Parents press Pennridge on bullying reports, PACE survey rollout and bus-stop safety

Multiple parents and community members used the public-comment period to press Pennridge officials for clearer reporting, improved communications and safer bus stops.

District staff presented a communications protocol and a reporting form for bullying and safety concerns that the administration said is available on every school web page and can be filed anonymously through state channels. The district said reports go to building principals and central administrators and will be investigated while respecting FERPA protections.

Several residents criticized the districts rollout of the PACE student survey and an "opt-out" communication that, they said, caused confusion. Supporters of the survey said it has historically revealed issues that led to interventions (one speaker cited a prior survey that prompted a prescription-drug take-back initiative). Speakers urged the district to make opt-out instructions clearer and to publish evidence of the surveys benefits.

Parents also raised a safety complaint about changes to neighborhood bus stops with one parent saying two stops were consolidated to a location on Fifth Street and that the change was announced with only one weeks notice before the first day of school. The parent said the new stop required young children to wait near moving traffic and asked whether the transportation department is actively recruiting drivers and reviewing safety practices. District staff acknowledged the message and said they would follow up.

District staff reiterated that the reporting form captures incident date, witnesses and other relevant details, and that anonymous state reporting is an available alternative. Administrators said restorative approaches may be used in some investigations and that not every report leads to disciplinary consequences but that every report will be addressed.