Shippensburg Area School District board approves curriculum updates, multiple contracts and staffing items

The Shippensburg Area School District Board of Directors approved a slate of curriculum changes, vendor contracts and personnel actions during its planning and action meeting.

The board approved a package of curriculum items including AP Computer Principles, AP Psychology, Child Development I and II, several English courses, French II, Nutrition and Foods, Robotics and other course additions. The administration also won approval for a set of curriculum and technology contracts: seventh-grade ELA textbooks ($5,636.50), a virtual lab (e‑ed Dynamic Learning, $1,885), Acadians Learning Online student licenses ($10,632), Career Safe ($1,248) and Smart Futures ($10,800), an online career-exploration program staff said is used across grade levels and required for Department of Education documentation.

Superintendent Mr. August recognized donors to the high school greenhouse and told the board he would provide an enrollment report after the meeting. "I am very excited about all of you starting," Mr. August said, thanking the new staff members the board welcomed that evening.

On student and support services, the board approved a Letter of Agreement with Highmark Caring Place to provide free grief-support training for counselors and social workers and grief support services to students; and a contract renewal with Von Drake Speech Services to provide speech therapy and consulting to special education students up to three days per week at a rate of $95 per hour. For one student needing extended‑year services at the Vista School, the board authorized services from July 6 to Aug. 6 at a per‑student cost of $10,842.59 and approved contracting with the Vista School for that service.

Facilities and equipment contracts cleared included a $15,450 contract from the Buildings and Grounds Committee to install new signs on district campuses, to be paid from the construction fund, and a $29,472.80 EFS quote for a music storage system and installation for the new middle school band room. The board also approved a preventative maintenance contract with Johnson Controls for the new high‑school chiller at $3,885, to be paid from the maintenance budget. During the signage discussion a board member asked staff to confirm wording and hyphenation for "student drop off" so the signs read as intended before production.

Personnel and policy items approved included the confidential employees handbook for 2026–2029 and the job description for a newly approved Assistant Director of Special Education; administration said the position will be posted once final details are set and that student services staff are mobile and will coordinate with building principals. The board also approved an Act 93 phone-setup option that allows administrators to use their personal cell phones as district phones; the set‑up cost is $162.35 per participant and the monthly cost is $104. A board member noted the packet attachment for the item appeared to be a different contract, and staff clarified the attached document was the Central Penn contract.

Items listed for discussion at the board's next meeting, scheduled for Aug. 10, include the 2026–27 handbooks, MOUs for library and PBIS, additional curriculum approvals, a Central Penn Education Associates agreement, a Google Workspace contract, Discovery Education through the Capital Area Intermediate Unit, and a partner for career development contract.

Board members praised the handbook work and thanked staff for consolidating policies and making materials easier to access online; one member singled out Dr. Stevens for that effort. The board held an executive session earlier for personnel matters and planned to return to executive session on contract, personnel and real estate issues. The meeting was then adjourned.