The Pottsgrove School District Board of School Directors on Oct. 15 heard extensive presentations and public comment about repeated disruptive behavior at Ringing Rocks Elementary School and approved two outside reviews of the district’s special-education and safety practices.

District staff said the large majority of students at Ringing Rocks do not generate discipline referrals but a small group of high‑need students is driving most incidents, and administrators outlined staffing, training and program changes intended to reduce disruptions.

Dr. Ann Marie Lucas, the district’s director of pupil services, told the board that referral data for Ringing Rocks show more than about 88% of students have zero disciplinary referrals; about 8% had one to five referrals and roughly 3.6% of incidents represent higher‑frequency referrals. Lucas said the school is using the Multi‑Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) and Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) frameworks and has expanded trauma‑informed training, counseling contracts and a districtwide set of sensory rooms.

"Safety care is something that's out there nationally," Lucas said, describing a training model the district has begun to scale. She said about 12 staff at Ringing Rocks completed an initial SafetyCare training in early September and the district plans an all‑day follow‑up session on Nov. 4 to expand that work.

Principal Stephanie Myers said staff used an Act 80 staff collaboration day to form working committees that quickly changed recess supervision patterns, strengthened communication and created a reflection room where students can be guided through restorative practices before returning to class. "Collaboration is huge," Myers said.

Montgomery County Department of Public Safety school safety specialists Carly Duco and Dr. Beth Sanborn presented the results of two days of on‑site observation and policy review. Duco said the county’s review was voluntary at the request of the district and praised district leaders’ transparency while recommending clearer expectation setting, stronger supervision during unstructured times and continued staff training. "District engagement with the Montgomery County Department of Public Safety is completely voluntary," Duco said.

Sanborn, the county school safety coordinator, said the district has adopted recognized models such as CSTAG threat assessment and use of the Columbia suicide risk screening tool and that many crisis and trauma practices are strong, while recommending deeper family engagement and consistent districtwide implementation. "Overall, the district has established a strong foundation that reflects best practices in school safety," Sanborn said.

Board action and next steps

The board voted to approve two outside reviews aimed at delivering independent evaluations and recommendations. The board approved a contract with Global Special Education Associates (agenda item 10.4) to conduct a comprehensive assessment of special‑education services (contract amount discussed at the meeting at roughly $55,000) and approved a separate, board‑initiated review by the Montgomery County Intermediate Unit (agenda item 10.5) not to exceed $2,000. Both motions passed during the business portion of the meeting.

The board also approved a batch of personnel items (agenda items 9.2–9.7) that included a mix of retirements, leaves and new support‑staff appointments; the personnel package as voted included the appointment of several new instructional and support staff and the onboarding of additional registered behavior technicians identified by district presenters as part of the response plan.

Public comment and concerns

More than a dozen parents, staff and community members spoke during public comment. Several parents described repeated classroom evacuations and physical incidents that prompted them to temporarily remove children from school or to consider homeschooling. A number of staff and parents raised concerns that announced audits or visits can misrepresent typical days; teachers argued for unannounced board visits and for board members to come into buildings. A Ringing Rocks teacher, Brianna Robinson, said that board members have not made unannounced visits and urged the board to "walk through the doors of our schools and see the truth for yourselves." Several speakers asked the board to continue using suspensions for violent behavior and to consider reinstating a dedicated school resource officer at Ringing Rocks.

What district leaders said they are doing

District leaders listed short‑ and medium‑term actions already implemented or under way: adding a crisis counselor and two behavior specialists, increasing contracted tier‑2 and tier‑3 counseling through Springfield Psychological and Hopewell Counseling, expanding the sensory‑room program so MTSS interventions can use the rooms, and expanding SafetyCare training for building staff.

Lucas explained the legal and procedural constraints when students with disabilities are disciplined — citing IDEA and Section 504 processes and the district's obligation for child find, evaluation timelines (60 calendar days after parent permission for evaluation, followed by IEP meetings within 30 days if eligible) and the "change of placement" rules that apply to extended removals. She also said Bureau of Special Education monitoring has cited the district for higher suspension rates of students with disabilities in previous audits, though the bureau found the district's paperwork and procedures compliant.

Data shared at the meeting showed improvement since early September: Myers presented a visual showing a 60% decrease in total referrals and a 75% decrease in incidents of physical aggression from a peak around Sept. 8 to week of Oct. 6, which district staff attributed to intensified supervision, newly implemented behavior plans and recent training. District presenters cautioned the board that staffing shortages across the Commonwealth — and local administrative turnover at Ringing Rocks (multiple principals and frequent special‑education teacher turnover over recent years) — complicate rapid progress.

What the board said

Board members and the superintendent said they would continue to monitor the situation closely and asked administration to return with updates. Several board members expressed support for commissioning independent reviews to inform both short‑term operational changes and longer‑term planning, including whether program or facility changes are needed to serve students with high needs without repeated out‑of‑district placements.

The board did not take new disciplinary policy votes during the meeting; it approved the two outside assessments and the personnel package and asked for follow‑up reports once auditors complete their work.

Why this matters

District officials and parents told the board that the problem affects a small portion of students but produces outsized disruptions: removing students for safety or managing repeated incidents interrupts instruction for whole classrooms and raises concerns about student and staff safety. The audits the board approved are intended to produce specific recommendations on staffing levels, classroom supports, supervision of unstructured time, family engagement, and whether district‑run alternatives or placement strategies should change.

The district scheduled additional staff training and said it will continue to track referral data and district‑level metrics as the reviews proceed. The board and administration said they will report back on audit timing and proposed follow‑up actions once the external reviews are under way.