Board to consider renewals and summer-program proposals: community-schools partnership, ELD camp and tuition-reimbursement pilot

District administrators on March 10 presented three program and personnel items for upcoming board action or ongoing implementation: renewal of a Community Schools of Pennsylvania partnership at two schools with partial United Way funding; a proposed English-Language-Development summer camp funded from Title III; and continuation of a classified-employee tuition-reimbursement pilot aimed at building a pipeline to teacher certification.

Dr. Bosman said the district is nearing the end of a current three-year Community Schools of Pennsylvania agreement at Union Canal and Ebenezer elementary schools and proposed a three-year renewal with district and United Way support for partial funding. "We are excited to continue that partnership with them," Bosman said; the ratification was listed for the next-week agenda.

Dr. Rackley described the English-Language-Development (ELD) Summer Camp proposal. The proposal would run three weeks in July, operating Monday through Thursday with the same total instructional hours but condensed into four-day weeks. The plan calls for five teachers and a dedicated secretary, transportation provided by two buses to cover the district, free breakfast and lunch coordinated through district food services, and two field trips (the Lebanon Area Fair and the high school planetarium, logistics permitting). Rackley said the program aims to serve roughly "50-ish" students who qualify as English learners in incoming grades K'12; estimated cost is $30,000 and the program funding would come from Title III accounts. This item was scheduled for approval next week.

District staff also described the classified-employee tuition-reimbursement pilot that began previously and is proposed to continue. The program allows eligible classified employees to pursue education credits focused on teacher certification with reimbursement for up to 12 credits (four courses). Administrators reported four employees have submitted course approvals so far; one is nearing completion and others have begun coursework. The program includes a one-year post-reimbursement service expectation after the last reimbursed course; if an employee leaves before the commitment, repayment to the district is required pro rata for the reimbursed amounts. Dr. Bosman said the program is intended to create an internal pipeline of potential teachers and to aid staff retention. There was no motion recorded March 10 for an immediate vote on the tuition-reimbursement continuation; the community-schools agreement and the ELD summer-camp proposal were on the next meeting—s agenda.

Ending

Administrators asked the board to ratify the Community Schools of Pennsylvania renewal and to approve the ELD summer camp at the next meeting; they said they will continue to report on staff participation and program outcomes for the tuition-reimbursement pilot as employees progress through coursework.