RZ~WrIwocrIkZrlGtwPNJD-qNtOn4jdusYDvMM2OUfOeoVHHfZ9pzxYB6OilZg9FxVNx86IehhqlaX81CdP5XmJmTlkGkwij6uwC83nXLS-mgoGsDt28F8q8MLQxhxCW~j-VYgl8BX5583jZUD-d3bL5JJYBZgA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Pennridge School Board on the evening of its June meeting approved a $164,159,239 general fund budget for fiscal year 2025-26 and passed a package of routine measures covering contracts, capital work and personnel.

The board approved the budget and a slate of related finance items, including a resolution for homestead and farmstead exclusions, the district's tax levies (earned-income, real-estate transfer and local services tax), installment dates for tax payments and the commitment of funds for year-end reporting. The meeting record shows the budget resolution passed (roll-call indicated a 5-4 result). The board also approved renewal quotes, contract renewals and multiple procurement and purchasing authorizations.

Board members said little during the formal votes; a board member thanked district business staff for their work in assembling the budget. No substantive amendments or extended debate on the budget were recorded in the transcript.

Key approvals and outcomes (motions presented and voted during the meeting):
- Consent calendar (items A through I): passed by voice vote.
- Obsolete books (items A through G): approved.
- Facilities: agreement with ICS to begin capital projects work (item 7b): approved.
- Facilities: authorization to begin a high-school campus assessment and related services (item 7c): approved.
- Facilities: approval to declare the South Middle School sound system and a set of laptops obsolete (item 7d and others): approved.
- Finance: approval of the fiscal-year 2025-26 general fund budget with revenues and expenditures listed in the motion as $164,159,239; the motion also referenced a real-estate millage figure in the record that was not clearly transcribed.
- Finance: approval to levy taxes (motion described the 1% earned-income tax, 0.5% real-estate transfer tax and a $5 local services tax): approved.
- Finance: approval of the homestead and farmstead exclusion resolution: approved.
- Finance: approval of installment dates (August 31 and December 15): approved.
- Finance: approval of the commitment of funds (items A through C): approved.
- Finance: renewal quotes presented by Willis Towers Watson: approved.
- Contracts: approval of contracts listed A through Q: approved.
- Bid awards: acceptance of award bid results A: approved.
- Student activities accounts (items A and B): approved.
- Bank depositories for FY2025-26 (items A through F): approved.
- Cooperative purchasing participation for FY2025-26 (items A through J): approved.
- School lunch/breakfast pricing for FY2025-26 (items A through G): approved; prices were unchanged from 2024-25, per the board record.
- Authorization to review and release end-of-year payments and bills payable through 06/30/2025: approved.
- Personnel committee motions: approval of about 15 job descriptions (cabinet/Act 93, school police officer, information technology and nutritional services job descriptions): approved.
- Personnel: memorandum of understanding with the Pennridge Education Association regarding planning time for full-day kindergarten teachers: approved.
- Personnel: Nutritional Services Agreement effective 07/01/2025 through 06/30/2030: approved.
- Personnel: amended miscellaneous agreement (non-contracted employee compensation and benefits plan): approved.
- Personnel: Stop-Loss marketing renewal with RMTS Nationwide: approved.
- Personnel: superintendent authority to appoint qualified personnel to vacant positions during the period 06/17/2025 through the next regular board meeting: approved.
- Personnel: approval of a resolution regarding employee number 9958: approved.
- Policy: First reading of Policy 806 (child abuse): approved as a first read.
- Student Services: approval of the flexible instructional day program: approved.

Information items and committee reports included: athletic-season recognitions, graduation statistics, recognition of retirees, an Upper Bucks County Technical School donation of equipment, and committee meeting schedules. Several items approved at committee level (curriculum, facilities, finance, personnel, policy, student services) were ratified by the full board at this meeting.

Why it matters: the budget sets the district's operating priorities for the coming school year, including revenue assumptions and the district's spending plan. The set of routine approvals (contracts, capital assessments, procurement and personnel actions) allow the district to proceed with planned work over the summer and into the academic year.

Votes at a glance (selected vote results shown as recorded in the meeting):
- Fiscal 2025-26 general fund budget ($164,159,239): passed (roll-call recorded as 5-4 in the transcript).
- Most other motions recorded in the meeting passed by voice vote or unanimous consent; where the roll call was performed, the transcript supplied individual yes/no responses for some members and a successful outcome.

What the record does not specify: the meeting transcript includes a transcribed millage figure that is not legible in the record; where the transcript was unclear, the article reports that the motion referenced the millage but does not restate a figure not clearly captured. The transcript also lists many contract and procurement items by letter (A through Q); the motion texts and vendors were not spelled out in full detail in the record provided to the reporter and are therefore summarized here as \"items A through Q\" as in the motion language.

Next steps: the board's next finance committee meeting was scheduled for Monday, August 18. The next full board meeting was announced for Monday, August 25.","The Pennridge School Board approved the district's fiscal 2025-26 general fund budget totaling $164,159,239 and passed a series of routine measures including contracts, capital-assessment agreements and personnel items at its June meeting.","actionData","errors"]

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Parents and students press Pennridge board for action on LGBTQ student safety; board notes Pride Month recognition

Pennridge board adopts $164.16 million budget, approves range of contracts and capital assessments