| NPSD Board Members |
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President
Tina Stoll
Vice President
Edward Diasio
Members
Christian D. Fusco
Elisha K. Gee
Jonathan M. Kassa
Jenna A. Ott
Theresa Prykowski
Juliane Ramić
The NPSD Board of School Directors welcomes questions and comments from the community. To that end, community members may email the entire school board at
_npschoolboard@npenn.org.
If you would like to contact a specific board member via email or phone, please
click here for a list of contact information.
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NPSD Board of Directors Seek Candidate to Fill Vacant Position
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The NPSD Board of School Directors is seeking candidates for an open position due to the resignation of Mark Warren. The board has 30 calendar days to select a replacement and plans to appoint the chosen candidate at its regularly scheduled meeting on Tuesday, June 12 at 7:30 pm at the Educational Services Center, located at 401 East Hancock Street, Lansdale, PA 19446. The term for the open position is until December 2019.
Residents or taxpayers of the district desiring to be appointed as a member of the board of school directors should forward their letter of interest, resume and completed state ethics form/statement to Stephen Skrocki, NPSD Board Secretary, 401 E. Hancock St., Lansdale, PA 19446, or skrocksb@npenn.org, to be received no later than 4:00 pm on Wednesday, June 6, 2018.
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NPSD Adopts "Next Generation" Board Management Technology
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The NPSD is leveraging cloud-based technology with the use of a new board management solution called BoardDocs LT to radically improve its governance processes while saving staff time and taxpayer dollars.
The remarkably powerful, easy-to-use service will allow the NPSD to maximize the effectiveness of their board meetings with increased transparency, providing a basis for better and more open communication with the public, while dramatically improving productivity and saving thousands of dollars annually.
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| Board Approves 2018-2019 Proposed Final Budget |
At the May 17 action meeting, the school board approved a $260,402,826 Proposed Final Budget for the 2018-2019 school year that includes a 3.4 percent tax increase to help fund expenditures. Final adoption of a budget will be on June 21. The tax increase includes the 2.4 percent Act 1 index permitted by the state, plus another 1 percent in exceptions for special education and retirement costs.
If the board approves the proposed budget, the increased tax revenue will take a $8,870,005 deficit between projectected revenues and expenses without a tax increase down to $2,978,637. Use of the Retirement Stabilization Fund would bring this deficit down even further. The expected annual increase to the average taxpayer is $124 under this scenario. Factors influencing rising costs in NPSD include funding the Public Schools Employees' Retirement System (PSERS), employment contracts and employee health care.
The proposed budget also includes nearly $2 million to meet the the growing needs of our staff and students through new staff, many of which are being hired to support with the emotional well-being and behaviors of our students. Proposed positions include six Elementary Coordinators of School Climate and Character Education. Each of these positions will support the development and implementation of school-wide positive behavior systems and the professional development associated with such systems. Instead of using substitutes on data days, these positions will work directly with students on character-building skills. They will also assist principals with lower-level discipline issues.
Other positions in next year's budget include an additional behavioral specialist, a mental health case manager to provide transition support for students who return to NPHS after an outside placement, teachers, math assistants and English Language Development (ELD) assistants in various schools. On the support side, the proposed final budget includes adding an HVAC mechanic and groundskeeper to keep up with needs in maintaining our schools.
The 2018-2019 budget does not include funds to start a full-day kindergarten program. The NPSD administration is, however, thoroughly researching the idea for the 2019-2020 school year. This is just another example of how meeting the needs of this community, our students and staff continue to be a financial challenge for North Penn and all public schools.
For more detailed information about the budget, click here to review the Proposed Final Budget. Also, click here to review the Budget Presentation from the May worksession meeting.
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NPSD Property Tax Rebate Program
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NPSD has a new way in which some of our taxpayers can benefit from tax relief. At an action meeting of the NPSD Board of School Directors in October 2017, the school board unanimously approved a property tax rebate program that will see a discount of $62.50 to $162.50 for certain homeowners.
The property tax rebate program is based on the existing Pennsylvania Property Tax and Rent Rebate program which has been in effect since 1971 and is funded by state lottery and slot machine proceeds. North Penn homeowners must qualify for the state rebate program to qualify for the district rebate program. NPSD is granting a 25 percent rebate of the state's rebate.
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| Attending Action and Work Session Meetings |
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The NPSD Board of School Directors Action Meetings are held on the third Thursday of every month. These meetings give students, parents and community members an opportunity to address the board and speak on any topic for five minutes. The Work Session, another monthly meeting is held one week preceding the Action Meeting on Tuesday. Here, attendees are also given five minutes to express their views, but are limited to speak on the topics of the evening's agenda.
Both the Action Meeting and the Work Session meeting begin at 7:30 pm and are held in the NPSD Educational Services Center (ESC) located at 401 E. Hancock St., Lansdale, PA 19446. However, if you are unable to attend in person, intimidated by the televised setting or by the requirements, community members should feel free to call or email the members of the board, either individually or as a whole. For a list of contact information, click here. The televised board meetings are available for private viewing on local Comcast Cable Channel 28
and Verizon Cable Channel 29 as well as www.youtube.com/nptv within several days of the original meeting.
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| Meetings in Review |
NPSD Board of School Directors Meeting
To view agenda attachments and minutes from past meetings, please click here.
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Upcoming Meetings
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May 29, 6:00 pm, ESC
Support Services Committee Meeting
May 29, 6:30 pm, ESC
Finance Committee Meeting
June 12, 7:30 pm, ESC
Board Worksession Meeting
June 19, 6:00 pm, ESC
Safe Schools Committee Meeting
June 19, 6:30 pm, ESC
ECP Committee Meeting
June 21, 7:30 pm
Board Action Meeting
To access the list of
meeting dates scheduled for 2018, please click here
.
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Dear Community,
 My name is Christian Fusco. The 2017-2018 school year is winding down and it's been an active year for the North Penn School District (NPSD) Board of School Directors. This year saw the addition of 7 new faces to a group that historically has not experienced much turnover. As one of the new members of the school board, I can say that this year has been a learning experience for us all. I want to take the opportunity to reflect on some of our accomplishments since we started the year.
Shortly after our swearing in, the board hit the ground running by voting to fulfill promises made by the prior board to add air conditioning in Gwyn Nor and Oak Park elementary schools. Knapp Elementary was also part of the bidding process for new air conditioning, but the board determined that Knapp's infrastructure needs were significant enough to include as part of a more extensive renovation project.
A request for proposal (RFP) was issued for a new architectural firm to serve the district. Top caliber firms from Harrisburg to Trenton submitted proposals to conduct a facility study of Knapp in order to determine the scope and options for a major renovation project. The RFP did not stop there as Penndale, North Penn High School (NPHS) and the Education Services Center were also included in the study. After an extensive interview process, the board is ready to choose a new architect and advance to the next phases.
In the interest of ensuring taxpayers are getting the highest value return on investment, a competitive RFP was also issued for a new solicitor. After an extensive interview process, the administration and the school board welcomed Kyle Somers, a highly-qualified and experienced North Penn lawyer and NPHS graduate, from Sweet, Stevens, Katz and Williams as our new general counsel.
Following the Parkland shooting, our Safe Schools Committee organized a panel consisting of district administrators, board members, local law enforcement and NPSD's Coordinator of Emergency Management and Safe Schools, Chris Doerr, to address the community's questions about what measures are in place to keep North Penn students safe. As part of the 2018-2019 budget, the board will implement a Unified Mass Notification for the middle schools and the high school, increase training for security staff and enhance the visitor management system with new kiosk technology and surveillance systems with the addition of new security cameras.
We heard repeated requests for additional staff to support special education inclusion programs and address the mental health needs of students. Thus, the board approved approximately 20 new positions in 2018-2019 school year's proposed budget. Positions for next year include special education teachers, behavior specialists and a Mental Health case manager. Additionally, six new positions have been created to implement a character education program for all elementary school students. Understanding and further improving our school climate is a major goal of this board, and these measures reinforce this commitment.
We take our obligation to balance the needs of students with the cost to taxpayers. That is why I and a number of school directors have taken an active role in promoting the district's Property Tax/Rent Rebate Program to seniors and others on fixed incomes across our North Penn community. This is a program started this year that allows seniors who qualify for the state program to qualify for additional tax savings directly from the school district. You can read more about this program in a sidebar article below.
It's been an exciting first year and there is still much more work to be done. We are in the final stages of prioritizing our goals for the next few years through a strategic planning process. Big initiatives that we are looking to tackle include adding more instructional supports for staff and students, facility renovations and instituting a full-day kindergarten program. We hope that our community will continue to be involved, reach out and provide feedback as we strive to represent you in an open and honest way. Together we can look forward to meeting the challenges that lie ahead!
Sincerely,
Christian Fusco
Member, NPSD Board of School Directors
Term Expiration: 2021
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At the recent action meeting, the NPSD Board of School Directors recognized students in the district for their outstanding achievements by awarding them proclamations of excellence.
At the worksession meeting, members of the NPHS music department received awards. The NPHS Men's Choir (directed by Matt Klenk) and individual members of the NPHS Chorus, Band and Orchestra were honored for being selected to represent the NPSD in the Pennsylvania Music Educators Association's (PMEA) District, Region, All-State and All-National band, choir and orchestra. The NPHS Chamber Singers (directed by Matt Klenk) were also recognized for for being selected to represent the North Penn School District at the American Choral Directors Association Eastern Division Conference in Pittsburgh. And finally, members of the NPHS Orchestra (directed by Erica Milbourne) were given awards for being selected to represent the North Penn School District at the Heritage Festival in Boston, Massachusetts.
At the action meeting, members of the Pennfield Jazz Band (directed by David Orehowsky), the North Wales Select Choir (directed by Tracy Calvaresi) and the Bridle Path/Montgomery Select String Ensemble were recognized for being selected to represented the NPSD at the PMEA State Conference. NPHS students in the World Language Department were also honored for their accomplishments in the National German and Japanese Exams as well as the 2018 Montgomery County Association of Teachers of Foreign Languages James J. Doyle Proficiency Contest. And finally, the NPHS Acaemic Decathlon Team (coached by Daniel Mullarkey and Alexandra Haeusser) were given awards for their performance at the Academic Decathlon PA State Competition.
Congratulations to these remarkable students and their advisors on these outstanding achievements!
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The NPSD Educational Foundation last met on May 9 at the ESC.
The Foundation reviewed the success of its recent online auction, which brought in more than $10,500 in bids for incredible items donated by North Penn staff members and community businesses. This was the Foundation's best online auction yet raising almost $2,500 more than last year's. The Foundation wants to thank everyone who donated items and who bid on them.
Trustees also approved meeting dates for the 2018-2019 school year. The Foundation meets the first Wednesday of every month, excluding July and January, at 7:45 am at the ESC. They are always looking for interested community members who would like to get involved at the district level in helping NPSD students.
The Foundation's next big fundraiser is the annual golf outing which is being held Monday, August 13, at
PineCrest
Golf Course. The Foundation is currently looking for major sponsors. They also discussed tying the golf outing to a school supply drive to help our families with back-to-school needs. More information will be reporter on this next month.
Parents are invited to thank the North Penn staff members who made a difference in their child's life this year with an end-of-the-year contribution to the Educational Foundation through our Staff Tribute Program. Click here for more information.
Money raised through the online auction, the upcoming golf outing
and
the staff tribute program will all be used
toward
grants throughout our schools. On May 21, the Foundation's Grant Review Committee discussed 52 requests recently received from North Penn staff,
totaling
more than $39,000. Typically, the Foundation funds approximately $20,000 to $25,000 to begin the school year.
The NPSD Educational Foundation's next meeting will be held on June 6 at the ESC. For more information about the Foundation, please contact Executive Director, Christine Liberaski at liberacd@npenn.org.
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The Finance Committee met on April 30 at 6:30 pm at the NPSD Educational Services Center (ESC).
The monthly financial reports were reviewed with additional discussion on the following items.
Safe Schools Budget Funding
Chris Doerr, NPSD Coordinator of Emergency Management and Safe Schools, presented various options and recommendations for Safe Schools initiatives for the 2018-2019 year. Recommendations included a mass notification system, behavioral threat assessment and surveillance system enhancements.
2018-2019 Budget Update
Steve Skrocki, NPSD Chief Financial Officer, presented an update on the budget and changes that were made since the previous Finance Committee meeting. Skrocki reviewed several budget scenarios along with the impact on the deficit and the average homeowner. The Act 1 index for 2018-2019 is 2.4 percent and the maximum increase is 3.4% percent if Act 1 exceptions are used for special education and retirement costs.
Benefits Presentation
Jenny Schmidt, NPSD Benefits Coordinator, gave a presentation on the benefits program for the district and information about the new health care plans being offered effective July 1, 2018.
Final Health Care Rates
Skrocki presented the final health care rates for the 2018-2019 school year. There will be a $2 million savings over 2017-2018, primarily as a result of plan design changes.
Five-Year Financial Projections
Skrocki presented five multi-year projection scenarios based on various assumptions. Ten additional scenarios were shared at the May worksession as well.
The next regularly scheduled Finance Committee meeting will be held on June 25 at 6:30 pm at the ESC.
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The ECP Committee met on April 24 at 6:30 pm at the ESC.
At that meeting, the committee reviewed an action item concerning the summer school remedial programs for 2018. A course recovery opportunity will be provided for students who are in grades nine through 12 and will begin on June 25 and continue through August 3. After reviewing the annual summer school program, it has been restructured to a hybrid model that will combine instruction in the classroom on Tuesdays and Thursdays with online instruction and work on Mondays and Wednesdays. Courses to be offered are English, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies and Health/Physical Education.
Also this summer, the Summer Keystone Intervention Program will be conducted. This program provides six days of instruction from July 23 through July 31. Students will take the Keystone Exam on August 1 and 2. Both programs are supported by tuition payments.
The committee also received information regarding the Restorative Practices initiative at Northbridge School. The purpose of this program is to develop and foster a more collaborative atmosphere, more engagement and an increased sense of community among staff and students. It is being used both in the classroom and in staff meetings resulting in improved attendance, academic achievement and behavior as well as increased morale among staff and students.
A review of work completed to date by the district's Kindergarten Task Force was also presented during the meeting. The information shared with the committee focused on data collected from the pilot programs at Oak Park and Knapp elementary schools as well as the budgetary, staff and infrastructure needs, as they are currently understood, for implementing a full-day kindergarten program. During the discussion about this topic, it was recommended that community input about full-day kindergarten be collected through a survey in connection with the Strategic Planning process.
A proposed timeline for moving the subject of full-day kindergarten from the ECP Committee to the full board for discussion and
eventual
vote was discussed.
At this month's ECP meeting the space utilization study results for elementary schools will be presented. Then, a detailed plan for implementing full-day kindergarten is scheduled for discussion at the ECP meeting in September followed by an anticipated review of that plan by the full board in October.
The next ECP meeting was rescheduled and held on May 24 at 6:30 pm at the ESC. The committee report from this meeting will be shared in June's issue of the Bulletin Board E-Newsletter. The next ECP meeting has been rescheduled and will be held on June 19 at 6:30 pm at the ESC.
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The Support Services Committee met on April 30 at 6:00 pm at the ESC.
Scott Kennedy, NPSD Director of Facilities and Operations, reviewed the status of the Architectural RFP process. First round interviews were completed on April 11. Final interviews with the board were conducted on April
25
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Site visits with the two finalists were completed in May. Next, an Architect will complete a feasibility study.
Kennedy presented a contract update to purchase electricity for Hatfield Elementary School from Direct Energy.
Scott Kennedy presented a change order for electrical work for the heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) project at Gwyn-Nor Elementary School.
The committee reviewed the bid results from the Montgomery County Intermediate Unit bid for trash and recycling services. The new three-year contract is $7,500 lower than the current three-year contract.
The committee reviewed the proposed meeting dates for 2019.
Bob Lanetti, NPSD Coordinator of Custodial Maintenance, gave a presentation on the Support Services Department and its accomplishments for the prior year.
The committee reviewed the existing practice for approving time sensitive change orders during the summer construction projects.
The next Support Services Committee meeting will be held on May 29 at 6:00 pm at the ESC.
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