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Council Rock previews high‑school novel pilots, new website and proposed staffing additions for 2026–27
Summary
Curriculum leads described proposed high‑school pilot novels and science textbooks guided by PA standards and Lexile ranges; communications staff previewed a redesigned district website to launch July 1; finance staff presented proposed staffing increases (13.4 FTE additions, including 10 PCAs and four teachers).
Curriculum staff described a set of proposed pilot texts for grades 8–12 and explained the standards‑driven process for choosing novels and textbooks. Proposed literature pilots include titles such as Raft, Clara and the Sun (honors/gifted), The Salt in the Sea, A Long Way Gone and Just Mercy (young‑adult edition). Presenters said most texts will be activated digitally through the district’s Active Learn platform and that pilots will test instructional fit and student engagement before any adoption.
The presentation included a primer on Lexile/instructional levels and the district’s approach to matching books to standards and student needs. The district emphasized teacher cohorts and grade‑band committees will pilot and review books; pilot results will determine whether a resource is adopted into the written curriculum.
Andrea Mangle, director of district communications, previewed a new Aptagy website set for a public rollout July 1 (internal cutover the weekend of June 26–27). She said the redesigned site is leaner, better integrated with student data systems and intended to improve navigation for parents seeking phone numbers, menus and teacher contacts. Mangle noted accessibility requirements (screen‑reader alt text, captioning) are an area of ongoing work and the vendor has tools to highlight issues.
On finance and staffing, presenters reviewed a proposed 13.4‑position staffing increase for next year—10 personal care assistant (PCA) positions and 4.4 teacher positions (four of the teacher positions dedicated to special education plus additions in ELA at a middle school). The district said changes largely reflect growth in autistic‑support enrollment and related PCA needs. Separately, the special‑education audit RFP (issued May 8) was noted as closing imminently; district staff plan interviews and a finance committee presentation in June.
No votes were taken. Staff said pilots will proceed in classrooms next year and that proposed staffing and the website cutover will be noted in budget and operational plans.
