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North Penn outlines new obligations under Act 44, says district already notifies families
Summary
The Safe Schools Committee reviewed Pennsylvania’s Act 44 reporting requirement, which mandates that districts report weapons on school property within 24 hours, and discussed how North Penn’s existing practices and municipal MOUs align with the law.
The North Penn Safe Schools Committee reviewed new state reporting rules after Act 44 took effect Jan. 6, 2026, and described how the district will notify families and law enforcement when weapons are found on school property.
Mister Roan, presenting the item, said Act 44 requires schools to report the presence of a weapon on school property within 24 hours and pointed to Pennsylvania criminal code Title 18 § 912 for the statute’s definition of weapons. “School districts, nonpublic schools, private schools are required to report if there's a weapon on school property within 24 hours,” he said.
Why it matters: The law narrows reporting deadlines and clarifies who must be notified. Mister Roan told the committee that North Penn has long sent notifications in these circumstances and that the principal differences under the statute relate to extending notices to individuals who are temporarily present on campus (for example, parents or guests at an event in a shared facility).
Details and district practice: Mister Roan said notifications must reach parents at the affected building and parents of individuals at a shared campus, and that employees must also receive notification. He said the district’s communications team prioritizes accuracy and typically issues public notification within an hour of confirming facts, then issues updates as new information becomes available: “Our goal typically is as long as we have the facts and the accurate facts, we get the information out,” Mister Roan said.
Law enforcement and MOUs: Committee member Ken Kaiser asked whether the district must notify local municipal police. Mister Roan confirmed that the statute requires reporting to law enforcement. Doctor Bauch said the district already has memoranda of understanding (MOUs) with municipalities that specify which incidents must be reported and offered to share those MOUs with the new board director.
What was not decided: The committee did not change district policy during the meeting. Miss Rudnick pointed attendees to recent policy materials discussed at the previous policy meeting (policy number 218.1) for more detail on the district’s internal rules and encouraged the community to review that policy.
Next steps: No formal vote on new policy was taken; the presentation concluded with committee questions and an offer to circulate MOUs and policy documentation to committee members and the new director.
Actions recorded: The committee approved the minutes of its Nov. 24, 2025 meeting earlier in the session; no other formal actions related to Act 44 were taken.
The committee’s next Safe Schools meeting is scheduled for Feb. 24, 2026, in a virtual format.
