Student representatives and members of the public used the Dec. 15 William Penn School District board meeting to press the board on operational and transparency concerns, including crowded morning entry lines at the high school, a requested review of the district's headphone policy, and calls for clearer disclosure of extra funding the district obtains.

Senior student Morgan Aspugh Green told trustees that "most of twelfth grade is just excited to go on break" but noted that entrances remain "still an issue" because lines are overcrowded. Eleventh-grade representative Eli Faber said a previously reported bathroom issue has been resolved but confirmed that morning lines remain a problem and that staff are pursuing an additional security guard to open another entry line. Ishmael Torres emphasized the safety and comfort concern: "people are like standing outside in the cold" and asked to meet with the board or join a policy committee to propose amendments to the headphone/electronics policy.

The board responded that the policy committee typically meets monthly and encouraged student engagement with data and suggestions. A board member said Miss Roberts chairs the policy committee and that there could be follow-up at the policy committee's next meeting.

In public comment, Valencia Peterson, who runs a program in the district, described community initiatives including a documentary project with the high-school football program, an ICU girls' group to support ninth-grade transitions, and a 'Men to Men' program for young men that offers alternatives to disciplinary responses. Peterson said these programs have provided supports and safe spaces for students.

Resident Marie Louise Faber (Lansdowne) said she has heard "a lot of chatter about lack of transparency" regarding the district budget and asked the district to publish a list of extra grant or outside funds that supplement state funding. The board acknowledged efforts to obtain funds outside state allocations but did not provide a detailed accounting at the meeting.

The board did not take formal action on the student requests at the business meeting; it invited students to provide data and indicated the policy committee can review proposed amendments. The next policy committee meeting is scheduled for Jan. 8, 2026, and the board's next business meeting is Jan. 26, 2026.

The transcript does not record any formal changes to the headphone policy or a specific timetable for resolving the morning-entry congestion; those items appear to be referred for further consideration and possible policy committee review.