Several residents used the audience-of-citizens period on March 11 to challenge the North Penn School District's academic performance, budgeting and hiring practices, drawing public responses from district leaders.

Jason Lanier, a frequent speaker, said the district's academic ranking has fallen and described large budget growth with declining proficiency. "What are we paying for?" Lanier asked, citing a claimed drop from 17th in the state to 56th and saying spending has risen while proficiency rates have fallen. He also asked why special-education classrooms do not have cameras given the district's increasing special-education budget.

Jeff Ashelman, a special-education assistant and district employee, raised concerns about hiring language used by Human Resources leadership and urged board members and administrators to visit schools and classrooms to observe conditions. "I suggest that members of the board and administration visit the middle schools while schools are in the hallways between classes," Ashelman said.

Board and superintendent replies

Superintendent Dr. John Bauer disputed some assertions about statewide standing and test results, saying the district is "above the state average in 20 out of 20" major standardized test measures when PSSA, Keystone and other exams are counted. He also summarized actions the district had taken after the Pembroke incident and listed 10 commitments he said were complete, including contracting a third-party investigator, scheduling school-safety forums, offering professional development for administrators and conducting listening sessions at all 18 buildings.

Another board member acknowledged parents' concerns and said they were taken seriously, noting board members are parents and visit schools; that speaker characterized recurring public comments about the district as sometimes factually inaccurate but said the board remains open to follow-up conversations.

What speakers asked for

Residents sought:
- More transparency on hiring and human-resources processes and a public explanation of how the district fills positions; and
- Accountability for budget allocations and clearer links between spending increases and student outcomes.

No board votes were taken on these issues; board members said committees and future work sessions could address hiring and budgeting concerns.