Bethel Park staff outline MTSS, special‑education and literacy plans for new consolidated elementary

David Minch, director of student support services, said the new single-site elementary will let the district concentrate specialists and services in one location to reduce inequities created by having those services split across five buildings. He described three pillars of MTSS — academics, social-emotional, and behavior — and said a schedule with 50-minute blocks and an embedded flex time will allow Tier 3 interventions up to five days per week.

"Everyone is eligible for MTSS. Everyone," Minch said, explaining the district's intent to use pooled staff to provide more targeted interventions and more frequent specialists' access. Dr. Hsu, supervisor of special education, said the building's design emphasizes universal design and ADA accessibility with additional occupational therapy, physical therapy, social work and co-teaching supports onsite rather than scattered across multiple buildings.

Beth Wells, the district's director of literacy, tied classroom planning to Pennsylvania's recent literacy law, saying "Pennsylvania signed into law in October 2024, Act 135 of 2024," and that the district is already implementing the CKLA curriculum purchased last year. Wells said universal screening is provided through MAP Growth and MAP Fluency and that year-two plans include professional development for intervention materials.

Officials said shared resources — multiple sensory rooms, adaptive technology, mobile furniture and increased access to specialists — aim to reduce duplication of services and support inclusion. Transition-planning committees of staff from each current elementary will work over the coming year to align practices and maintain school traditions where possible. The presentation did not contain formal district action items; the remarks reflect planned operational and curriculum measures ahead of the school's opening.