Coatesville High reports improved attendance, new student supports including student-run Care Closet and PACE lab

Coatesville Area Senior High School administrators told the Coatesville Area School Board on Jan. 28 that attendance and student supports have improved this year, and they outlined new programs aimed at college, career and transition readiness.

In a presentation to the board, CASH staff credited an early warning system (EWS) and schoolwide PBIS incentives for lifting attendance. The school set a goal that 85% of students would attend 85% of the time and reported meeting or exceeding that goal in recent months, administrators said.

School leaders described several initiatives designed to support students. Assistant principal Erin McDonnell and other staff described a biweekly EWS process run with the intermediate unit that identifies students at risk in attendance, behavior or grades; staff said the process pairs students with school adults for weekly check-ins and parent contact. The PBIS team’s recent “Ticketpalooza” rewarded positive behaviors and culminated in a trip to the Philadelphia Museum of Art for roughly 100 students, district presenters said.

Administrators also described a mentoring and career-readiness effort called Parksburg Point. Staff said Parksburg Point uses short “2 by 10” mentoring (two minutes a day for 10 days) and personality inventories; the program recently hosted a session with former Penn State and NFL player Brandon Smith and plans ongoing monthly trips where students take career interest inventories.

Student-led and transition programs highlighted the meeting. Senior Olivia Thomas, who introduced herself as the founder of the “CASH Care Closet,” described a small campus closet that will supply students with basic items. Thomas said The Closet Works donated the materials and labor to build out shelving and fixtures and the school is now collecting items to stock the closet.

District transition coordinator Mrs. Conroy described a newly opened PACE lab for students with disabilities. Conroy said the lab had a soft rollout in early January and is designed to expose students in learning support, emotional support, life skills and autistic support programs to different career tasks (construction, consumer services, processing and production). Students “clock in” and complete rotating tasks to help staff identify likely employment fits, and Conroy said the district plans to expand business partnerships to place students in community work opportunities.

CASH also reported a new partnership with Citadel Federal Credit Union. Administrators said more than 20 seniors attended an informational session last week about three work‑experience roles (marketing representative, customer experience representative, and employee/member experience representative); about 15 students interviewed and school staff expected roughly four offers, with some offers already extended.

Academic program updates included increases in Advanced Placement participation and career-technical education. Assistant Jeff Kolf said the school currently has 406 AP course registrations (about 40 more than a year ago), 252 exam registrations (about 65 more than last year) and runs 19 AP courses. He also noted recognition for 33 students as AP Scholars and said roughly 81% of AP exam scores were a 3 or higher, which the school described as a positive outcome. Kolf also described expansion of the AP Seminar course as part of the AP Capstone pathway and plans to add AP African American Studies next year.

The TCHS and CTE programs were also highlighted. Kolf said more than 300 students are enrolled in the TCHS program and that students placed first in several district skills competitions. He reported an 89% pass rate on the National Occupational Competency Testing Institute (NACTE) tests last year for TCHS students.

Administrators described a growing “writing across the curriculum” initiative and a restorative practices program that the school has expanded this year, including staff training and use of restorative circles for both students and faculty.

The presentation concluded with a range of recognitions: students who represented the district on a Martin Luther King Jr. youth panel, sports achievements, and the recently donated van for the marching band.

Speakers at the presentation included school administrators and students who appeared before the board to describe the programs and outcomes.

A district spokesman said the board had reviewed these reports and that the programs are moving forward with central administration support.

The school plans to continue the PACE lab rollout and to expand employer partnerships for student placements in the coming months.