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Abington Heights reviews safety plan, Safe to Say reports and climate survey showing higher belonging
Summary
District staff presented the annual Act 55 safety review, updated emergency operations planning and Safe to Say referrals; administrators also reviewed a climate survey showing higher feelings of belonging and discussed PBIS, threat assessments and cell phone implementation.
Abington Heights School District officials presented the district's annual Act 55 safety review and a summary of the most recent climate survey, reporting continued use of the Safe to Say anonymous tip system and recent changes to safety planning and student supports.
The safety presentation described required monthly fire drills, lockdown drills, reunification practice and instruction on emergency codes. A district presenter said Safe to Say reports come directly to the attorney general's office and then to district administrators and the two school resource officers: "It comes to my phone, every other administrator's phone, and our two school resource officers' phones," the presenter said. The district also described a planned walkthrough by Trooper Shortall and his canine, Sunny, from the Pennsylvania State Police explosives unit to familiarize state police with school buildings.
District leaders said they are revising the Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) with the Northeast Educational Intermediate Unit (NEIU). The EOP adopted previously in the district was enacted 11/20/2020, and stakeholders from Abington Heights have been working with the IU since May to update and align the plan with local emergency partners, including law enforcement, fire and EMS.
On threat assessment and the Safe to Say system, the district reported 23 threat assessments this year that required follow-up, the same number as last year. At the middle school there were 18 Safe to Say tips (13 fewer than the prior year) and at the high school 54 tips (33 more than last year). The presenter said some tips cross buildings and that principals coordinate when that occurs. A district official reminded the board that tip categories are chosen by the person making the referral and are not law-enforcement dispositions: "The categories are chosen by the person making the referral, not what the disposition may or may not be," the presenter cautioned.
The board also received the district's annual climate survey results. Board member Gretchen Henderson reported that roughly 37.6 percent of caregivers completed the survey and that 64 percent of middle- and high-school students responded. The presenter told the board that the survey is intended for "directional insight. It is not a report card," and said the district uses the results to identify strengths and leverage points rather than single-item targets.
Survey highlights the administration noted: strong belonging scores in elementary buildings (district staff summarized that elementary results averaged about 9 in 10 for some measures), roughly 7 in 10 students and parents at middle and high school reporting a sense of belonging, and improvements in student reports of being treated poorly because of body image or disability compared with the prior year. District staff credited counseling work, unified sports, PBIS implementation and other supports for the gains.
Administrators discussed implementation issues raised by the survey and elsewhere: the district has added a crisis counselor at the elementary level (the new hire is a music therapist) and continues monthly coordination meetings with police, fire and EMS. The presenter said underlying systems'scheduling, staffing and visible adult presence'are important levers for improving student experience.
Board members and administrators asked several operational questions. On Safe to Say, the presenter and superintendent discussed whether students should be prompted to stay on the line briefly so responders can ask clarifying questions. On cell phones, district staff reported 153 documented cell-phone infractions for the year with roughly one-third of those involving repeat offenders; administrators said the caddy/phone-storage strategy is being used in about one in 10 classrooms and noted that warnings often resolved subsequent incidents. The district said it will clarify expectations and follow-up procedures for phone implementation.
The board did not take separate action on the safety presentation or survey during the meeting; they were presented for review and discussion.
