Winter 2025

PSBA SCHOOL LEADER

BULLETIN

Since 1991, the Communication Solutions Group has served the unique P.R. needs of 60+ Pennsylvania school districts as their off-site Public Information Department.

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l Brand Development

l Social Media Management

l Focus Groups and Feedback Surveys

l Referendum Communications

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- Dr. Melanie Gehrens, Former Superintendent Bristol Township School District

winter 2025 Informing and engaging Pennsylvania’s public school leaders

FEATURES

THE ART OF CONSENSUS:

BUILDING UNITY IN THE BOARDROOM

BY KRISTINE PARKES

In a world increasingly marked by polarization and discord, the ability to achieve consensus has never been more vital – or more challenging. Consensus is not simply about agreement; it’s a dynamic process of listening, understanding and finding common ground.

EXPLORING THE OPTIONS WITH CTE

BY SEAN RUCK

Learn from three individuals heading organizations that are delivering high-quality career and technical programming to students, providing options for their futures and helping meet the needs of society.

SCHOOL BUDGET COMPLEXITIES: PROPERTY ASSESSMENTS AND CAPITAL FUNDS

BY JIM PATERSON

Throughout the challenging process of school budgeting, two steps are sometimes the most cumbersome and the knottiest to explain to the public – the reassessment of property values and the need to make capital improvements and prioritize them.

LEADERSHIP

SNAPSHOT: 2025 PSBA PRESIDENT ALLISON MATHIS

Meet Allison Mathis, your PSBA president for this year! Read on for details on her focus for the year, how she balances a career with board business, and what she finds most rewarding about board service.

Q: What motivated you to become involved in board service?

In my professional work, I study educational policies and practices and try to support practitioners and decision-makers with data and research. Serving on my local school board was a way to contribute some of my professional experience to my community.

BY JENNIFER IRITI

As a superintendent and member of the Team of 10, I view my position as the nonvoting member to be the communication facilitator. Every school board director has a primary reason (or multiple reasons) for their interest in serving the school community. If I fully know and understand the priorities of each board director, I can better communicate the details of motions and resolutions to be considered.

BY PAUL DOUGHERTY

LEADERBOARD

PSBA President Allison Mathis makes the case for consensus and PSBA CEO Nathan Mains encourages boards to start the year with a focus on common goals.

Meet Dr. Jennifer Iriti, school board director at the South Fayette Township School District.

Paul Dougherty, superintendent at the Tunkhannock School District, discusses key points and practices for reaching board consensus.

How can I communicate better with our district’s stakeholders?

The North Penn School District’s Community Hosted Internship Program is helping students discover and prepare for career pathways.

Get answers to frequently asked questions about board governance, from PSBA’s available resources.

SNAPSHOT

One great moment in the life of our public schools.

CAPITOL IDEAS

Learn more about how to use PSBA’s newly updated advocacy guide, Speak Up for Public Schools 49

MONEY SMART

Combat check fraud with these best practices from the experts.

50 DATA POINTS

Get a snapshot of Pennsylvania Public School enrollment and projections.

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IT’S THE LAW

Learn more about parental rights in the classroom, informed by a recent court decision.

SNAPSHOT

One great moment in the life of our public schools.

PRESIDENT

Allison Mathis, North Hills SD

PRESIDENT-ELECT

Sabrina Backer, Franklin Area SD

VICE PRESIDENT

Matt Vannoy, Sharon City SD

TREASURER

Dr. Karen Beck Pooley, Bethlehem Area SD

IMMEDIATE PAST-PRESIDENT Mike Gossert, Cumberland Valley SD

STAFF

Nathan G. Mains Chief Executive Officer and Publisher nathan.mains@psba.org

Jackie Inouye Editor jackie.inouye@psba.org

Cynthia L. Eckerd Editor cindy.eckerd@psba.org

Amanda Daniels Editor amanda.daniels@psba.org

Erika Houser Senior Design Manager erika.houser@psba.org

www.psba.org (717) 506-2450 (800) 932-0588 Fax: (717) 506-2451

PSBA SCHOOL LEADER BULLETIN: (ISSN 01623559) is published four times a year by the Pennsylvania School Boards Association, 400 Bent Creek Blvd, Mechanicsburg, PA 17050-1873. Tel: (717) 506-2450. Periodicals postage paid at Mechanicsburg, PA and additional mailing locations. Subscriptions: $60 per year (members), $150 per year (nonmembers). Postmaster: Send address changes to PSBA Bulletin, 400 Bent Creek Blvd., Mechanicsburg, PA 17050-1873.

EDITORIAL AND ADVERTISING

POLICY: The granting of PSBA Partners and the acceptance of advertising in this publication do not necessarily constitute an endorsement by the Pennsylvania School Boards Association for products and services offered by the advertisers. Official positions and services endorsed by PSBA will be clearly stated and noted in this publication. Opinions by authors do not necessarily reflect positions of PSBA. Copyright 2025, Pennsylvania School Boards Association. All rights reserved.

Common ground

By Allison Mathis, president

School boards face complex issues that shape the experiences of students, employees and the broader community. In this context, building consensus isn’t just beneficial — it’s essential for effective governance and for making well-supported decisions that can help guide the administration’s actions.

So, how do board members build consensus to create an atmosphere of collaboration, respect and trust?

A strong board requires a strong leader, and the role of the board president is pivotal in the consensus process. The president’s job is to foster open, respectful dialogue, ensuring that all voices are heard and that no member is blindsided. Leadership means acting with integrity, keeping consensusbuilding efforts transparent and compliant with the Sunshine Law. (This can mean spending a fair amount of time listening and talking to board members one on one.)

At the heart of consensus building is communication. In my experience, effective board members don’t operate in isolation. As a single board member, your influence is limited; it’s through collective efforts that real impact is achieved. Successful board members invest significant time not just in talking, but in truly listening. Conversations with those who hold alternative perspectives are the ones that ultimately strengthen the board’s decisionmaking. Listening to differing viewpoints and objections doesn’t mean you need to agree with them, but it may help you understand their perspective. Compromise

LEADERBOARD

is often necessary to achieve consensus. Stubbornness rarely yields progress; instead, focusing on the common goal of enhancing educational outcomes for students can help the board find shared ground.

Remember that each vote is part of a larger journey, and a unified board can accomplish far more over time than any individual board member.

Through open communication, transparency and a balanced approach to compromise, school boards can achieve consensus on key issues to keep the business of the district moving forward. This strengthens the board’s effectiveness, builds community trust, and leads to decisions that are equitable and balanced.

A season of

renewal

By Nathan Mains, chief executive officer

“If Winter comes, can Spring be far behind?” This final line from “Ode to the West Wind” by Percy Bysshe Shelley speaks to a sense that even in the depths of the cold, dark winter, a season of renewal and hope is right around the corner. As we kick off 2025, it is a time to reflect on the past year and look ahead to a new board year, a chance for a reorganized board to tackle new challenges and recommit to advancing your district’s goals for every student you serve.

Each Team of 10 should welcome vigorous debate and a broad representation of perspectives. But during the season of renewal, we also have the opportunity to move beyond our differences to seek common ground and commonsense solutions that can

work best for the district. Disagreements do not need to be disagreeable.

So, with spring not far behind, let’s embrace a new year woven with the common thread of belief in the power of a public education. Every Pennsylvania student needs their elected and appointed leaders to lead the way!

Insights for 2025

By Jackie Inouye, associate director of communications

Happy New Year! The winter months are often a time for celebration and reflection. This issue encompasses both, as we celebrate the benefits of career and technical education, and address what are considered by many to be some of the more complex aspects of board service: school budgeting and reaching consensus. Inside, you’ll read about some of the innovative career and tech programs around the commonwealth and hear from the students who are benefiting from them. You’ll also gain insights from school leaders who have experience in budgeting and consensus, along with a reminder about the PSBA resources available to assist you.

Congratulations to all those elected by the membership to serve on the 2025 PSBA Governing Board! If you haven’t done so already, check the Resource Library on myPSBA for a digital insert containing professional biographies and photos of the full board. These leaders ensure that your association is focused on what best serves Pennsylvania public education, our schools and students – a goal we all share.

PSBA WORKS FOR YOU

Student Leader Scholarships accepting applications

The PSBA Trust announced the opening of the 2025 Student Leader Scholarships, a series of scholarships that recognize outstanding students. They have been established to provide a one-time award of up to $5,000 to graduating seniors from PSBA member districts who have demonstrated ongoing leadership and meet the criteria for one of four available scholarships. Applications for the scholarships are due by March 14, 2025. For more information visit PSBATrust.org.

Board candidate resources

Do you know someone interested in campaigning for a seat on their school board? PSBA has created several resources, including a guide and a free online course to help the public understand the requirements for school board director candidates and the expectations, challenges and rewards of serving. Access them under the Resources tab on GreatPASchools.com.

Powering the Future: Solar for Schools webinar recording

In November, PSBA teamed up with the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development to host a webinar covering the Solar for Schools Grant Program and to provide information to help school leaders decide if a solar program could work for their

district and how they can secure funding for their project. The webinar is now available to view on myPSBA.

Social media guide for school directors

Social media has become an integral part of our communication and participation with local, national and global communities, providing opportunities to connect with the public, share information about the district and board actions, and promote the success of our students. Along with the benefits, social media forums also present challenges. PSBA has updated our Social Media Guide for Pennsylvania School Board Directors to help you navigate the evolving world of social media and its significant impact on your role. Find the newly revised guide in the Resource Library under the Gain Knowledge tab on myPSBA.

Updated Advocacy Guide

Advocacy is an important tool for creating change and making your voice heard. As such, PSBA created a new advocacy guide, Speak Up for Public Schools, as a resource for your advocacy efforts. In it, you’ll find information on why your voice is important, how to get started and strategies on how to effectively develop meaningful relationships with your legislators. Find more details in the Capitol Ideas column on page 46.

Executive Session 101

In keeping with the Sunshine Act, Pennsylvania’s open meetings law, school boards have learned to conduct nearly all their business in advertised meetings open to the public. However, there are times when school boards or committees may assemble in private, called executive session. To help members better understand the purpose and allowable reasons for executive session, PSBA has created a one-page guide, now available in the Resource Library on myPSBA.

myPSBA update

Last year, our public-facing website was updated, bringing a fresh new appearance, streamlined navigation and accessible features to PSBA.org. Now, myPSBA.org, our member portal, is undergoing a multiphase restructuring with more capabilities specific to your role on the board. Watch for changes in the coming months!

New microcourses

Introducing the latest batch of microcourses, just released on myPSBA. Dive into the newest asynchronous learning opportunities covering topics such as school budgeting, comprehensive planning and more!

School Safety Preparedness Certificate

Last fall, PennSSI in partnership with Millersville University successfully led the first cohort of participants through the newly developed School Safety Preparedness Certificate program. Over the course of five sessions, participants learned how to assess and address various natural and man-made disasters. The partnership continues with applications for the next cohort now being accepted. Learn more and apply at PennSSI.org.

PSBA WORKS FOR YOU

Filling a Board Vacancy

The PA Public School Code specifies how and when vacancies on the school board must be filled. PSBA has created a 12-page guide to help boards ensure they are fulfilling the necessary requirements efficiently and in compliance with law. Inside are helpful reminders about when and how a vacancy must be filled, plus eligibility and other requirements that apply to vacancy appointments. Access the full guide in the myPSBA Resource Library under the Professional Development section.

SBS Forum Guide

PSBA’s one-pager for school board secretaries provides helpful reminders of key dates and professional development opportunities for this role throughout the year. Mark your calendar now for the SBS Conference on October 30-31, and download the guide now in the myPSBA Resource Library.

PSBSA President's Award

Congratulations to Kenneth A. Roos, Esq. (pictured below, center) of Wisler Pearlstine, who received the Pennsylvania School Board Solicitors Association (PSBSA) President’s Award for Distinguished Career Achievement in School Law, at the School Law Workshop last fall!

PSBA Liaison resources

The PSBA Liaison is a key position designed to help your board make the most of

membership benefits by connecting your needs with our resources and promoting board effectiveness and efficiency. PSBA recently released exclusive supports for this position, including templated board updates, quarterly virtual gatherings and more! If your board has not yet appointed a liaison, consider adding this essential role to gain even more from your membership.

LEGACY

Thaddeus Stevens, who overcame poverty to become a prominent lawyer and member of the state House of Representatives, was known to be an ardent advocate for free public education. In April 1835, Stevens rose to address the General Assembly, eloquently expressing his concerns in response to the state Senate’s vote to repeal the Free Schools Act of 1843. He urged the House to cast their votes to ensure that the “blessing of education shall be conferred to every son of Pennsylvania, shall be carried home to the poorest child of the poorest inhabitant of your mountains so that even he may be prepared to act his part in this land of freemen.” In the end, the House decisively voted against the repeal; the Senate took another vote and upheld the act and allowed public school education to remain free.

New PSBA staff

Ulysses S. Wilson recently joined PSBA as the senior director of legal services. A transplant from New England to Pennsylvania, Ulysses received his bachelor's degree in sociology from Messiah University and a master's degree in administration of justice from Shippensburg University, while holding leadership roles for several Fortune 500 companies. An honors graduate of Widener University Commonwealth Law School, Class of 2011, Ulysses brings a broad background in general legal practice, providing practical and approachable counsel across diverse legal areas. Outside the office, Ulysses practices yoga and mindfulness, races OneWheels, and is a beloved husband and father to two kids and three dogs.

Cody Roadcap is PSBA’s new senior video production manager. His journey in video production began in high school through a career and technical program and continued at Kutztown University. Before joining PSBA, Cody worked in creative services at CBS21, where he produced commercials for local businesses across the greater Harrisburg area. Outside of work, Cody cherishes spending time with his wife and family. He enjoys traveling and experiencing new places and is passionate about playing and watching sports. He is even a part owner of the Green Bay Packers!

Elementary. It’s CM Regent Solutions.

CM Regent Solutions offers a full array of employee benefits, including life, disability, vision, dental, pharmacy and more from carriers that meet the highest standards of quality and stability.

CM Regent Solutions also gives you:

 Flexible plan designs.

 Rate discounts when products are bundled

 A claims team dedicated to schools.

Our benefits experts are committed to helping you prevent and minimize loss, easily resolve claims, and keep you focused on your primary mission.

CM Regent Solutions: The benefits team you’ve been searching for.

At CM Regent, we know schools need more than just the standard, required coverage. That’s why we offer our customized solutions, expert claims service, and value-added services such as:

Property Appraisals.

Elevator* & Boiler Inspections.

Roof inspections by Haag certified roof inspectors.

Playground inspections by Certified Playground Safety Inspectors.

Dedicated risk management consultants to help you identify hazards and build a culture of safety.

Ready to learn more about the school insurance provider who thinks critically and offers customized insurance solutions? Visit cmregent.com or call 844-480-0709 today!

*In states where

inspectors

BOOK REVIEW

The Governance Core By Davis Campbell and Michael Fullan

Published by Corwin Publishers

Reviewed by Will Smeltzer

In Pennsylvania, the "Team of 10" refers to a school district’s superintendent and its nine locally elected school board directors. In my time on the PSBA Professional Development team, I’ve seen that the most effective boards don’t leave teamwork to chance. They put real effort into building a governance unit where every member knows their role, their responsibilities and their authority. In The Governance Core: School Boards, Superintendents, and Schools Working Together, authors Davis Campbell and Michael Fullan believe that for schools to thrive, boards and superintendents must work together as a strong, cohesive team, stating, “There is an urgent need for better and markedly more effective school districts. Trustees [school board directors], superintendents, schools, and communities working together can generate this new social presence and power." The book is divided into three parts, each focusing on a different aspect of school board governance: developing strong individual board directors, building a unified governing body and preparing for future challenges.

In the first part of the book, Campbell and Fullan stress the importance of board directors in adopting a “governance mindset.” They define governance as the process by which a board sets the direction of the district, builds its structure and ensures accountability. They challenge boards with a key question: Will they function as a group of individuals with their own personal agendas, or will they come together as a unified team with a common vision? A high-functioning board, they argue, is built on the belief that all children can and will learn, and that every board director has a role in making that vision a reality. School board directors with this mindset understand that their leadership is key to effective governance.

The second part focuses on the importance of creating a unified school board. Campbell and Fullan discuss the common hurdles boards face, such as holding the superintendent accountable

without micromanaging, handling directors with a single-issue focus, and navigating the tension between representing constituents and supporting broader district goals. To overcome these challenges, they emphasize the importance of three key elements: boardadopted governance principles, norms and protocols. Governance principles, such as PSBA’s own Principles for Governance and Leadership, are the foundation for board decision-making. Norms are agreements that shape how directors approach board service, such as welcoming input from all team members and keeping student growth and achievement as the primary focus. Protocols, on the other hand, are formalized processes for how a board operates, from adopting policies to evaluating the superintendent to adopting the budget and much more. The authors highlight that these three components – principles, norms and protocols – help set clear expectations for how a board functions as a governance team.

In the last section, the authors offer advice to help directors and superintendents navigate the challenges ahead. They remind directors that board service is a long-term commitment, not a sprint. Whether or not directors always see eye to eye, the board’s success is a shared responsibility. Superintendents, meanwhile, are encouraged to engage directors in meaningful ways, treat every question as an opportunity for growth, respect the board’s governance role and support its community outreach efforts. Campbell and Fullan end by issuing a challenge: school boards and superintendents need to raise their game. “The education world needs you –indeed, society needs a strong local governance mindset in action,” they write.

Overall, The Governance Core offers practical, thoughtful guidance for board directors and superintendents who want to build cohesive, effective governance teams, reminding us that strong local governance is vital to the success of public education.

“The education world needs you – indeed, society needs a strong local governance mindset in action.”

RESEARCH AND TRENDS

STATE NATIONAL

Future Ready PA Index

The Future Ready PA Index, which tracks progress across Pennsylvania’s schools, was updated this fall with the most recent data from the current academic year. Points of note include:

• All state assessment proficiency rates remained near or increased from 2022 results.

• ELA decreased from 54.5% in 2022-23 to 53.9% in 2023-24.

• Math increased from 38.3% in 2022-23 to 40.2% in 2023-24.

• Science increased from 58.9% in 2022-23 to 59.2% in 2023-24.

• English Learner growth and attainment increased from 29% in 2022-23 to 31.7% in 2023-24.

• Regular attendance growth and attainment increased from 73.9% in 2022-23 to 78.1% in 2023-24.

• Four-year cohort graduation rates increased from 87% in 2022-23 to 87.6% in 2023-24.

Regular attendance growth and attainment increased from 73.9% in 2022-23 to 78.1% in 2023-24.

Federal AI toolkit, guidance released

The U.S. Department of Education (ED) released its awaited toolkit designed to help school leaders integrate artificial intelligence (AI) at schools in a “safe, ethical and equitable” way. This toolkit expands on ED’s 2023 report, Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Teaching and Learning: Insights and Recommendations, offering actionable steps for AI use as districts seek to manage AI’s risks and leverage its benefits. Content is divided into three sections:

• Mitigating Risk: Safeguarding Student Privacy, Safety, and Civil Rights

• Building a Strategy for AI Integration in the Instructional Core

• Maximizing Opportunity: Guiding the Effective Use and Evaluation of AI

Access the full report on the ED’s Office of Educational Technology website.

In addition, ED’s Office for Civil Rights released guidance aimed at helping prevent discriminatory use of AI in schools. The resource provides information on the legal analyses used to determine whether discrimination exists. It also gives examples of conduct that could present grounds for an investigation, such as if a school district utilizes facial recognition technology that misidentifies certain groups of students,

or if AI is used to translate for parents who have limited English proficiency. Access the report on ED’s website.

Teacher staffing stays steady

Nationwide, the number of school staffing positions has remained steady, according to the latest findings of the National Center for Education Statistics' (NCES) School Pulse Panel. Public schools that lost teaching positions reported the reasons included decreased enrollment (55%) and loss of funding or budget cuts (52%). Public schools that added teaching positions cited increased enrollment (60%) and addition of new classes or courses (27%) as reasons. Access these results and the full dashboard of data on the NCES website.

Study predicts drop in high school graduates

A recent study by the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE) predicts a steady decline in the number of high school graduates through 2041. According to the research, 2025 will see a peak of graduates, between 3.8 and 3.9 million, which will gradually lower to about 3.4 million. The report cites falling birth rates as well as fewer students who persist and earn diplomas as possible causes for the decline. The report also predicts a more racially and ethnically diverse student body. Access the report, Knocking at the College Door, on WICHE’s website.

THE IMPACT OF BULLYING: THE DATA

19% of students reported being bullied, including of males of females. a n d 17% 22%

Among students who were bullied both in-person and online or by text, 30% reported a negative effect on their schoolwork.

78% reported only being bullied in-person, Among students who were bullied, 8% reported only being bullied online or by text, and 14% reported being bullied both in-person and online or by text.

EDUCATION LOOKBACK

Recent highlights and happenings in public education.

Program successes and initiatives

Thirty-seven schools successfully completed the 2024 Governor’s Breakfast Champions Challenge, a three-month program designed to increase participation in PA’s Universal Free Breakfast Program.

The application period opened for the PAsmart Advancing Grants, designed to expand access to STEM learning for PA students.

A total of 208 investments totaling $175 million were approved to enhance school facilities across the state.

During Operation Safe Stop 2024, an annual initiative designed to enhance school bus safety and awareness, there were 131 violations of the law, down from the 177 reported in the previous year.

Recognitions and awards

Thirteen schools in Pennsylvania were named among the 2024 National Blue Ribbon Schools, presented by the U.S. Department of Education.

The PA State Education Association announced the 2025 Pennsylvania Teacher of the Year: Leon Smith, a high school social studies teacher in Haverford Township School District.

Crystal Parks, a custodian at Woodward Elementary School in Keystone Central School District, was presented with the Recognizing Inspiring School Employees (RISE) Award.

Dr. Dan Beck, assistant principal at Upper St. Clair High School, was selected as the 2025 Robert E. Lavely Assistant Principal of the Year by The Pennsylvania Principals Association in conjunction with the National Association of Secondary School Principals’ (NASSP) National Assistant Principal of the Year program.

Policy and funding updates

The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced that schools cannot charge fees to students eligible for free or reduced-price school meals beginning in 2027.

The Biden administration announced a federal investment of $70 million to expand student access to school-based mental health support and services.

The U.S. Department of Education announced it is seeking public input on the Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) for the 2025-26 and 2027-28 school years.

Interest in the Federal Communications Commission’s new federal cybersecurity pilot program far exceeded the allocated $200 million in funds, with more than 2,734 applicants totaling $3.7 billion in requests from schools and libraries.

Leadership changes

Dr. Khalid Mumin stepped down from his role as secretary for the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE), with PDE Executive Deputy Secretary Angela Fitterer named interim acting secretary.

Events and visits

U.S. Deputy Secretary of Education Cindy Marten visited Wickersham Elementary School in the School District of Lancaster, where she recognized the school as a model for use of American Rescue Plan funding for its small-group learning and mental health initiatives.

New resources

The U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Educational Technology released its AI toolkit, guidance designed to help K-12 leaders integrate artificial intelligence into their school districts.

PDE announced a new guide to help schools navigate the state-mandated training timelines.

Nomination opportunities

Applications opened to nominate educators for Pennsylvania’s 2026 Teacher of the Year.

Schools Manage Their Investments

rchainani@pmanetwork.com

nwaldron@pmanetwork.com

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"Consensus is not simply about agreement; it’s a dynamic process of listening, understanding and finding common ground."

THE ART OF CONSENSUS: BUILDING UNITY IN THE BOARDROOM

BY KRISTINE PARKES

In a world increasingly marked by polarization and discord, the ability to achieve consensus has never been more vital – or more challenging. Consensus is not simply about agreement; it’s a dynamic process of listening, understanding and finding common ground. Whether in boardrooms, community meetings or international negotiations, it is the thread that weaves diverse perspectives into a shared vision. But how do we navigate the complexities of differing values, priorities and opinions to reach a resolution that resonates with all parties? The answer lies not in compromise alone but in fostering a culture of collaboration, empathy and mutual respect.

According to The Governance Core, consensus and positive school board culture are so important because although school directors are elected on an individual basis, they are tasked with operating as a team. Only the board acting together has the authority to take action, and it is likely that the public will judge the success of the board by its accomplishments, not by what individuals do. Authors Michael Fullan and Davis Campbell observe that the juxtaposition between the individual and the collective nature of the board’s work can cause friction:

“Serving on a board is not a natural activity. On the one hand, when we serve on a board, we do so with the expectation that we will make a personal contribution and will provide leadership for change. On the other hand, we are told that we have no individual authority to take policy action on our own. Only the

Kristine Parkes is a freelance writer in eastern PA.

board can do the latter. Add to this the potential awkwardness of the different working styles of members, and we have a volatile mixture. Sometimes that mixture simmers until it boils.”

[Read a review of The Governance Core on page. 12]

Not too long ago, Grove City Area School District’s board of directors was making headlines for its disruptive and chaotic meetings and highly polarized governance structure. In those days, 13 individuals ran in a contentious election for four open school board seats. Today, if Grove City Area’s school board makes headlines, it is because of its focus on consensus-based decisions that are in the best interest of the district’s students. And elections? There isn’t one school board election sign to be found in the school district. In the last election, four individuals ran for four open seats, and all four individuals won their seats.

How did the district get to this place of respectful governance? According to Superintendent Dr. Jeff Finch, it took patience, trust and the willingness of all parties to make a change. “We still have long meetings during budget and tax season, but the conversations are respectful and productive,” Finch says.

Two of the changes Grove City Area made to get to a place of collaboration and mutual respect were establishing a formal onboarding process for all new school directors and creating standing committees, also sometimes referred to as subcommittees. Douglas Gerwick, school

director for Grove City Area and former board president, assisted with the formation of the onboarding process. Finishing his fifth term on this board, Gerwick remembers the days of the district’s dreaded school board meetings.

The current onboarding process begins as soon as an individual is identified as a potential school board director. Gerwick, other members of the school board and Finch will invite the person out to lunch where they will provide updates on current school district issues and budgetary information, and inquire about personal interests to help place that individual on a future board standing committee.

Dr. Michael Smith, associate professor, member of the Ombudsmen Committee and former member and chair of the Mediation Committee at La Salle University in Philadelphia, agrees that meetings such as these can set a solid foundation on which to build consensus later. “Knowing why each person chose to run for a position on the school board is a great start to understanding each other’s viewpoints before difficult conversations are brought before the board,” Smith says.

Gerwick explains that the concept of the position being nonpartisan is also discussed during this meeting. “I believe that if you are taking your board position to heart, no one should know your party … this is a nonpartisan position, which makes it easier when making decisions in the best interests of our students.”

Other components of the onboarding process, which came about through the team’s attendance at a PSBA workshop, include binders for each school director that contain all relevant documents, one-on-one meetings with members of the Superintendent’s Cabinet, tours of all of the buildings and an evening meeting with the superintendent.

However, one of the strongest components of the onboarding process is the assignment of mentors. At Grove City Area, a long-serving board director is assigned to a new director immediately following the election. The board directors are seated next to each other at all meetings, allowing newer directors to ask their mentor questions during meetings. It is also a great opportunity for mentors to encourage their mentees to make their voices heard during meetings – an important component of building consensus is ensuring everyone’s voice is heard. It is an aspect of board service that both mentor and mentee greatly appreciate.

“We have found that the formalized onboarding process enables each board director to become a part of the team and be educated on district issues from day 1,” Gerwick states. “When we are all voting from a place of mutual understanding, it cuts down on antagonistic voting.”

Palisades School District Board President Silvia LeBlanc explains that being a school board director can be overwhelming and that the district’s onboarding process helps orient new directors not only to the school district

Advice from the trenches

It is hard, but to work to build consensus: Everyone comes at an issue from their own perspective. Place the students as your North Star and remind yourselves that you are working on a challenge together, not against a person.

Manage parliamentary procedure: Educate school directors, and the public, on the rules that the board of directors will follow during formal board meetings. Ensure these rules are followed consistently at every meeting. See Essentials of Parliamentary Procedure in the myPSBA Resource Library for guidance.

Set board rules: It sounds quaint, but behind closed doors, the board should set ground rules for communication – how members will speak to each other and how they will speak about each other. At this session, it is also good for the board to establish its own mission or value statement – why they are there. These rules will help members stay within the boundaries of common ground and will help everyone maintain respectful communication. See pages 27-29 of Essentials of School Board Leadership in the myPSBA Resource Library for helpful guidance on language that fosters healthy collaboration.

Don’t be baited by distractions: Remember, building consensus takes patience and consistency and school leaders must work every day to make it happen.

Everyone can find passion without anger: It is easy to be frustrated and hide behind the red tape and restrictions that school districts face every day. It is easy to take those frustrations out on fellow board directors with whom you may not agree 100%. However, when directors stop seeing each other as strangers, and instead as members of the same team working together for students and staff, the passion can turn to positive outcomes.

"The district’s onboarding process helps orient new directors not only to the school district and the responsibilities of being on the board but to each other, which helps the board reach consensus during board meetings."

and the responsibilities of being on the board but to each other, which helps the board reach consensus during board meetings.

Like Grove City Area, Palisades’ onboarding process is ongoing and includes building tours where school directors are able to meet staff, faculty and students. There is also a board orientation and retreats, and attendance at PSBA workshops is encouraged. “We have a very diverse board, which is great for our students,” LeBlanc states. “It is good for us to share meals and get to know each other outside of the boardroom.”

directors. As Finch explains, previously, the district only held a committee of the whole meeting and a board of directors meeting. With only these two meetings, there was a perception of a lack of transparency and a missed opportunity to leverage the expertise of board directors. Now, members of the board are assigned to standing committees (subcommittees) based on their expertise and interests upon joining the board.

Standing committee meetings are held in the mornings to allow principals, teachers and even students to attend without adding

Smith concurs that one way to reach consensus is for all members of the group to discover common ground and seek agreement on transcendent goals. One way to do this is through an onboarding process that encourages board directors to get to know each other outside of the boardroom. “Seeking agreement on the key values and needs of the board can help to clear up misconceptions,” Smith states. “Transcendent goals take the board beyond any individual dispute.”

Establishing standing committees is another significant change that has helped bring accord to Grove City Area’s board of

another evening meeting to everyone’s schedule. The morning meeting schedule also allows for the committee to leave the meeting room and travel to see a program or service in action if a question or concern arises that can’t be answered at the meeting table. It is explained that an issue may stay in the standing committee for months and that in some months, a committee may not meet if there isn’t anything on the agenda. However, the board chair of the standing committee will attend the staff meeting equivalent to that committee to strengthen their awareness of the district, ensure transparency and create trust.

“I am pleased to report that better

long-range planning came from establishing a subcommittee structure,” Finch states. “And subcommittee reports are accepted at the board meetings with confidence from all members.”

Palisades Superintendent Dr. Bridget O’Connell concurs with the committee structure, stating, “The committee structure allows for many issues to be discussed at once with no surprises once the issues get to the boardroom.” She also likes the fact that the committee structure allows a boardlevel committee chair to own an issue.

The journey of the Grove City Area’s board of directors – from polarization to productive governance – demonstrates the transformative power of intentional collaboration and well-designed processes. By prioritizing onboarding practices that build trust and mutual understanding, assigning mentors to foster continuity and leveraging standing committees to ensure transparency and inclusivity, the district has created a model of governance rooted in respect and shared purpose.

This shift is a reminder that consensus doesn’t arise by chance; it requires deliberate efforts to bridge differences and focus on the collective good. As Grove City Area, Palisades and other districts demonstrate, diverse perspectives become a strength rather than a barrier when school districts prioritize connection, clarity and respect. In an era where divisiveness often feels inevitable, their example provides a blueprint for finding common ground and moving forward together.

SCHOOL BUDGET

BY JIM PATERSON

Throughout the challenging process of school budgeting, two steps are sometimes the most cumbersome and the knottiest to explain to the public – the reassessment of property values and the need to make capital improvements and prioritize them. But experts say those key practices can be designed to be more efficient and better understood and accepted by the public if school leaders follow a flexible but detailed plan for both and communicate about school finances thoroughly and openly.

“We have to make them aware of these processes – what they will entail and how they will be impacted,” says Brian Pawling, business administrator for Radnor Township School District in Wayne, PA, which enrolls about 3,600 students in five schools. Pawling has helped author the curriculum for school budgeting courses for PSBA. “It is hard, because people are impacted by school finances in a number of ways and they feel strongly about them,” he added. “They often feel they are being impacted negatively – so you have to explain the process and be very transparent.”

Steve Skrocki, chief financial officer for North Penn School District, agrees and believes thorough planning is essential when it comes to school finances. “You have to have a plan and communicate clearly about it,” he says, pointing to the district’s regularly updated 10-year capital plan that he put in place in 2018 after two years of work on it.

“You have to have a plan and communicate clearly about it.”

Unlike Radnor, which underwent a court-ordered county reassessment in 2021, North Penn has not undertaken that process for about 28 years. But Skrocki says funding – through taxes or bond issues or appeals to existing assessments – is nonetheless something that must be part of the planning process, which for his district involves 17 schools housing more than 12,700 students.

He notes that, for a mix of stakeholders, school districts have to tie together their planning and communications related

to funding sources and methods and the capital plan. They must involve a mix of stakeholders, he says, noting that the biggest of them are the students. “Our board is very in tune with protecting physical assets and providing the funding for them. They also understand there is a direct connection between the physical assets and environment and student achievement,” he says. “And that, ultimately, is the goal.”

The reassessment dilemma

Pennsylvania is unique when it comes to this process of estimating the value of property to determine how much property tax the owner should pay. State Senator Katie Muth (D-Chester/Montgomery/Berks), chair of the PA Senate Democratic Policy Committee during the 2023-24 session, pointed that out during hearings she and state Senator Wayne Fontana (D-Allegheny) held last fall on the topic.

“The Policy Committee hearing highlighted how, yet again, Pennsylvania lags behind the rest of the nation in tax fairness especially in property tax policy,” Sen. Muth said. “The bipartisan participation in this hearing shows that reassessment is not a partisan issue – the lack of regular reassessments is a problem across the commonwealth. The General Assembly needs to prioritize legislation that ensures a property tax system that is fair and uniform across all counties and provides counties resources for initial implementation.” She noted that Pennsylvania is “the only state in the nation which does not have statutorily mandated reassessments on a fixed cycle.”

The hearing included testimony from Jeffrey Weber, former associate provost and professor of public administration at East Stroudsburg University on behalf of the Center for Rural Pennsylvania, who discussed his research that failure to reassess property values reduces revenue

Jim Paterson is an education writer living in Lewes, DE.

for taxing authorities, especially in rural areas. “Specifically, for rural counties, each year since the last countywide reassessment, the amount of revenue generated per mill decreases by .9%, so after five years without a reassessment, the revenue generating capability may decrease by 4.46%,” Weber told the committee.

Timothy J. Shrom, director of research for the Pennsylvania Association of School Business Officials (PASBO), told the legislators that “there are no state regulatory constraints to assure even modest corrections toward greater uniformity, even when equity measures signal wider unfairness.”

“It is not fair to taxpayers; it is not fair to districts, and even worse, it’s not fair for many of our multicounty school districts,” he said. “Unfavorable equity measures also translate to and impact statewide policy efforts for tax relief including the property tax and rent rebate program and other property tax relief programs. Future efforts at tax relief and the efficiency of that resource allocation are correlated directly to assessment equity measures.”

Working with the system

For Pawling, Radnor Township School District is still settling some of the appeals from its reassessment four years ago, and he notes that appeals are generated by both property owners and the district, in Radnor’s case, 130 so far from the district. He explains that counties contract for the reassessment and handle the appeal process for the taxing authorities affected in Pennsylvania, including school districts.

When a reassessment is done, those taxing authorities are required by law to decrease the tax rate and make the process revenue neutral, but he notes that it may not mean

North Penn School District scoring matrix for rating capital projects

each taxpayer will be affected just the same. Some property values may have risen at a faster rate, or other factors may make their value rise comparatively higher than another property. He says, for example, that his district’s millage rate went from 25.5659 mills to 13.9224 mills with assessed values of 3.2 billion pre-reassessment to 6.1 billion after the reassessment brought property valuation closer to their market value.

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“A lot of residents think you are doing it for a money grab. But the millage comes down. In the end, usually about one-third end up paying a little more in taxes, one-third pay a little less and about one-third end up at about the same level,” he said. “It is tumultuous in the first year, but a necessary evil.”

Without a reassessment, Skrocki says the district more often files appeals, although that process has been challenged in court on several fronts.

“A lot of residents think you are doing it for a money grab. But the millage comes down. In the end, usually about one-third end up paying a little more in taxes, one-third pay a little less and about one-third end up at about the same level,” he said. “It is tumultuous in the first year, but a necessary evil."

Working with the public about reassessment and the tax rates involves a lot of “customer service,” he says, noting that if the district has a clear plan for the revenue, that job is easier. Skrocki notes that reassessments are expensive and concerning to citizens, particularly when they don’t realize that revenue neutrality is the goal.

Both Pawling and Skrocki agree that mandating a clear, fair system for routine reassessments would be best.

Where that money goes

Such a system would stabilize revenue streams, experts say, make taxing fairer. That, then, would mean districts could more

effectively plan for capital improvements, the other end of the budgetary process. Skrocki and the district facilities director began work on the district’s 10-year capital plan in 2015 and completed it three years later. It involves a list of nearly 350 projects, including items such as mirrors for a blind spot in a hallway, flooring repair and a roof replacement, one of the bigger projects. Each project has an estimated price tag and is rated using five criteria: safety, physical condition, educational impact, age and life expectancy (see graphic above). The points for each project under those criteria are added together to give the work a score, which then prioritizes it on the list. The cost of each project is also listed as its current expected cost, cost in the next five years and cost over the next 10. A color-coding system also identified the projects that are new to the list or have been updated.

The school board’s facilities and operations committee then reviews the list each month and makes changes and recommendations to the entire board about what projects should be completed based on available revenue. “It works pretty well – and allows us to do long-term planning for our assets tied to fiscal planning,” he said.

Pawling says typically districts will have an architect or engineer do a full assessment of the school property to establish the plan, and then perhaps have a professional update it periodically, though often schoolbased facilities managers can provide adjustments or identify new concerns. He notes that enrollment data also must be included to project the need for additional space or equipment. Districts must also use enrollment data and the anticipated housing data to determine if new schools are needed.

He says with such planning, the board then must prioritize projects and establish which will move forward, considering whether it has money available in a reserve fund, from taxes or whether a bond should be issued. “The planning allows us to have a structure for the work that needs to be done, but it is a very fluid process. You are not going to have a five- or 10-year plan and that’s it – and it’s set in stone,” Pawling says. “The priorities often change for a variety of reasons. We do a major update to the plan once a year, but it changes month to month.”

He also notes that public communications about the projects under consideration should be done thoughtfully since school personnel and parents or community members may feel strongly about their facilities and feel slighted, but also because the need for some work that isn’t immediately a priority might create worry if there is a suggestion it involves a health or safety concern. “If we had a magic wand, we would do it all, but we just do as much as we can. There is a reality related to funding. We just have to make sure we put the students first, so they are safe and have the best facilities for learning.”

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“We just have to make sure we put the students first, so they are safe and have the best facilities for learning.”

PSBA’s new Closer Look examines school district budget process, deadlines

The annual general fund budget is one of the most important legal documents that a school district will develop. How a district moves from drafting to adopting its budget includes a series of key decisions, so it’s important to understand the process and the timeline. PSBA recently released a new Closer Look publication on school district budgeting which explains the process that school boards undertake as required by law to develop and adopt their district budgets.

Like the state, school districts’ fiscal years operate from July to June and districts must pass a budget by June 30 each year. This requires a lot of planning and even some estimation since the deadline coincides with the state budget deadline – school districts do not yet know their allocation from

the state when they must develop and pass a budget.

While districts base their spending plans on their educational and operational needs, they must balance these factors with the amount of revenues that are available. The Closer Look discusses Act 1 taxing limitations, as well as the impact of mandates on school district budgets.

To help districts with their planning, the Closer Look includes a listing of the 2025 budget deadlines that school districts must meet as they go through the process. It also describes requirements for the new adequacy and tax equity supplements created under the 2024-25 state budget for qualifying school districts. Access the new Closer Look in the myPSBA Resource Library.

SEAN RUCK

EXPLORING THE OPTIONS WITH CTE BY

"Many believe that lack of exposure to the trades and hands-on experience during high school has contributed to a dearth of skilled tradespeople across a variety of fields."

Chances are, those who graduated high school in the early 1990s and before had experiences that included at least a passing acquaintance with shop classes – metalshop, woodshop, mechanical drawing, automotive, sewing and more. By the late 90s through 2010s however, many high schools phased out career and technical education, or CTE, shepherding students into more college-preparedness tracks. It took a little time for results to have a societal impact but today, many believe that lack of exposure to the trades and hands-on experience during high school has contributed to a dearth of skilled tradespeople across a variety of fields.

Consequently, the pendulum has swung back. School Leader Bulletin spoke to three individuals heading organizations that are delivering high-quality career and technical programming to students, providing options for their futures and helping meet the needs of society.

Old schools, new opportunities Bucks County Technical High School (BCTHS) doesn’t fit the mold of the schools emerging to cater to new CTE students. That’s because the school has provided those types of educational opportunities since it opened in 1957.

Henry DeGeorge, the administrative director at BCTHS, has helped shape the school’s success for years. Coming aboard as assistant principal in 2001, moving to principal, then assistant director, and four years ago assuming his current role, DeGeorge joined one year after the school curriculum went comprehensive and a new building was opened, expanding capacity to accommodate 1,500 students.

It’s not just technical high schools stepping up to provide the needed education. Pamela Dincher, director of strategic initiatives for the Clean Energy Center (CEC) at Pennsylvania College of Technology, explains how the CEC is working with students to not only meet the current and future needs of the workforce, but also to give students a leg-up on landing high-paying, in-demand jobs.

According to Dincher, the CEC was founded in 1985 in partnership with the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development to provide workforce training for the commonwealth’s Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP). Since then, the center has served as the primary training and technical resource to the Pennsylvania WAP, including worker recruitment and mentoring, and continuous improvement efforts focused on workforce diversity, equity and inclusion.

Sean Ruck is an editor, writer and public school educator living in Vermont.

“That's our max right now. And we could definitely handle more, but that would require a building project,” DeGeorge says. “It's been discussed with our building authority and our joint board, and there seems to be some interest right now in expanding. There are no immediate plans, but the discussions have begun, and I'm pretty sure we can get close to 2,000 students if we had an expanded capacity. There's a waiting list at most career and technical centers in the state right now. So we have kids that would definitely benefit from expansion.”

In just the last few years, the CEC has created a program to develop partnerships with career and technical education centers and K-12 schools to introduce students to opportunities in the field of weatherization and energy efficiency. “The essential goal of the initiative is to facilitate strong relationships between employers and schools for a long-term sustainable pipeline into the industry,” Dincher says. “Students can earn industry-recognized credentials, gain valuable skills and experiences, and connect with industry professionals. Schools benefit from enhanced curriculum resources, equipment and training to effectively prepare students for diverse career paths.”

Dincher says there are currently 20 career and technical centers piloting the program. Instructors at those centers receive training in building science and gain access to curriculum and other resources to bring

“We’re up, we’re experiencing waitlists,” he says. “I did a survey last year and with a return rate of about 48%, we were sitting at about 4,000 students on the waitlist.”

this knowledge to their classrooms. “Students at five of the 20 schools have already completed the program and sat for their BPI Building Science Principles Certificate of Knowledge exam. Students from the remaining schools will complete their training over this school year,” she says.

That partnership Dincher highlighted and others like it have benefited from the advocacy and guidance provided by the Pennsylvania Association of Career and Technical Administrators (PACTA). John Pulver, executive director for the association, explains that the goal of the association is to build connections between high schools and the workforce. PACTA membership is for individuals, but those individuals represent all but two of the CTE centers in Pennsylvania (Pulver says he’s working on the last two).

Student interest

In his nearly 20 years at the association – first as associate director for 17 years and then the last two years in his current role, Pulver has seen steady growth in the interest from high school students looking to explore CTE. PACTA members are reporting as much. “We’re up, we’re experiencing waitlists,” he says. “I did a survey last year and with a return rate of about 48%, we were sitting at about 4,000 students on the waitlist.”

DeGeorge, with his center serving students from six sending school districts (those districts also provide the center’s funding) has seen the supply-and-demand challenges for years. As he explained it, students go through an admissions rubric to get in. “Actually, they go through a lottery to get their application reviewed,” DeGeorge says. “We have approximately 800 applications for 400 freshman seats every year. So they have to go into a lottery by district. And that's how their application is reviewed. We would love to take every kid, but it's just not economically feasible for our district. We had to go to a lottery six or seven years ago because we had people lining up all

weekend in our parking lot trying to get their applications stamped.”

DeGeorge says the waitlist is long even though Bucks County Technical High School is very deliberate with how they place kids in programs. “Students come into some schools and the sending school may say, ‘I want these six kids in welding, I want these kids in diesel.’ That doesn't happen here,” he says. “They come to our school, and for a half year, all 400 of our freshmen go through each of our 28 programs. It's called our Career Explorer program. They spend two half-days in each technical shop. And then at the end of February, they put down their three choices that they would like. And that's how they're placed. And depending on their GPA, how they did in Career Explorer, that determines whether they get their first, second or third choice.”

Centering on options

Just as there are different methods for screening and admitting students, there are also different types of career centers. One type is the standalone CTE centers serving regions, with multiple sending districts providing the students. There also are high schools operating their own CTE programs, and some areas with dense populations like Philadelphia and Pittsburgh are operating their own centers. And among those choices, there are different delivery systems. Some are part time, where students leave their school for half-day instruction at the center while attending to core academics at their high school, or there’s comprehensive, where the academic and career and technical instruction are all under one roof, taking the place of the high school entirely for students in those programs.

BCTHS follows the comprehensive model. “We have everything here under one roof. The only difference between us and a regular high school is, what they call electives, we call an all-day technical. So our kids are in this building. We have everything but the marching band and the football team. This is their school. We have

Photos provided by Bucks County Technical High School

a whole academic side of the house with AP courses, honors courses, college prep, career prep,” DeGeorge explains.

The programs offered are strongly tied to their regions. In this way, students obtaining their education at a CTE center finish with strong outlooks for obtaining employment in their field of study. This makes sense since not only are the centers often partnered with area high schools and districts, they’re also partnered with local and regional industry and corporations.

“The cost of training and programs available through the Clean Energy Center are funded through employer-sponsored private pay, utility-funded energy efficiency programs and DCED’s Weatherization Assistance Program funding through the U.S. Department of Energy,” explains Dincher.

DeGeorge says his school saw support from car manufacturers dip over the past few years, but Ford and Toyota are both now supporting programs again. SEPTA, the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transit Authority, is associated with the school’s diesel program, “with our applied engineering and technology

“It’s all about options and at the end of the day, it’s about careers. The endgame is ‘what is your career?’ You may change those areas but what is it that you wanted to do?”

Straight from the source

Two Machine Technology students at BCTHS describe their educational experiences and how they have benefited from them.

Kevin Pickard

I am a proud senior at Bucks County Technical High School. When I was in eighth grade exploring my high school options, the opportunities offered at BCTHS made my decision an easy one. Not only did BCTHS provide me with the strong academic foundation I need to succeed next year at Messiah University, but it also offered the chance to explore various trades through the ninth-grade exploratory program. Ultimately, I decided to pursue Machine Technology under the guidance of Mr. Raybold. Over the past few years, he has taught me an incredible range of skills — not just in machining but also in life. Mr. Raybold has been an inspiring role model, helping me grow not only as a machinist but also as a person. He has instilled in me the confidence to trust my own abilities and tackle challenges without self-doubt. As someone who had the choice between attending a traditional high school or a technical high school, I can wholeheartedly recommend a technical education to every eighth grader who has the opportunity. BCTHS has opened doors for me that I never imagined, and I’m grateful for the experiences and skills I’ve gained here.

Haley Porter

Attending Bucks County Technical High School has provided me with invaluable opportunities both academically and technically, surpassing what academic schools might offer. As a junior in the Machine Technology program, I’ve been able to develop specialized skills in a hands-on environment, giving me experience I can directly apply to my future career. I am preparing to become certified in machining and looking into co-op opportunities, where the school partners with established companies to allow students to work during their technical rotations. This opportunity not only builds industry skills but instills responsibility and work ethic, qualities that will prepare me for my future in college and career thereafter. Bucks County Technical High School maintains a learning environment that allows students to thrive academically while pursuing their technical passions and preparing them with leadership and workplace skills applicable to real-world industries.

Photos provided by Bucks County Technical High School

program,” he says. “So our kids would go on to be employed for the switches and all kinds of railroad controls, or for the diesel with the buses and engines. We also have a partnership with the DeWalt Tool Company.”

Pulver says PACTA works with employers as well and those employers serve in different capacities, including serving in critical advisory roles. He says each CTE center “must have a business and industry advisory committee that directs curriculum, equipment updates and purchases, supports the students for apprenticeships, work-based learning and shadowing experiences.”

DeGeorge seconded the importance of industry professionals. “Each shop has an occupational advisory committee. They meet twice a year and that’s where the teachers connect with industry to make sure we’re teaching the latest and greatest. What do employers need in the market? That’s a great benefit. They have a lot of say. For example, there’s a lot of great brands in Pennsylvania, but we can’t get a piece of technical equipment through a grant unless our OAC [Occupational Advisory Committee] approves it. They really help us out in many ways.”

With the sending schools providing the funding and industry providing curriculum and guidance, the cost to students is manageable, very manageable. “It’s public education, so it’s free to all students,” says Pulver.

And it actually goes beyond free in some cases. DeGeorge detailed some of the apprenticeship programs – HVAC, plumbing, carpentry, welding and fabrication, currently, with 2025 introducing computer networking, allied health, and child development and early learning.

“These programs are designed to prepare the students for entry or registered apprenticeship programs and or other opportunities after graduation. It gives them a better-than-entry-level position. They also, through the program, receive money which can be used for tools, equipment, industry certification and testing fees. It's really been a great opportunity for our kids,” DeGeorge says. “And this was put together in cooperation with the Bucks County Department of Workforce and Economic Development. They are the ones that went out and procured the grant funds for the program.”

Taking into account all the details, Pulver pinpointed what’s probably the most important aspect for students. "It’s all about options and at the end of the day, it’s about careers. The endgame is ‘what is your career?' You may change those areas but what is it that you wanted to do?”

GET TO KNOW YOUR NEW PRESIDENT!

Read on for Allison Mathis's thoughts on board service, how serving in management and on the board has impacted her leadership, and a few of her goals for the year.

LEADERSHIP SNAPSHOT:

2025 PSBA PRESIDENT ALLISON MATHIS

Allison “Ali” Mathis has been a member of the North Hills School District Board of Education (Allegheny Co.) since 2017 and has served as president since December 2019. She currently serves as chair of the district’s Education Committee and is former chair of the Finance Committee. A former parent-teacher organization president, she is an involved parent volunteer with one teenager in high school and one in college. She is an active and engaged member of PSBA and passionate advocate for public education. She served as the PSBA Section 5 advisor in 2021, as vice president in 2022 and 2023 and president-elect in 2024. Mathis is a graduate of The Johns Hopkins University, where she earned her degree in sociology. Her professional background is in communications and project management, and she currently works as a client services manager for a brand agency in Pittsburgh.

Why did you initially decide to run for your local school board and were there any specific circumstances that led to your decision?

I was president of the local parent-teacher organization at our elementary school when I ran for school board. There were very few parents on the school board at the time, and I felt it was important to have increased representation on the board.

What do you enjoy most or find most rewarding about school board service?

The moment that I enjoy most each year as school board president is participating in graduation because it's a real full-circle moment! It's so special for me to be able to speak at the ceremony and then hand the students their diplomas. I spend a lot of time each year crafting a new speech tailored to the graduating class.

I also find chairing the Education Committee extremely rewarding. Our administration

is open to working closely with the board and teachers to improve curriculum and course offerings. Specifically, we have spent a great deal of time in the past couple of years working to improve our math curriculum and outcomes for students.

What is one of the main challenges you faced during your tenure on the board and how did you handle it?

I was president of the board during COVID, and that was an extremely challenging period in our district, as it was in all districts throughout Pennsylvania. Obviously, it was a unique time. Every day was a new challenge with unprecedented decisions. I maintained excellent communication with our superintendent and the rest of the school board directors, I was highly accessible and responsive, and I think that was crucial. I also reduced my social media consumption to preserve my mental health and remained focus on the decisions, needs and goals at hand.

How has your view of board service changed over time?

When I first joined the board, I didn't really understand the difference between governance and management. And that's something that PSBA provided a lot of guidance on. I came in with some specific agenda items, which I think is common with many first-time board directors. I quickly learned that day-to-day management, like the placement of recycling bins in the cafeterias, wasn’t necessarily the role of a school board director and that I should be focused on the big picture and on governance.

I also didn't have a great understanding of the commitment that was involved in being on the school board before I was actually elected. Truthfully, it is more work than I initially envisioned. Particularly being board president, there are many weeks where I spend upward of 20 hours on the phone and in meetings and working on school boardrelated things. Of course, I wouldn't have it any other way; I wouldn’t volunteer 20 hours a week doing something that I did not find value in.

we were all going through something challenging and traumatic with changing guidelines. It was really helpful to learn the latest guidelines, engage in breakout sessions with other board presidents and bring information back to our district.

Lastly, the PSBA Policy Services are an excellent resource – we use them regularly for our district and they are a huge asset.

on in the calendar year. Like I said, blocking off my calendar is basically how I survive and make it through the day.

What are some top issues you predict boards will face in the coming year?

What PSBA resources have you found particularly helpful?

When I first joined the board, a director who had served close to 30 years in our district advised me to get involved with PSBA. I took her advice and went to the conference the following fall, and I found it so valuable to meet and talk to other school directors from around the state and hear about some of their issues, challenges and successes. I've attended the annual conference every year and I usually go with one or two board directors from our district. We've learned things and brought them back to our district. For example, we attended a really interesting session on therapy dogs, and we then worked with administration on a policy on therapy dogs. We ultimately passed the policy and it's been a great thing for our district.

Also, during COVID, there were weekly PSBA Zoom meetings that were invaluable to me. At that time, I really leaned on PSBA because

You have a professional background in communications and project management. How does your workplace experience inform your board service? Because my background is in communications, I think through what I say in both verbal and written communications very carefully, both in and outside of the boardroom. Things can be misconstrued, particularly on social media, and taken out of context. So I'm thoughtful with the words that I choose. The other side of my professional background is project management. I'm extremely detail-oriented and organized, and that's really helpful in planning my work on the school board, organizing the board into various committees, thinking through timelines, including planning out when we want things on agendas and so forth.

How do you balance your career with your board responsibilities?

It is not easy. As I mentioned, there are some weeks where I feel like I probably spend about 20 hours a week outside of my pay job doing school board work, so I use some basic tools to keep my life organized. I'm kind of obsessed with my calendar and making sure that my time is blocked accordingly, so that I'm meeting all of my commitments for work and for school board, including the multiple committees on which I sit. And of course, I have family commitments to balance as well. It’s challenging to be pulled in so many different directions and you just have to prioritize and really pay attention to what needs your attention this particular day or this particular week versus can maybe be looked at the following week or even later

Issues that I know remain a challenge for school districts in Pennsylvania are funding and budgets. And those tie in to staffing challenges and transportation challenges, both of which we deal with in our own district. I also think it's really important in general to, as school directors, remember why we're here. Keeping partisan politics out of the boardroom is very important and something we should remain focused on, and I expect that will continue to be a challenge in the future.

What areas do you plan to emphasize during your year as our PSBA president?

Advocacy for public education is extremely important. It's important in the state of Pennsylvania, but really, in our nation as a whole. I’d also like to focus on the joy of being a school director. We are in the position to do wonderful things for schools and for communities. Being a school director can be really stressful, but we should all remember that there's a lot of reward in it and a lot of amazing, positive things that our districts bring to students, families and communities. It’s such an important role and I really hope to emphasize that. Lastly, we live in a divisive time but, let’s remember that there are more things that we agree on than we disagree on. As school directors, we have more in common than we have differences. We are here for education and what is in the best interests of students.

What advice would you offer to a new school board director?

Focus on relationship-building because you are not an island. As a school director, you work with a Team of 10. So, it's very important to build a relationship with the superintendent and with your fellow board members. There are a lot of people that just want to dive in, and they have specific agenda items that they want to

accomplish and things that they want to get done, which is great. It's great to be passionate about your role in education, but you're nothing without relationships as a school director. So I always, always suggest that you need to have that foundational relationship-building and that trust with the Team of 10. The other thing that I suggest is that people get involved with PSBA because there are so many resources. And again, it's really important to learn what your role is and to learn about the difference between governance and management. So, I suggest that school directors look into PSBA, attend a webinar, do the required school board training (of course) and learn what your role really is and how you can be most effective as a school board member.

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ONE THING THAT ALWAYS MAKES YOU SMILE: STUDENT PERFORMANCES AND PRESENTATIONS AT OUR SCHOOL BOARD MEETINGS

FAVORITE ACTIVITY/ SUBJECT WHILE IN SCHOOL: I LOVED FRENCH CLASS, AND I STILL LOVE VISITING THE HIGH SCHOOL FRENCH CLASSES WHEN GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY!

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What would you say to encourage others to consider leadership positions in the association?

We talk a lot about servant leadership. I think that if you are that type of person that is drawn to these sorts of volunteer roles, it really can be very fulfilling and beneficial to get further involved with PSBA and have an impact on helping other school directors grow to be the best school directors that they can be so that we support public education in Pennsylvania. PSBA is a wonderful advocate for public education, and if you are also, there's no better way to make a difference than by getting involved with PSBA.

What do you enjoy doing in your free time?

I love music and going to concerts. My favorites are Taylor Swift and Dave Matthews Band. I’ve been known to travel to a concert

or two. Really, any time I have a chance to go to a concert I will. And that includes watching my own kids perform. My son was a percussionist when he was at North Hills. My daughter plays the clarinet. We have an outstanding music department in our district. I love going to performances to see all the wonderful things that our students are doing. I also love a good brunch date with friends, a walk to clear my head and family game night. (As of this interview, I hold the current title of Monopoly-winner in the house.)

Is there anything else you’d like to add?

I'm quite excited to be coming on as governing board president because I have been involved with PSBA for so long. PSBA does so many wonderful things and I'm just really happy to be in this role, to meet more school directors from around the state and see what exciting things are in store for the new year!

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2025 PSBA

GOVERNING BOARD

Allison Mathis President North Hills School District

Sabrina Backer President-Elect

Franklin Area School District

Dr. Karen Beck Pooley Treasurer

Bethlehem Area School District

Matt Vannoy Vice President

Sharon City School District

Mike Gossert Immediate Past-President

Cumberland Valley School District

Professional biographies of PSBA Governing Board members and the names of Affiliate Council members and zone representatives are featured in a special digital supplement of the School Leader Bulletin, available now in the myPSBA Resource Library.

CELEBRATING 130 YEARS

Our association was established in 1895 as the first organization of its kind in the nation. For the past 130 years, PSBA has been fulfilling its mission of providing services, advocacy and counsel to inform and engage the local leadership of the commonwealth’s public schools. In 2020, we celebrated our 125th anniversary and since then, we've continued to evolve to meet the changing needs of our membership. Below is a timeline of significant events from the last 125 years, plus highlights from the last five!

PSBA's HISTORICAL HIGHLIGHTS

1895

Then known as the PA State School Directors Association, a part of the PA State Teachers Association, the association was founded by Henry H. Quimby and consisted of all part-time volunteer service.

1896

The association met for first statewide convention in Harrisburg.

PSBA moved into new facility at 774 Limekiln Rd., New Cumberland.

1922

Mrs. E. S. H. McCauley served as first female president of the association.

Statewide grassroots legislative program launched.

Joseph V. Oravitz appointed as fourth PSBA executive; Liquid Asset Trust Fund established.

1971

Second PSBA headquarters building purchased at 412 N. Second St. in Harrisburg.

Thomas Gentzel appointed as fifth PSBA executive.

PSBA built new facility at 400 Bent Creek Boulevard, Mechanicsburg.

2013

Nathan Mains appointed as sixth PSBA executive.

1937

Preston O. Van Ness named the association’s first full-time executive; first issue of the Bulletin magazine published, the association’s first official journal.

1970

Fred M. Heddinger appointed as third PSBA executive.

2015

PSBA’s Delegate Assembly approved the PSBA Principles for Governance and Leadership, an updated version of the PSBA Standards and Code.

1959

The association established permanent headquarters at 410 N. Third Street in Harrisburg; membership increases from 800 in 1937 to 2,500.

PSBA hired first fulltime employee in governmental relations 1969 2018

Launch of myPSBA member portal and forums.

1960

John J. Hertz appointed as second Pennsylvania State School Directors Association executive.

Pennsylvania School Boards Association (PSBA) formed through the merger of the Pennsylvania State School Directors Association and the School Board Secretaries’ Association.

1962

1963

Pennsylvania School Board Solicitors Association formed as a department of PSBA.

2020

opened a satellite office in downtown Harrisburg.

PSBA

Founding member of the national Consortium of State School Boards Associations (COSSBA)

Launch of the Pennsylvania School Safety Institute (PennSSI) and the GPS Mobile Learning Lab hitting the road this year

Formation of the PSBA Institute, International Education Study Group and Student Leader Scholarships

Creation of new microcourses and microcredentials for professional development

Received the Certification as a Gold Certified Green Business by Green America, a reflection of our enhanced commitment to high standards for social and environmental impacts

Education, training and professional development opportunities to support you as you lead Pennsylvania’s public schools to success now and into the future!

October 19-21, 2025

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2025 DELEGATE ASSEMBLY

THE DATE 2 1 The PSBA Governing Board has announced the 2025 Delegate Assembly will take place immediately following the School Leadership Conference to maximize member participation. THIS EVENT WILL BE IN-PERSON ONLY. AN ON-SITE OBSERVATION AREA WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR NON-DELEGATES.

MEMBER SPOTLIGHT

JENNIFER IRITI

School board director at South Fayette Township School District since 2013, including board president for two years

What motivated you to become involved in board service?

In my professional work, I study educational policies and practices and try to support practitioners and decision-makers with data and research. Serving on my local school board was a way to contribute some of my professional experience to my community. After a few years of service, I found that my board work greatly informed my professional practice as well, providing me with much deeper insight into governance and financial dimensions of public education.

What issue in public education is most important to you right now?

Depoliticizing public education is, in my view, the most critical issue at hand. More and more often, public school districts are becoming ground zero for culture wars, and this will undermine the ultimate sustainability of public education in the United States.

What is your biggest passion outside of board service?

Recognizing that mental health IS health. It is no different than medical wellness and should be treated as such in policy and practice. Often, mental health conditions are viewed as issues of character or drive or commitment, which means that students and staff with mental health conditions are not regularly provided with the same accommodations and supports as those with acute illnesses recognized as medical situations such as a cancer diagnosis or a serious surgery. As a society, we need to change this, and I dedicate my time and voice to raising awareness and advocating for more integrated care, supports and policies.

What is a fun fact about yourself or a boardrelated accomplishment you would like to share?

I was an Army “brat.” My father served 22.5 years and over that time, we lived on several military bases where I attended public schools. I have fond memories of my time on base, including in Germany and Arizona.

What is a board-related accomplishment you would like to share?

We have adopted the Chill Project by Allegheny Health Network in our district. The partnership provides each of our participating schools with a Chill Room staffed by a behavioral health educator, professional learning experiences for staff and a dedicated school-based therapist so that families have easy access to care for their child covered by their private insurance plans. This program has helped to further center mental health and wellness and provide evidence-based resources to actually support students and staff. 1 2 3 4 5

PAUL DOUGHERTY SUPERINTENDENT, TUNKHANNOCK AREA SCHOOL DISTRICT

What are some key points to keep in mind when moving toward consensus as a board?

As a superintendent and member of the Team of 10, I view my position as the nonvoting member to be the communication facilitator. Every school board director has a primary reason (or multiple reasons) for their interest in serving the school community. If I fully know and understand the priorities of each board director, I can better communicate the details of motions and resolutions to be considered. I have found it beneficial to be able to show each director how items being considered will impact the school district, be it in a positive or negative way. It was child psychologist Dr. James Comer that said, “No significant learning can occur without a significant relationship.” I wholeheartedly agree. With regard to continual school district progress, no significant learning or growth can occur system-wide without those significant relationships. The same is true at the board level. Building relationships with and among members of the board brings a sense of trust and collegiality. Whether in agreement or not, directors respect and keep an open mind when listening to both me and their colleagues. In my experience, fostering those relationships has significantly and positively impacted the building of consensus throughout the board.

What are some processes/practices your board has in place to facilitate board consensus?

This is a simple one for the school board in Tunkhannock. We always have open lines of communication. I keep the board informed on many things as they occur. As significant issues arise, I’ll provide the members with information, especially if I believe they are likely to be contacted by members of the community. As a board, we are always careful not to engage in discussion on any information I send to ensure we do not violate Sunshine laws. By keeping the board “in the know” about issues as they arise, board directors won’t feel blindsided by community-member questions or concerns. I have found the board welcomes receiving objective information about significant items from school district administration in real time. In turn, they can knowledgeably address concerns brought to them by community members and can point those people toward the correct district administrator for additional information. I’m fortunate that my board does this exceptionally well and never jumps to conclusions. Being fully transparent and keeping board directors informed goes a long way to building trust and consensus, since all members are presented with the same facts at the same time and in a timely manner. It makes their experience as a board director more fulfilling and less stressful.

Why is reaching consensus a key skill for board success?

This is such a relevant question. Quite frankly, without molding a team that shares the same sentiment and set of beliefs, I’m not sure how a school district can productively and efficiently function. As superintendents, we need to understand that while building board consensus is critical, that consensus, depending on the topic, may not produce the result we were seeking. And that’s OK. If we want to maintain trust, respect and standing among our boards, we also need to be willing to accept that not all votes will go the way we wish. It’s important that as leaders, we don’t take the outcome of any vote personally. As a group, many boards have a great handle on the expectations and wants of the community. If, after the superintendent’s guidance, the board reaches consensus on an item that isn’t recommended, you can feel disappointment while also realizing that your board was acting as a unified group in a manner they believe is in the best interest of the school community. That’s still a win.

ASK THE STAFF

Ask the Staff addresses a member question from the perspective of several PSBA staff experts. Respondents will rotate each issue, depending on the topic.

How can I communicate better with our district’s stakeholders?

AMANDA DANIELS, Communications Manager

Many school districts offer apps or provide access to an online portal to keep students and their families up to date on programs, news and events in their schools. Yet community members who don’t have children attending school in the district won’t get the portals and the apps, so it is important to keep in mind how to communicate with all types of stakeholders.

It also is crucial to remember that conveying positive news is just as important as responding to negative. Being proactive and sharing the good can help the community see the district in a positive light and can help counteract any negative news. One simple way to consistently get in front of the public eye is to regularly post to social accounts. The reach is broad and even those without children attending school can access the messaging.

Regularly posting district news, stories and events shows the entire community the day-to-day activities taking place. Districts may be nervous about opening comments on social media, but if you have the staff bandwidth to respond, social media can be an excellent platform for opening dialogue between the district and the community. To help, PSBA created a Social Media Guide for Pennsylvania School Board Directors, which can be easily accessed in the Resource Library on myPSBA. In it, you will find helpful tips on navigating social media for district engagement.

Another resource with widespread public reach is the Great PA Schools website. On GreatPASchools.com, each district has its own webpage that includes everything from school data, demographics and academic outcomes to board director details and more. The site also houses a page dedicated to answering all the questions about how to run for a seat on the board and what constitutes the roles and responsibilities of board directors. This information can help educate your community on the exact role the school board plays in the local governance process.

One of the best tools on the Great PA Schools website is the Success Stories pages. Using a simple form to submit stories, your district has an opportunity to contribute content to its page, too. The Success Stories pages highlight all the positive things happening in Pennsylvania’s public schools, such as inspirational teachers or innovative students, unique programs, or the incredible moments happening in our schools.

BRITTA BARRICKMAN, Chief Impact Officer

With school districts serving as a central organization within the community, a well-developed communications strategy is essential in relaying information and building trust as the official source for district information. With many types of roles engaging with the district – students, parents, community members, local businesses – developing established channels for specific information is important and is a proactive means for your broader community to know what is happening in your schools. An aligned strategy considers multiple facets including the intended audience, source of the information, type of information (building or districtwide), format (website, newsletter, social media, meetings), urgency, and means for feedback and/or additional information.

Assigning dedicated channels also makes things easier when communicating breaking news. If there are significant changes approaching, such as the departure of a superintendent, or when a crisis happens on campus, these channels can prove invaluable in getting essential information to the right people and preventing the spread of misinformation. Having a communications plan in place for breaking news is key, as is knowing where to turn for assistance. PSBA’s Communications Support, which is free for our members, can provide 24/7 help with strategy, messaging and more during a crisis or other situation when urgency is needed.

Also, remember that to build a positive relationship, communication should flow both ways. Listening, along with sharing, is necessary. Provide avenues for the public to provide feedback and ensure that the district has procedures in place for reviewing it. To close the loop, convey how that input was taken into account in your future communications.

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It is time to take your superintendent evaluation to the next level! An effective performance evaluation helps drive school improvement and student achievement, develops a positive relationship between the board and the superintendent, demonstrates district accomplishments, and sets annual priorities. The evaluation process is a cooperative effort — ongoing and dynamic.

Visit Board Services under the Our Services tab on myPSBA to learn more.

In North Penn School District, the Community Hosted Internship Program (CHIP) is now in its third year of supporting students as they prepare for life beyond graduation.

CHIP launched in the 2022-23 school year. “From day one, school leadership emphasized that it should support all students as they prepare for their post-high school paths — whether they plan to attend college, join the military, pursue trade school or enter the workforce directly,” says CHIP coordinator Christopher Frey.

Around 100 juniors and seniors participate in CHIP each year and complete internships with local businesses to earn class credit and gain real-world job experience. Frey says the program offers three types of internships: career-centric experiences provide a realistic understanding of specific careers; career exploration experiences expose students to a variety of fields as they consider their post-high school plans; and career-oriented experiences may not align directly with a student's chosen career path but help them build essential soft skills.

Beyond the work on the job, Frey says the students complete coursework and other requirements. This includes submitting a written reflection of their time in the internship, creating a professional resume with references, completing online modules to earn a digital literacy credential and completing an interview with Frey in which the students discuss their future plans. “These steps

On-the-job learning helps students find the right path

By Amanda Daniels

help ensure students are prepared for their next steps, whether they’re pursuing further education or entering the workforce,” Frey says.

Equally important in crafting future plans are the moments when a student discovers a career path isn’t actually for them. Frey notes, “It’s always fantastic when a student returns from an experience excited about a potential career path, but one of my favorite moments is when they come back and realize that a path isn’t quite what they thought it would be. That tells me they’ve had a genuine experience and gained a realistic understanding of what that career truly involves. I love that students get to explore these career paths for free through their public school as they shape their post-graduation plans.”

Quite often, students end up working for their employers. “While I don't have the exact number, I can confidently say that many students have secured full-time employment as a result of internships or relationships built with employers through the CHIP program,” Frey says. The CHIP business partners also participate in a career fair each spring, where they have an opportunity to connect with students, and that often leads to part-time or seasonal summer jobs.

To learn more about CHIP, contact Christopher Frey at freycc@npenn.org.

Three students who completed a pre-apprenticeship program with Stein Seal, an advanced manufacturing company in the North Penn community, each received an offer for full-time employment with the company.

Conner

Isaac Yassar

INQUIRE

For more answers, visit the myPSBA Resource Library under the Gain Knowledge tab.

Each issue of School Leader Bulletin features questions and answers that can be found in various PSBA publications. In this issue, the content comes from our Essentials series. Find digital versions on myPSBA.

Q: How do I stop taxes from constantly increasing?

A: As a school director, you will learn that increasing local taxes is the primary way districts cover the growing cost of pension, charter school tuition, special education, utilities, supplies and healthcare expenses. All school boards strive to balance the needs of students with the ability of the community to provide funding, but it is a constant struggle.

The best approach is to review the monthly expenditures of the district to learn where the money is spent and to use that information to find ways to reduce costs or increase revenues. In addition, to help with the financial strains placed on local taxpayers, school boards are encouraged to support public education by advocating for increased state education funding and advocating to reduce the number of state and federal mandates placed on school districts since those mandates dictate a large portion of school spending.

Source: Essentials of School Board Service, 2023

Q: What is a board president’s role during the superintendent evaluation process?

A: The board president is often responsible for leading the annual superintendent evaluation process for the board. The board president ensures that school directors understand the specific evaluation process established by the board and may provide guidance on how to properly complete the instrument used by the board to assess the superintendent. The board president may also be responsible for collecting and collating individual responses and preparing the results to share

back to the board for discussion as well as ultimately sharing the results with the superintendent.

The board may decide to delegate the responsibility to collect and collate completed, individual evaluation submissions to the board vice president, a committee chair or other designee. The designee leading this process may vary from district to district, depending on the evaluation process voted on by the board. However, the board president remains the leader for preparing and supporting the school directors through the superintendent evaluation process by outlining the time frame to complete the evaluation and the specific procedures to be followed by each school director.

Regardless of the specific evaluation instrument or process used in evaluating the superintendent, the board president should ensure that the board engages in a conversation about its collective evaluation responses as well as the final evaluation outcome provided to the superintendent.

Source: Essentials of School Board Leadership, 2024

Q: Are district funds audited?

A: Auditors hired by the school district examine finances on an annual basis. In addition, the state has the authority to conduct audits of school districts. This has been done historically through the Pennsylvania Department of the Auditor General. In both cases, the results are shared with school directors.

Source: Essentials of School Board Service, 2023

Q: What items must be included in meeting minutes?

A:

• The date, place and time of the meeting.

• The names of the school directors present. Although not legally required, arrivals after roll call has been taken and early departures can also be recorded in the minutes by time notation.

• The substance of all official actions and a record by individual school director of the roll call votes taken.

• The names of all citizens who appeared officially and the subject of their comments and/or testimony.

• Any matter added to a posted agenda, including the substance of the matter, the announced reason and the recorded vote, where applicable.

Source: Essentials of School Board Secretary Service, 2021

Q: How does the order of precedence work?

A: If a motion is higher in order of precedence than the motion currently on the floor, it usually is in order and can be made while the other motion is pending. The current motion is then said to “yield” to the higher-ranking motion. If a motion is lower in order of precedence than the motion currently on the floor, it would be out of order and cannot be made until the higher-ranking motion has been disposed of. Roberts Rules of Order (12th Ed.) 5:8-13

Source: Essentials of Parliamentary Procedure, 2023

SNAPSHOT

High school students from Shanksville-Stonycreek School District worked with art teacher Billie Jo Miller and resident artist Deb Bunnell to create a two-piece mural featuring landmarks around Somerset County that is now on display at the North Somerset Service Plaza on the Pennsylvania Turnpike. The mural was created as part of a joint project led by the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts and the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission.

Snapshot features photos that depict the great things happening at Pennsylvania’s public schools. Have a high-resolution photo from your school? Submit it, along with a brief description, to jackie.inouye@psba.org for consideration.

CAPITOL IDEAS

The new PSBA Advocacy Guide: Speak Up for Public Schools

Advocacy is an important tool for creating change and making your voice heard. It is critical in your role as a school director because many issues impacting your district are decided or influenced by others. In order to support your advocacy efforts, PSBA's Advocacy Guide: Speak Up for Public Schools contains detailed information on how to effectively advocate for your school district. Here are some highlights. Download the full guide from the myPSBA Resource Library.

PSBA working for you

PSBA’s advocacy efforts are based on the legislative platform adopted each year by our membership. Our advocacy work includes meeting with legislators and their staff, drafting bills and amendments to address the concerns of public schools, conducting research on the state and local impact of education-related legislation, connecting school directors with legislators to help them build relationships, providing comprehensive legislative updates, and using social media to promote awareness of our advocacy agenda. The guide also explains how your board can submit proposals for PSBA’s Legislative Platform and participate as a delegate at the Delegate Assembly meeting each year.

How to get started

Effective advocacy is a year-round job and getting started can seem like a daunting task. However, the Advocacy Guide contains some basic tips that can help you get started. The first step is getting to know your legislator(s). Information such as committee assignments, voting records and personal tidbits will be helpful as you begin to build relationships with your legislator(s). In addition, PSBA has several resources, such as the State Legislative Report, to keep you updated on current issues being considered by the General Assembly. Another tip is to make advocacy a regular part of your board discussions and activities.

The legislative process

Knowing and understanding the legislative process is crucial when developing your advocacy skills. PSBA’s Advocacy Guide provides detailed information on the General Assembly, how bills move through the General Assembly, how to read a bill and where to find key documents (proposed legislation, session calendars, voting records and links to individual legislator contact information).

Advocacy methods

The Advocacy Guide provides information on different ways for you to communicate with your legislator(s) on important issues. Personal visits, virtual meetings, phone calls, emails, and letters to the editor and opinion editorials are just a few ways that you can become an advocate for public education.

Advocacy strategies

There are a wide variety of advocacy strategies that you and your board can utilize. PSBA Advocacy Day is an in-person event in the spring for school leaders to come to the Capitol in Harrisburg to meet with legislators to advocate on behalf of public schools and discuss selected issues. This is a great opportunity to build relationships with legislators, educate them on key issues and make specific asks. In addition to attending Advocacy Day, you and your board can adopt board resolutions, invite legislators to your schools, host town hall meetings and partake in community outreach to enhance your advocacy strategies.

Even in today's digital age, check fraud remains a significant concern for individuals and institutions alike. Recent trends indicate a troubling uptick in checks being stolen from mailboxes, leading to increased instances of fraud that can potentially impact an individual or institution’s financial stability. As such, it’s crucial for an organization to prioritize effective check fraud prevention measures, particularly through systems like Positive Pay. By having these protections in place, along with strong internal controls, you are more likely to protect your organization from these potential threats.

The rising threat of check fraud

In recent years, the banking industry has witnessed a notable rise in check fraud incidents. Criminals are becoming increasingly sophisticated, using various tactics to manipulate checks once they have been intercepted. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and other financial regulatory bodies have highlighted the importance of vigilance in combating this growing threat. According to the U.S. Treasury Department, check fraud has increased nationwide by 385% since the pandemic.

The 2024 Association for Financial Professionals (AFP) Payments Fraud and Control Survey reports:

• Checks continue to be the payment method most vulnerable to fraud, with 65% of respondents reporting their organizations were affected.

• 20% of respondents reported interference with the United States Postal Service, up 10 percentage points from the previous year.

• Of the organizations who were victims of payment fraud in 2023, 30% were unsuccessful in recovering any funds lost. 41% of organizations were successful in recovering at least 75% of funds lost.

MONEY SMART

Checkmate: Protecting against the prevalence of check fraud

By Ken Shuler, VP, Sr. Relationship Manager, PSDLAF

Understanding Positive Pay and Payee Positive Pay

Positive Pay is a widely adopted fraud prevention tool that allows banks to match the checks presented for payment against a list of checks issued. This proactive approach helps in identifying unauthorized transactions before they are processed.

Within this framework, Payee Positive Pay adds an extra layer of protection by validating not just the check number and dollar amount, but also the payee’s name. When a check is presented for payment, the bank verifies all three elements against the issuer’s records. If any details do not match, the bank can flag the check for review.

Diligence is critical

Even with systems like Positive Pay in place, diligence is critical. Institutions must ensure that they thoroughly review any exception items. An exception item is a check that does not match the data provided by the issuer, triggering the bank's fraud detection protocol. Here are key elements that should be scrutinized:

• Dollar amount: Verify that the amount on the check matches the amount that was originally issued. Alterations can be easily made.

• Check number: Fraudsters often attempt to cash checks with altered numbers, so it’s crucial to confirm that the check number corresponds with the issuer’s records.

• Payee name: The payee’s name must also match exactly. Fraudsters can change the name on a stolen check to divert funds into their own accounts.

Institutions should always err on the side of caution; if any of these elements appear questionable, they should reject the check. While this may create temporary inconvenience for an employee or a vendor, it is far more prudent than allowing fraudulent transactions to proceed.

Best practices

In addition to implementing robust systems like Positive Pay, banks should encourage their customers to:

• Monitor accounts regularly: Frequent monitoring of bank statements can help identify unauthorized transactions early.

• Use secure mailing options: Use secure mailing methods when sending checks, such as certified mail or secure drop-off boxes.

• Be cautious with sensitive information: Remember to protect your check stock and sensitive financial information to prevent theft.

As the threat of check fraud continues to grow, institutions must prioritize the implementation of effective fraud prevention measures. Positive Pay is an invaluable tool in this fight, but it’s effectiveness hinges on a thorough review process. By fostering a culture of caution, we can collectively reduce the risk of fraud and protect our organizations from this increasingly pervasive threat.

DATA POINTS

Pennsylvania Public School Enrollment

2023-2024

PSBA recently completed a study of student enrollment within Pennsylvania public schools statewide. The study breaks down student enrollment reported to the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) into three main categories: Enrollment Statewide by Grade, Enrollment Statewide by Gender and Enrollment Statewide by Race. The data provided below contains 2023-24 enrollments for all publicly funded schools in Pennsylvania as reported by school districts, area career and technical centers (CTCs), charter schools, intermediate units (IUs), and state-operated educational facilities.

Enrollment Statewide by Gender

GENDER RACE

Over the next five years, enrollment in PA public schools is projected to decrease by 3.6%.

Enrollment Statewide by Race

Enrollment Over the Last Five Years and Projected Enrollment

IT’S THE LAW

Respecting parental rights in the classroom

By Michael I. Levin, PSBA General Counsel

A recent federal court decision reminds us that parents of elementary-school-age children have a fundamental parental right to reasonable advance notice and the opportunity to opt out their children from noncurricular instruction on transgender topics. In Tatel, et al v. Mt. Lebanon School District, et al, 2024 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 176782, the United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania addressed the issue of parent notification and opt-out of noncurricular instruction on transgender topics.

In March of 2022, a first grade teacher observed Transgender Awareness Day by reading noncurricular books and presenting noncurricular gender identity topics to her students. As described by the court: “The books introduce the first-grade students to cute, lovable transgender characters, who make the decision that they are a different gender than their sex, are affirmed in that belief by the other characters and recognize that parents may make mistakes about their children’s gender.” During the classroom presentation, the teacher told her students, “When children are born, parents make a guess whether they’re a boy or a girl. Sometimes parents are wrong.”

At the time, the school district provided no guidelines about whether or when to provide notice and opt-outs to parents but had a “de facto policy” that left those decisions to “teacher prerogative.” The teacher in this instance gave the parents no notice or opportunity to opt out their children of this instruction. When some parents objected after the fact, the principal, assistant superintendent and superintendent openly supported the teacher’s conduct. Thereafter, the parents sued, asserting that their federal constitutional rights to Substantive Due Process, Procedural Due Process, Free Exercise of Religion, Equal Protection and familial privacy, and their rights under the Pennsylvania Public School Code were violated. At this stage of the litigation, the suit included the following as defendants: the school district, the teacher, the superintendent, the assistant superintendent, the principal and the school board president.

The plaintiffs asserted that the teacher – by reading the noncurricular books and instructing their young children that

parents make guesses about their children’s gender at birth that may be wrong, without notice or the ability to opt out – violated their constitutional rights. The defendants argued that parents did not have the right to notice and the ability to opt out from classroom instruction and that the classroom instruction did not implicate fundamental parental rights even when their religious beliefs are implicated.

The court granted the plaintiffs’ Substantive Due Process claim, holding that the plaintiffs had a long-recognized fundamental right to control the upbringing of their children protected by the Substantive Due Process doctrine. The court stated that the parental right to custody, control and nurture of their children is “deeply rooted” and “implicit in the United States’ concept of ordered liberty.” Put another way, both parents with religious beliefs and parents who do not assert religious beliefs possess fundamental parental rights under the Substantive Due Process doctrine.

The court explained that when conflicts occur between parents and public schools on such matters of great importance, the parents' rights prevail unless public school can demonstrate a compelling interest for its actions. The court held that “introducing a child to sensitive topics before a parent might have done so herself can complicate and even undermine parental authority.” The burden is on the school – not the parents – to foresee areas in which the school’s policies might conflict with parents’ fundamental rights. In the event of a conflict, the school must either: (1) recognize the primacy of parents’ authority; or (2) articulate a compelling interest for the school’s action.

The court held that the teacher’s comments and the decision to introduce the topic conflicted with the plaintiffs’ beliefs about gender, their role as parents and their parental rights to determine when to discuss such topics with their young children. Who decides how to determine a young child’s gender identity goes to the heart of parental decision-making authority on a matter of greatest importance. Moreover, the comments made by the teacher directly repudiated parental authority. The court held that there was no evidence of a compelling interest to introduce transgender topics to first graders outside the curriculum, nor was there evidence that the instruction was narrowly tailored to achieve that interest.

Thus, it violated the plaintiffs’ constitutional rights to control the upbringing of their children.

For essentially the same reasons, the court upheld the plaintiffs’ Procedural Due Process claim. The court held that the procedures used here, i.e., no notice and unguided deference to teacher prerogative, did not protect the plaintiffs’ fundamental parental rights and religious rights, but such rights could have been procedurally protected by notice and the opportunity to opt their children out of instruction contrary to their moral and religious beliefs. The defendants did not articulate any administrative burdens in doing so.

The court also upheld the plaintiffs’ Free Exercise of Religion claims. Quoting the United States Supreme Court, the court summarized the social contract between parents and public schools: “Families entrust public schools with the education of their children, but condition their trust on the understanding that the classroom will not purposely be used to advance religious views that may conflict with the private beliefs of the student and his or her family.” The court opined that the teacher’s conduct involved efforts to inculcate the teacher’s beliefs about transgender topics upon the children rather than merely instruction for the purpose of influencing tolerance on the part of the children. The court held that the defendants did not provide a compelling justification for failing to provide the plaintiffs with notice and opt-out for transgender topics the same as had been done for other sensitive secular or religious topics. Burdening the parents’ religious rights, without a compelling basis, while not similarly burdening secular or other religious objections, is a clear violation of the Free Exercise Clause.

One of the three parent plaintiffs acknowledged her objections were not religious but only philosophical in nature. In terms of that plaintiff, the court noted that “Only beliefs rooted in religion are protected by the Free Exercise Clause, which, by its terms, gives special protection to the exercise of religion.” Thus, the defendants were granted summary judgment against that plaintiff on her Free Exercise claim.

The court also granted the plaintiffs’ Equal Protection claim, holding that the de facto policy at issue and refusing to provide opt-outs for parents who assert religious and fundamental parental rights objections to transgender instruction, while providing notice and opt-out rights to similarly situated parents for other sensitive secular and religious topics, constituted disparate treatment and violated the Equal Protection clause.

In terms of the defendants’ municipal and supervisory liability as to each of the federal claims, the court held that the superintendent had authority to create and implement written procedures for school district administrators and teachers to follow; the assistant superintendent in charge of elementary education had the ability to make districtwide procedures for elementary schools; and the principal was the teacher’s direct supervisor. Thus, the administrators were the school district’s final policymakers responsible for developing and implementing policies and

practices to protect parental rights. Pursuant to the de facto policy to defer to “teacher prerogative, the administrators gave comprehensive support to the teacher and thus 'the administrators’ clear message became policy” when they approved (ratified) the teacher’s conduct, and were thus subject to supervisory liability. Because those individuals included the final policymakers for the school district, the district was subject to municipal liability based on ratification.

The court granted summary judgment in favor of the lone remaining school director defendant on all claims against him largely because as an individual school director, he had no supervisory or policymaking authority and there was no evidence that he had any personal involvement in the alleged constitutional violations.

Finally, the plaintiffs sought a declaration that the defendants’ conduct violated 22 Pa. Code § 4.4, and declaratory relief with respect to their federal constitutional claims. The court dismissed the state law claim because the Pennsylvania Public School Code does not provide a private right of action for a parent to seek redress. In terms of the federal claims, the court issued the following:

Absent a compelling governmental interest, parents have a constitutional right to reasonable and realistic advance notice and the ability to opt their elementary-age children out of noncurricular instruction on transgender topics and to not have requirements for notice and opting out for those topics that are more stringent than those for other sensitive topics.

Based upon the foregoing opinion from the Western District, parents of elementary-school-age children have a fundamental parental right to not have their children be provided noncurricular instruction about transgender subject matter. Moreover, refusing to provide notice and allow opt-outs for such objections – especially while providing notice and opt-outs for other sensitive topics – will likely constitute a constitutional violation. More to the point, schoolteachers, administrators and officials are on notice that introducing transgender topics to elementary age students unrelated to the curriculum and openly contradicting parental authority, with no prior notice or opt-out rights, are not likely to be protected by qualified immunity.

Given the length and breadth of the decision and the complexity of these issues, school boards and school administrators should consult with their solicitors to discuss this decision and its implications. It is suggested that rules need to be put in place prohibiting teachers from going off the script of the school-districtapproved curriculum and providing training regarding what can and cannot be said in the classroom by teachers.

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