Education committee updates Title I plans, proposes policy edits and addresses bus safety concerns

The Whitehall-Coplay School District education committee held its annual policy review and received an update on federal programs, policy changes required by federal monitoring and operational items related to student safety and district partnerships.

Title I and federal programs: Ms. Herr, a district staff member presenting federal-program updates, said the U.S. Department of Education delayed grant award notifications this summer and the district did not receive routine funding on July 1; those award notifications arrived July 30. Ms. Herr said the district submitted schoolwide Title I plans ahead of the Sept. 30 deadline and that Zephyr Elementary’s building plan is approved; she said she expects Gockley and Stecco to be approved soon. The district consolidates Title II and Title IV funds into Title I where allowable, and Ms. Herr said that consolidation provides an additional $263,977 that can be applied toward Title I-funded interventions (for example, MTSS in mathematics and reading). Ms. Herr also warned that a potential House bill could cut Title I Part A and parts of Titles II and III, and she said the district will monitor and report further developments.

Policy revisions and family engagement: Ms. Herr recommended minor edits to policy 09/18 based on PSBA recommendations, the addition of a supplement to satisfy federal monitoring criteria, and building-level parent-and-family engagement policies for each elementary school. She said those materials were shared with principals and title coordinators and will be brought forward for first reading/consideration.

Administrative items: Ms. Salique noted a first reading for policy 001 to update the district’s official address to 2932 Zephyr Boulevard. The committee reviewed two field-trip requests: an annual student-council trip to New Castle, Pa., and a high-school music trip to Baltimore that could include approximately 40 students (final participant list to be determined). The committee also reviewed a request for Microsoft SQL licensing required for a Johnson Controls network upgrade (described as the database backbone for building systems) and an affiliation agreement with Wilkes University to host student-teacher practicum experiences.

Bus discipline and safety: Ms. Salique and other administrators reported an uptick in bus-discipline incidents, particularly at elementary levels. The district plans to send a letter and phone calls to parents to reinforce bus-safety expectations; administrators noted bus riding is a privilege and that cameras on buses are available to document incidents. District staff emphasized collaboration with families and school resource officers to address unsafe behaviors and noted potential bus suspensions for repeated or serious incidents.

Next steps: Policy edits and the Title I supplement will be brought forward as part of the policy-review process; field trips, licensing and the Wilkes affiliation agreement will follow routine approval workflows. The district will distribute parent notifications about bus safety and follow up with enforcement where appropriate.