Cheltenham SD reports early success for EPIC program; staff outline graduation pathways and remaining gaps

Cheltenham School District officials presented the first‑year results for EPIC, the district’s empowerment program for students with attendance and engagement challenges, and reviewed state graduation‑pathway data for the class of 2024 and preliminary figures for 2025.

At the Education Affairs Committee meeting, Ms. Zubero, the EPIC presenter, said the program began the school year with 50 students and had 40 enrolled at the time of the report. "All I say to them is just please love and value our students," she said, arguing that students who feel "loved and valued will learn and ... achieve and reach their potential." She described EPIC as aligned to the Cheltenham High School (CHS) curriculum and combining online and traditional instruction with group therapeutic supports.

Why it matters: the presentation combined program metrics, student outcomes and operational issues that the district says are relevant to reducing dropout risk and improving graduation rates for students who have been over‑age or under‑credited.

Key outcomes and supports - Enrollment and outcomes: EPIC started the year with 50 students and had 40 enrolled at reporting. Of the departures, Ms. Zubero said five students returned to CHS (three during semester transition and two after hospitalization), four withdrew from the district, and two earned diplomas (one a 2023 graduate and one a 2024 graduate). One student joined from a hospital program later in the year. - Graduation eligibility: EPIC staff reported 19 students eligible to graduate, which Ms. Zubero said translated to an expected 74% graduation rate among currently eligible students; she noted eight students were "slam dunks" and others required intensive daily support. - Credit recovery and post‑secondary planning: staff reported completing about 95 credit‑recovery courses at the time of the PowerPoint and said that number exceeded 100 within two weeks. Several students applied or were accepted to post‑secondary programs: multiple students to "Monco/Monaco" (as cited in the presentation), at least one to Community College of Philadelphia, seven expressed interest in an automotive training center, and two had applied to Thaddeus Stevens trade school. Four students took the ASVAB and met with military recruiters; they will retake the ASVAB in June after preparation. - Student supports: weekly and daily supports cited included a counseling push‑in model from a partner called Hope (daily counseling for 10 students), a crisis interventionist from the Lincoln Center running weekly groups, a Lakeside counselor, and on‑site visits and coordination with Cheltenham High School counselors and nurses. - Community and career exposure: EPIC’s "Dress for Success" series brought about 15 speakers (alumni, business owners, and tradespeople) to talk with students about careers and entrepreneurship.

Operational challenges and next steps Staff highlighted several operational barriers: cell phones causing classroom distraction and uneven parent cooperation; last‑minute notifications for CHS events that prevented timely transportation or student participation; student misuse of AI in credit‑recovery coursework; and the need for consistent, systematized progress monitoring. Ms. Zubero said she will push to have progress monitoring start at the beginning of the year and to involve all adults in the building in monitoring tasks.

Facility and enrollment planning EPIC staff said the program will move to a new wing at Elkins Park School (12 classrooms and administrative space) and intends to target an incoming semester enrollment of 50 students with set admission criteria to be finalized by July.

Graduation pathways and district data Rachel German and district staff reviewed Pennsylvania Act 158/Act 6 graduation pathways and the district’s submitted data for the class of 2024. Highlights presented by staff (as submitted to the state): 66 students met Keystone proficiency pathway (Pathway 1); 64 the Keystone composite (Pathway 2); 25 met CTE/diversified‑occupations pathway (Pathway 3); 84 used the alternative assessment pathway; 58 met the evidence‑based pathway; five students were approved to graduate on IEP goals; and 23 students (6.48%) did not meet state and local requirements for 2024. District staff noted that some students benefited from pandemic‑era accommodations and that pathway choice reflects multiple valid routes to graduation, not a single test result.

Preliminary 2025 numbers and interventions As of the May submission window, district staff reported preliminary 2025 figures: 60 students on Pathway 1, 84 on the composite pathway, 24 via CTE/diversified occupations, 72 on the alternative pathway, and 58 on evidence‑based options. Staff said 15 students were listed as graduating on IEP goals but that number may fall as some continue into extended services; the presented calculation put the district at roughly 94.3% meeting Act 158 requirements at that reporting point.

The committee also heard data on the district’s MTSS (Multi‑Tiered System of Supports) use and documentation: 106 teacher checklists, 11 requests for assistance, 27 intervention plans, one closed plan during the year and five referrals for evaluation. Staff described EPIC as a Tier‑3 intervention within that framework.

Public comment and district response A public commenter, Mary Jo Sobaki of Elkins Park, asked for clarity and assurances about district protocols in the event of federal immigration enforcement activity, calling for communications and staff training. The district responded that it had already issued a letter, initiated a protocol, and provided training for school staff and secretaries; the district said it would follow up directly via email and share attachments with community groups. Dr. Cheryl Horson, a retired district administrator who volunteers at EPIC, told the committee the program "has changed lives" and thanked the board and administrators for supporting it.

Committee action The committee approved the April 22 meeting minutes (motion by Stan Schultz; second Ross Whitehead; vote: all in favor) and later approved a motion to adjourn (mover and second not named in the record). There were no board votes recorded at this meeting that altered EPIC’s program funding or operations; commenters and staff referenced previously approved budget items that funded EPIC’s first year.

What’s next District staff said they will refine admission criteria, expand senior internships and diversified‑occupation opportunities tied to EPIC, improve early and regular progress monitoring, and finalize logistics for the move to Elkins Park. Staff also noted constraints for some mental‑health partnerships under next year’s budget and said they are planning for continuity of supports despite funding shifts.