Council Rock policy committee reviews broad package of employee-policy updates, flags new weapons-notice requirement

The Council Rock School District Policy Committee held a first-reading review Feb. 2 of a package of mostly employee-related policy updates, including an immediate change to the district’s weapons-notification rule prompted by a new state law.

Ron Sprady, the district’s HR director, opened the meeting and described the agenda as the district’s 300-series policies (staff policies) plus one 200-series item, policy 218.1 on weapons, which was updated after a recent statutory change. "For tonight's meeting, we will be going through this 300 policies that deal with employees," Sprady said, and noted the weapons provision incorporates statutory language required by the new law.

Why it matters: the committee is updating a suite of employment policies intended to align district procedures with state statutes and to set a clear baseline of current policy language to make future changes easier to track.

What the committee covered

Weapons notice (policy 218.1). Sprady told the committee that a new law effective this January requires written notice to the school community if a weapon is found on school property and that the district’s policy text mirrors the statutory language. Committee members questioned whether the statutory notice period is 24 or 48 hours; Sprady said the policy mirrors the statute and that he would consult the solicitor to ensure precise wording. Members also raised practical questions about replicas (for example, a small plastic toy) and gestures that could be construed as brandishing; Sprady deferred to the solicitor and noted that case law or statutory definitions could control how replicas or intent are handled.

Personal care assistants. One substantive change is adding a definition of a "personal care assistant," a role described as distinct from instructional assistants. Sprady said PCAs would provide one-on-one noninstructional support (medical equipment assistance, behavioral supports) and that defining the role could expand the district’s hiring pool because PCA requirements differ from those for instructional assistants. The committee discussed whether the position would require 20 hours of training (Sprady said yes) and agreed pay and contract questions would be resolved through collective-bargaining processes.

Resignation and employment-contract language. The committee reviewed clarified language defining "resignation" as any voluntary termination and reiterated current practice: professional employees typically provide 60 days’ notice while noncertified staff customarily give two weeks. Board members confirmed the district can, in practice, release employees earlier than 60 days if a replacement is available and said the policy should reflect that discretion.

Health monitoring, physicals and religious exemptions. The district proposed changes allowing school staff to be sent to the nurse for monitoring if symptomatic and to follow the student-policy timeframes for exclusion (for example, fever-related return-to-school rules). The policy retains statutory language that certain pre-employment physicals (including TB testing) may be required; members asked for clarification, noting the policy text appears to repeat that "the board may require" a physical in places where "as required by law" is also stated. Sprady agreed to run that language by the solicitor to confirm whether the paragraphs should be reorganized to distinguish pre-employment physicals from health monitoring during employment.

Conduct, discipline and background checks. The committee reviewed clarifications on disciplinary and dismissal procedures, noted the state’s PINS/TIMS portals as an additional notification source, and confirmed staff must provide updated criminal-record clearances every five years. The committee discussed progressive-discipline language and agreed the listed steps (verbal warning, reprimand, suspension, demotion, dismissal) are illustrative rather than a required sequence.

Educator misconduct and Title IX overlap. Policy language was added to make clear that, when an allegation could also constitute a Title IX sexual-harassment claim, the district may conduct concurrent investigations so that Title IX processes proceed alongside any criminal or misconduct inquiries.

Freedom-of-speech guidance for employees. The revised policy seeks to balance an employee’s private free-speech rights with the district’s operational interests. Sprady cited case law examples (including a teacher’s off-duty blog critical of students) and said any enforcement would be coordinated with the solicitor to ensure constitutional compliance. Board members discussed how "engaged in assigned duties" should be defined across policies.

Professional development: Act 55. Sprady said state law (Act 55) requires annual trauma-informed training; the state provides modules, and districts must offer annual live or virtual sessions. The committee confirmed the district will follow the statutory training cadence.

Controlled-substance (drug) policy. The committee discussed renaming the policy and clarifying that conviction for a felony-level controlled-substance offense could be grounds for termination; that language was presented as an expansion to ensure consistency with statute.

Process and next steps. Staff said the packet items are being presented as a first read at the board’s February meeting, with a likely second read in March; leaders discussed whether to combine the second reading into another meeting. Sprady said redlines and updated review dates will be posted to the board-docs policy portal after second reading. The committee recorded that no members of the public were present to comment.

Quotes that capture the meeting tone

"If you question what you are seeing, need clarification, or want a reliable fact check, please contact the district direct," Sprady said, urging the public to rely on official district communications.

"Professional employees ... are required to provide 60 days notice," Sprady said when describing the resignation-notice clarifications.

What wasn’t decided

No votes or formal motions were taken at this meeting; the session was a first-reading review and staff will bring revised redlines and solicitor-reviewed language back for the second reading. The exact statutory notice period for weapon-found notifications (24 v. 48 hours) was discussed but not resolved in the meeting record; staff committed to confirm the statute and update policy language.

The next step

These updates move to the board agenda for first reading in February; the committee expects a second reading in March and will circulate solicitor-reviewed redlines and updated effective/review dates via board docs.