001We would like to call our committee of the whole meeting for May 21st. ers to order. Let us stand for our pledge of allegiance. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America to the republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible secretary, can you call a role, please? >> Yes. Director Ham >> absent. Director Pope present. >> Director Reverend Kirkland >> here. Director uh Dr. Morales >> Director Rice >> present. >> Director McLaren. >> President Amanda Johnson >> present. Vice President Beverly Harris present. Secretary Lorraine Lavender Sams Superintendent Dr. Mine Solicitor Al Jacobs. All right. Roll call completed. >> Do we have any um patients? Any staff presentations? all deers and headlight. We're good. >> Okay. All right. Well, nobody nobody named that. So, I just want to double
002check in case anybody had came in afterwards. >> All right. All is well. So, we are going to go ahead and move into our committee presentations. We're going to have >> Director Lavender Sam. >> Okay. All right. And uh good evening everybody. Um this is the policy committee. Over the past few months, the policy committee is focused on upcoming uh state requirements and ensuring that the district is wellappointed to meet all expectations within the required timelines. Um I will highlight that the two um key areas discussed in our May meeting. First under act 47, the structured literacy Pennsylvania is required requiring districts to adopt a new evidence-based K through3 reading curriculum by 2027 2028 school year. implement universal screening, provide parent notifications, and ensure staff complete required professional development by 2029. I am pleased to
003share that the Chester Upland School District is already ahead of those requirements. The district provided ongoing professional learning, instructor literacy, and participating with DCIU and Widner University, implemented multiple evidence-based literacy interventions, revised the literacy block for grades K through 8, and is planning for the adoption of an updated reading curriculum for 262. 27 school year. Second, the committee reviewed the FAFSA completion requirements for the class of 2027, which will require all seniors to either complete FASA or submit opt out forms beginning next year. This r will require the district to formalize procedures, strengthen communication with families, and ensure schools have necessary supports for the uh in place, I'm sorry, in place while also ensuring that students are not denied graduation based on FASA completion. In addition to monitoring these mandates, the committee continues its broader
004work of renewing and strengthening district policies. We look forward to sharing a clear timeline by June for the review of the district's policies for 2026 and 2027 school year along with dedicated policy emails to invite and encourage public feedback through the process. Together, this work both reflects our commitment to meeting our state requirements and our ongoing effort to ensure district policies remain responsive, transparent, and aligned to the needs of our students and community. That is all I have for you. Thank you. >> Thank you. All right. We will have a report from Director Folk. report from the facilities department. We have two new additions to the department, Miss Tucker and Mr. Grigggins. They will serve as custodians. We have a few upcoming projects with Chester Upland School of the Arts, third floor renovations, which would
005include lighting upgrades, ceiling improvements, flooring replacement, electrical upgrades. Uh, in the ground level multi-purpose room, there'll be a floor renovation, plumbing enhancements. For ESA, middle school, elementary school, we have a roofing renovations plant. There will be a district-wide pool cleaning with our new vendors in the common areas, classrooms, and office spaces. Chester High has alarm system enhancement, door alarm upgrades, and the installation of upgraded new camera system. And we will continue to upgrade and update you on any other progress that we will have going this summer. Um, Director Robinson, do you have any other thing you want to add to that? >> Okay, that's all we have for facilities. Thank you. >> Thank you. All right. Next, we'll have a report from Director McLaren. >> So, Director P, you said that there's improvements on the
006third floor of >> uh school of the arts. There's upgrades happening at the school of the arts, lighting, ceilings, uh the floor, electrical work. There's going to be a districtwide deep cleaning. I don't know if I said that. >> Yeah, it's a district wide cleaning law basically every >> So, is that because of the trouble or the on the roof with the air conditioner? >> Mr. know the group that just is like expect some time start changing and looking at changing our rules 1350 and 1450. >> All right. So just for everybody at home that's um he just stated that it's just as any other question. >> Thank you. >> So um did you call on me? >> Yes, I did. So for people services work has been split between other directors. I will be
007able to give you a report on that hopefully in the next month. for DCIU. We are preparing for the um legislative meeting in November as well as for the PSBA's convention at Kalahari in September. >> Okay. And um DC DCIU currently the literacy area is doing a deep dive trying to bring more materials and teaching to the districts for literacy as well as math. I'm not as sure of where we are with um with our district as far as how that's being monitored. Hello, Dr. Hi, Dr. Parker. I know that you probably you might have to tell me more later. They were talking about um how they were doing more to help and support literacy. >> Yes, they are. We have two members of our school district who are participating in the structured literacy committee
008and the hope is that the entire county will come up with a plan to address structured literacy in Act 47 as a county. Um in addition to the work we're already doing. So Mr. Uman and Miss um Dr. Kershaw are both members of that committee. I have to give you guys kudos because you're doing a lot with regards to literacy through the DCIU. Tell me are our students receiving it? So yes, I mean we are doing a lot. Um we are working now with consistency of implementation to be quite frank, right? We have all of the pieces in place and systems by which we know that our students can use to improve in their academics, but now we need to make sure that we're providing the teachers the support to implement the program as well.
009>> What's going to happen next? or is that part of the summer program? >> So, it is our hope that children come to the summer program, right? Um also, um with some of our federal dollars, I hope I'm not over um for Miss Hails, we are providing students with a backpack um with some literature in there and reading materials also through the summer months to try to keep um the focus there on reading and getting better, stronger in their reading skills. >> Thank you, project four. Any questions? >> All right. So, at this time, we are going to pass the table because she has a couple things on the table tonight to Dr. Morales, so she can take it from here. >> Good evening. school. >> Don't drop it after you get done cuz I
010know you got a lot to >> Good evening, Chest Up Land School District community. Uh the order of the presentation for me tonight will be the treasures report, then a summary of legislative work, and then a presentation from um the students who went to Harrisburg with me on May 6th this year. So the treasures report, when I first assumed the office, I explained to you that we are in receiverhip. And so the way in which I presside as a treasurer looks a little different from the way a treasurer would look in a traditional school district. My role is more so oversight and support to ensure that um they have an understanding of reporting requirements, implementation, financial impact, specifically unfunded mandates and creating accountability and clear lines of authority. While we are in this re receiverhip,
011my priorities as treasurer are legislative fiscal monitoring, verification of projected savings, funded mandate analysis, and business office collaboration, which has been good so far. So, for my May 20th report, I met with Superintendent Dr. Mumine, um Mr. Selmer and Ian Tyson from uh EFM Dear to discuss the development of the district's proposed 2026 2027 budget. I want to thank Dr. Mumine and Chris and Ian for taking time to meet with me provide helpful context regarding the district's financial position and key budget assumptions. Our discussion centered on the status of the 2026 2027 budget major cost drivers including charter school tuition including charter school tuition and healthc care areas where spending reductions may be necessary the impact of the commonwealth's final budget on district planning and the impact of the commonwealth's final budget on district planning.
012The assumptions currently being used are generally consistent with the financial training that the board previously received. Um they haven't deviated too far from what we saw in that presentation. The proposed budget is scheduled to be presented to the board and the community at the receivers meeting on Thursday, May 28th. So please come out to see that presentation, ask questions, be involved in that process. Um, and at this time there are no significant concerns to report beyond the continued need to monitor the state budget developments and ensure that expenditures remain aligned with available revenue. Again, I appreciate the continued support from Dr. Mumine, Chris, and Ian, and we'll keep the board and community informed monthly as we move through the budget process. I want to I want to go back to um charter school tuition because
013I know a lot of times we always hear people say they always talking about charter school tuition. They always talking about charter school tuition. And I know that and and let me preface this by saying these are my words. I know that Philadelphia just closed down 17 schools and there was this, you know, whirlwind of emotion. And to me, it was the way that they did it, right? Because right now, what people do not understand is that if you have a school district and the majority of the children in that school district are attending charter schools, the district is always going to be at a financial deficit. It's almost like having your house, right? And you have your children in your house. And just because your children go to another parent's house over the weekend
014doesn't mean you can have the electricity cut off in your house, doesn't mean you can have the water cut off because they have to come back. The public school space is the only space that cannot deny access to your children. So when those other spaces, those parochial spaces, those charter schools, when they decide, oh, maybe they don't want to deal with your children's behavior or maybe they want to, you know, tell your child that they have to withdraw or they're going to expel them or whatever tactics they use. We can't do that. We have to accept your child. So even if we had 10 kids attending school in this district, we had to run it as if all 7,500 are here. So, please just take that in consideration when you are saying it's always about
015charter school. It is about charter school tuition because a large amount of our funding goes out the door. So, we could get $100 million from the state and we'll only see 40 million of that because of the amount of charter school students that we have. And this not to talk bad about charter schools. I'm not anti-charter school. um anti- anything that disrupts the foundation of the public school system because this is the only space again where we cannot deny your children access. So please keep that in your conversation when you're sharing fighting videos on Facebook, when you're talking about our teachers, when you're talking about our administration, keep that in mind that we're already working from a space of nothing. We're in a deficit. The children will tell you how much of a deficit we're
016in right now. academically and financially. We don't need nothing else. We already have people talking about it. They waiting for a narrative. They waiting for the next thing that they can go viral off of. My mama used to say, "Keep what happened in my house in my house. If you have a problem, come to the house and straighten the problem out. We have to stop with this negative footprint that we have on social media." I really, really, really want us to understand that because this is the last meeting that we have before we break for summer. And I want our babies to be safe and I want the adults to be adults. That's what I'm asking. So that's part of fiscal. We can't keep asking for money if we're not being fiscally responsible with ourselves
017in the manner in which we are guarding our children and our persons. Um the next is the legislative report. So I have I provide legislative reports every month. Even when I'm not sitting in this chair, the president has a legislative report for me. And I will hope that you read those legislative legislative reports because even that Act 47 that you heard um Miss Doc, director Betty speak about and secretary um Lavender Sam speak about that impacts your children too. And that act 47 code, if you have children who are truining, guess what? You can't transfer them now to a cyber charter school as people used to do because they don't want to deal with having to get their babies back and forth to school or whatever the reason may be that you choose to transfer
018your children out instead of fixing the root problem. That can't happen no more. So on my Facebook page there is a very beautiful flyer visually aesthetically pleasing that explains to you those act 47 things that impact you as a parent and as a child because it's not just financial it definitely impacts you as well. Um federally we're going to see some cuts. Most of those cuts are going to come to uh professional development, social emotional learning. And by cutting it, they're going to they are attempting to put it into one big bucket, one big block grant, what we call mega, a make education great again bucket, um, which will have two, it will be $2 billion. However, it is uh is short a few billion necessary. However, title one funding, Miss Mon'nique, title one funding
019will remain at level and idea funds are scheduled to hit 16 billion. They're increasing. So, we got that going for us. Um, in Pennsylvania, the House passed the budget on the 14th. Um, that budget included uh 53.3 million for education. And and that might sound like 53.3 billion. That might sound like a lot, but it's not a lot. considering what we need specifically just for our school district. That money is is across over 500 school districts. So, just keep that in mind. Um the Senate has the floor now as it relates to this budget and when they will approve it or what changes they would like to see. And most of those topics are around basic education funding, adequacy funding, special education, cyber charter reform, school vouchers, career technical education, cell phone restrictions. And I
020want to say this also because I I don't I work in from a very bipartisan space because we're supposed to as school board directors. And sometimes the media can paint the narrative that you know some people don't care about students and education. But I I will tell you that a large concern is just where the money is going to come from. Where is the money going to come from that you want us to put into these buckets? Because it has to come from somewhere and I I for one don't want it to come and hit my pocket. So we have to figure out where the money is going to come from. Often times that's what stalls these things is understanding where the money is going to come from. The cell phone ban looks like it's
021going to make it to the governor's desk because it's an election year. And I also wanted, you know, I know that teachers advocated heavily for that. PSBA advocated heavily that if students don't have their phones, teachers shouldn't have their phones either. That was played down. So, um we'll see how this work because every school district is different. Um some school districts the students need access to their phones for various reasons, but we'll see how that goes. We had a DCIU legislative prefix that myself and Dr. will mean attended. And the conversation about cursive instruction came up several times. And it came up because from my perspective, it's something that with everything we're dealing with right now should not be a mandate on us when we are trying to get students up to reading level. Right?
022Some school districts felt like cursive writing is important for children to be able to understand and read uh primary research, right? But primary research can be found in many spaces in print. So that wasn't a good example. We have bills and we need to understand the intention and the impact of those bills. When you say you want to pass a school safety bill, there's good intention in that. But the impact is does the district have the finances to hire the staff required to execute that bill. Often times we don't. So then it just looks like we're out of compliance. So um we want to be aware of that. some laws that were signed. We tal talked about cursive writing and Greg Moyer's law which just went into uh it was just signed on the 13th.
023um requires automatic external defiills, AEDs and spaces where there are games being held, sports, sporting events throughout the schools is is geared toward athletes and ensuring that our athletes make it home, that they don't leave us for reasons that are unnecessary. I'm going to let you all read the rest of those these bills that are here, but I have a call to action for the parent and the community. Parents are their children's first and most important teachers and advocates. Our children move how we move, even if we direct them to do otherwise. We have to model the behavior and character we want to see in our babies. This type of involvement includes showing up to both committee of the whole meetings and receiver meetings, monitoring attendance and academic progress, understanding curriculum and graduation requirements, staying
024informed about district policies, following state and federal education legislation, encouraging responsible use of technology, and partnering with educators throughout the year. The most effective advocates are not merely reactive. they are informed, intentional, and proactive. U this is the last legislative report of the school year. I will provide um updates in June and July via Facebook uh as it relates to the passing of the budget, what we get, what we don't get. And uh I hope y'all know everything I say is with love. I cannot say this enough. I love y'all as a community. Like honest to God, I really just want us to be right as a people. I really really do. And if that come off aggressive sometimes, it's cuz sometimes you need aggressive people. That's that's that's sick. So now I want the
025baby to come up. >> This is year four. Yes. Our advocacy. This started before I got on the school board and um it it just was something that I wanted to do because I was a parent and I had children in the school district and I just wanted to make sure I was being the best voice for them. Then we created a legislative space on the school board and I said children's voice are the most important to me because sometimes they are easier to get to and get understanding sometimes than adults. So I always look to the children first. So this year I'm really happy because Miss Moody was amazing. The last couple years I had Mr. Franklin and he was awesome and but I just see us progressing like I really really love doing
026messy part because if we don't I don't plan on doing this forever and if we don't have people who can come behind us and pick up the work and do it the right way, we're going to um so the first thing I want to do is for everybody to hear this beautiful speech that was presented by our babies. Uh, first of all, Chessland always has first dibs at everything. When you go to Harrisburg, red carpet laid out for these children. Um, they expect them to be nothing less than great and they are always great. So, we are going to hear the speech that was presented at advocacy day. Greetings everyone. My name is and I am proud to represent the Chester School District. I stand here today not just as but as a reflection of
027what is possible when those work together keep students like me at the center of every decision. First I want to say thank you. Thank you to the house, to the governor, and to lawmakers on both sides of the aisle of the fiscal year 2026 charter reform. Form 363. Our district saw approximately 2.5 million more in charter savings in the fiscal year 2025. That showed us something important. Sometimes it is not just about more investment. It is about alignment, structure, and making sure the resources we already have are working the way they should. We also want to acknowledge and thank the basic education funding commission with their thoughtful data driven work. They identified the adequacy gap and helped create a clear path forward for districts like mine. Because of that work, I also want to thank
028you for the first two years of adequacy funding brought into Chester Upland. Those investments have helped us strengthen social emotional learning and purchase new textbooks, expand tutoring opportunities, grow after school programs, and invest in staff development. These are real improvements that we experience every day in our schools. But at the same time, we know that just is still working to overcome an advocacy gap of nearly 40 million. The funding we have received so far is helping us move forward. Continued investment is necessary to ensure long-term stability and real lasting outcomes. Every student in test thorough and efficient public education that is not just a belief that is the constitution. What we have seen so far proves something important. I hope that the progress is real. It is working. So today I respectfully ask the Senate
029to continue that progress finish the job to the passive adequacy support another investment in adequacy funding in this year's budget and pass it on time certainty for districts like mine that cannot afford to wait when you invest in chester upland this students you are not just supporting schools you are investing in futures in opportunity and in what is possible Let me get this right. >> Thank you. just want the students to come up and introduce themselves to you, explain what we did that day, what your experience was, what your best part of the day was, and then we will allow comments on this only. Nothing on the agenda, nothing but comments for the children only. audience and then you can come up to the mic and explain who you are, why you are turn. >>
030Hello. Don't worry. >> Okay. >> My name is Evan Edwards and I do attend Chester High School as an 11th grader and I get to make a comment on the adequacy gap that we have. As last year, I was not participating in any kind of like student body or student government. But this year when I was like encouraged to join, I had got to see from the perspective of people who actually involve themselves politically in like the school and the money. I get to see how low we are actually performing. The children have great potential. I see more students trying to get involved with uh getting their grades up when they not competitively but like to see how many opportunities they're open to. When I was showed the adequacy gap, I was kind of amazed.
031I thought I was doing really well with just the little resources I have, but I'm supposed to be or I'm supposed to be entitled to a lot more than that. Now that I'm in the school body, I think I'm going to perform a lot more actions in uh student body whole a lot more. Turn that around so they can fix >> y'all. He was shy. Come on. >> Um, >> greetings everyone. Good evening. >> Um, my name is Sakai and as you saw from the video, I participated in this year's advocacy day as well. >> Now, one of the things that, oh, my most important thing that I saw when I was there, we went to go talk to the senator um, John Kaine, and we went to go talk about what he spoke about
032earlier, our adequacy gap of nearly 40 million, right? It's a big gap, and even with all the funding we're getting every year, I realized we wouldn't be able to make up for it. It's crazy because we're being extremely underfunded and we're being almost undervalued as a school district and as a people as a whole, right? We should all have the same fair rights and should all be able and given equal chance, but we can't do that if we don't have money in the first place. We need to be able to be shown that we can, you know, improve our talents and we need to be able to be given resources that facilitate an environment where we can be given that money and that money can be used towards our own regards. In these environments, I
033believe the most important thing is literacy. It's, you know, your education, right? And when I talked to John Kaine, we came there and we faced him, right? We sat in front of him and I realized something and that's that like all of us, the senators are also human, right? They also make mistakes and they also know they have their own agenda they're pushing. He was taking the narrative away from the things that we were speaking about. And it was insane, right? because he would, you know, backtrack and he would shift around and he would try to say things that would deflect the conversation from the main goal that we were trying to get, which was our adequacy. >> And as far as that goes, I believe that the moral of the story when I think
034of these things is we have to be able to advocate for our own rights, for our own things, right? It comes down to us as human beings being able to talk about equal power and the things that we deserve as people, as students, in this government, in this district. And I believe that every student in this district has the ability to shine. 9 through 12. There's not a single person here that isn't able to shine brilliantly like a diamond. But only when they're given the fair and equal chance that people everywhere else are given. Um, that's all I have to say. Good evening everyone. >> Good evening. >> My name is Ada. Um, advocacy day was an unforgettable experience for me. I had the opportunity to speak with politicians, participate in a rally, and advocate
035for students like me. One of my favorite parts of was making my poster and speaking out about educational funding. While our schools our school uh does receive funding, many schools like ours still do not have enough resources to fully support students the way they should. This was not about tearing schools down, but about making sure every student has equal opportunities to succeed. Advocacy Day showed me how powerful student voices can be. Thank you. What did you make? I'm sorry. Um, my name is Somaya Bose and I'm an 11th grade. Um, what can I say about is I'm sorry. When I heard about the budget, see, I was I don't I didn't know really much about it. I was just it was something that was just like new to me. I I never even paid attention
036to anything that really went on with the school other than things that needed to be fixed. But when I heard about the money that we didn't receive and that this is why we can't get things fixed or things that we need for the school like our books that we should have or certain websites that we should be able to use but can't because you know with our computers and stuff that kind of just it feels like we're being left out and we're not getting really appreciated that much And it's like as a student of, you know, as a student of Chester High, it's like it's hard to try to tell people that that school, our school is not like that. Like how it looks, how it how people is showing it. It's It's not like
037that. It's actually a really good school. And we do have amazing teachers that actually do care for us. It's not like I feel like the world needs to really see and hear us as like I don't know like we're not we're not bad just because of our past like rel like relationships or from our past years especially these newer class we're we're actually trying and that's Why that's why for advocacy day when we spoke out I really hope that like touched a lot of people because yes we that that budget just it shouldn't be like that and there's no way we should have to sit there and act that way towards that money that we need for our schools and for I don't know how to word it correctly but um I think that's really
038all I had at this time. >> Let us see your post. >> Let us see. >> Um, hello. My name is Aaliyah. Um, my experience for advocacy day, it was it was good. Like Somaya said, it was much stuff that I didn't know then that I already know now. Everything that they talked about was really something that I didn't know. Like she said, this school it it is it's not the best. like for the for the buildings, they it really does need like much improvement, but overall, you know, everybody here, they're really great. But um um they just really need to work on the mostly the communication with everyone here. Not many people they really work on each other. Um, but when they were talking about the budget, the budget was very much surprising compared
039to how big the school is. You would think we have that much stuff, but we really don't. Um, I don't know. Advocacy Day, it was good. Uh, the rallies, it really spoke more than what we than what I expected to hear. Um the funding, all the budgets, all that was really really good. Yeah. Um uh um uh I was good. I was glad to meet uh what was John Kane cuz I met him the first time. He was really sweet. you know, he spoke about he everything he said was very detailed. It was very good. He even he even um he he really made everyone realize what we don't see what the school don't really teach us. He made us learn more than what we actually learn here. Um yeah. Thank you. Next. >> Good
040afternoon. My name is Mark Anthony Sawyer. I am the 11th grade in the uh on this past advocacy day. It opened my eyes because when I first came here, I'm going to be honest, I thought the school was broke. I thought that uh that this school it was something else when I came here honestly but this past advocacy day it opened my eyes up and really showed me where the school is at and terms of its budget and I'm just proud to be able to uh fight for my school and speak and uh show these politicians and the senators that hey we need help too. We all deserve the same and equal chances at uh everyone else. And I just hope that in the future the kids that come after us can get that school
041experience that we never could. So uh thank you Dr. Males and Miss Moody for opening our eyes. And that's all I got to say. Yes, sir. >> Thank you. >> Questions, comments, concerns. >> I am grateful that the students had the opportunity to attend advocacy day. I'm grateful that it opened your eyes to what's going on and I hope it lets you know that you can do more for yourself as you represent the student body. Continue to work in Continue to work in it. You guys did a good job. >> Dr. Morales. >> All right. Uh my name is Michael and I just wanted to say I know some of you and you all have grown so much over the years and to see you speak in this way. I have not seen so much
042passion come from you all and even though they made the school seem so heinous. I am the product of the same. My parents made things seem so tragic like so scary. And when I stepped in I realized it really depends on your involvement. >> Mhm. It depends on what you want to do. You don't have to follow the trend. You don't have to stick with the crowd because your path is yours. Okay? And this is so beautiful to see that y'all are just growing up. If you haven't if I haven't worked with you directly, um it's still good to see that what Chester is making. I'm just so proud. You don't always have to have the right words and know how to say it because we hear you. >> Okay. >> Yes. >> All right.
043Even when you stumble, we hear the context of what's coming out your mouth. >> Okay. This is beautiful. So I can >> Yes. We hear you and we sing you. >> I'm sorry. >> Yeah. Young ladies, young gentlemen, we hear you and we see you. And to be so astute as to recognize that someone was deflecting when you were telling them exactly what was on your mind. That at your age, that's really good. Um, education is the passport to the future. Tomorrow belongs to those prepare for it today. That's a quote from Malcolm X. >> Yeah. Every year I read the ballot in the book. Every year. Okay. And that just came up when you started talking about how you recognize the senator deflecting. >> So good job. First of all, kudos to our students.
044I'm so proud of you all. Yes. So, I just want I just want to to thank all of you. You know, Miss Moody, Dr. Morales, Dr. Mine, our board, everybody because we know that we have a huge initiative in this district for student voice. You all are the future of us here at Chester Blum School District and we know what amazing things that you're capable of. and to hear you on the steps like that Sakai and just to hear all of you stand here and speak so eloquently about you know what you're seeing and what you deserve when you know what you deserve and you speak about that with passion there's nothing that you can't achieve so I just want to encourage you all to keep up that great work we have some seniors up
045there and then we have you know 11th graders 10th graders so you are our future continue to fight for what you believe in and know your worth and never give that up. So, congratulations again. >> Yes. I um I'm here at Education Foundation with Stephanie. She has to step out, but um I'm I'm so moved by by this meeting here of the young lady. I don't remember your name, but I think you said that uh CH the school district Chester High is more than what people see. >> And that that just really touched me because I'm I'm a a child of immigrants. And so when we moved from Brooklyn to Chester, my parents feared the school district based off of what they heard. >> And so I developed a distance from the school district. I
046didn't have a lot of interaction growing up with the school district in small ways. I was in the band with Mike Mo here at the hive, but that was about that was about it. And so now I'm returning to the city and interacting with the school district in a way that I never thought I I would. And I'm learning so much about what Chester needs. And I'm I'm trying to get involved and be in the community and offer things that I can as a resident here in Chester. And I think it's so important that you continue to say what you're saying outside of this room. It might feel like just an assignment today that you're completing, but what you're doing and what you're saying is so critical because people like my parents and people in
047different communities or in the neighboring counties need to hear what you're saying. So don't stop tonight. Tell your friends, put it on your social media, and continue to spread the word so that awareness happens. um in in regard to what this city needs, what the school district needs. So, you have informed me. There's a lot of things that I'm learning and you were so helpful to me this evening in in order for me to do what I do as as my work with Chester Education Foundation. So, I'm grateful. Just don't stop. Keep going. And I'm so so so very proud of each and every one of you. I also want to say that people fear what they don't understand. Right. >> So, >> right. And I I feel like people especially the information that our
048parents receive, it caused them to feel fear what they don't understand. So, if there's more information coming out, people have a chance to understand what's really happening, it'll change the game. It'll change the game. Perfect. >> Amen. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. >> Don't go anywhere. >> Miss Moody was very instrumental in ensuring that I was not alone on this day. And >> every year I go, I got a thousand bags on me. A thousand is. He was the bag holder at the time. was there helping shuffle kids through the hallways and all this stuff. It felt really good this year to have um that support. Miss Trina Johnson is always been there for five years with me before I got on the school board. She continues to show up. She continues to support
049principal properly who allows me to interrupt the educational day of his children consistently. I appreciate it. And this will you don't have to worry about this continuing this part. I got this. What y'all have to do is make sure you continue to show up for them that I will continue to show up. So I appreciate y'all so much. So >> y'all can have a seat, but don't go too far cuz we want to take a picture before you go. Did somebody listen? >> Who's walking home? >> And don't leave until you take the picture. >> All right. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> All right. In the spirit of advocating for our community and our school, we do have um another advocate that wants to come up and share about our neighborhood advocacy. So, we're
050going to ask um Mr. Michael Lewis to come up and share information about what he's advocating for with our school staff and students. You can turn that around. Hi there. Hi there students, board >> and members of the community. My name Michael Lewis. I'm with the Chester City Black Captain program, a proud alumni of Chester High School, class of 2010. All right. I am here because I'm working on three projects, but one is most important to my heart is the Chester City Black Captain program. As a community organizer, I get to connect all the dots quickly, efficiently. Whether with three screens in front of my face or just my cell phone, I move at the same speed and the same efficiency. You too can come back home and do the same type of work. You
051all starting right now to be a community organizer. I like to get straight to the point to look good at night. It deserves to look good during the day, right? And I like to fix these be beautifification. I like to beautify the city block by block, park by park if possible. And also fix the communication problem. We know what the issues are. Let's just get to the point. Let's stop waiting around. Let's stop saying we don't got the money. Let's stop saying we can't find a way cuz we very talented and we all know somebody that know somebody that know something. How can we come together as a village and get those resources connected? We don't have voice clubs like we used to when we used to barter trade skills to get things done. To
052do it, you have to join a club or a society. Okay? But as a village, we can do what we can. I'm very ambitious, overly ambitious. So I'm team, let's do the most. I want to do what you want to do. Okay. So, every block in the city of Chess up for adoption, every park so we can reclaim ownership. Okay, we have block captains on the board. We have people that don't mind stepping up and getting things done, but we also need the young folks that they say, "Hey, I don't mind doing it, too. This block look a mess. I don't mind making that phone call, seeing what we can do to get it cleaned up." Okay. But again, I'm Michael Lewis. I'm one of eight Michael Lewis's and I'm just happen to be one
053of the youngest ones still here right at the moment. But I am overly excited and ambitious to see you all step up and speak because y'all voices have value and you are advocating. I advocate I go to Harrisburg, DC, anywhere. I didn't know y'all was doing this because when I said just high >> they didn't go too far but you know they did do what they could but the fact that you're doing the work the work needs to continue to be done cuz other people behind you has to step up but I really appreciate it and if you want to ask me any questions I'm open my phone number is open for anybody especially we talk about anything productive >> all right thank All right. So, if anybody would like to uh be a block
054captain in the adopted block in the city of Chester, please reach out to Michael Lewis. Um the good thing is that they do give you the supplies to do um the cleanups. So, that would be wonderful to see some youth block captains, right, Mike? >> Youth I'm sorry. rewind play youth ambassador. So, and you guys are are re rocking it out. So, um I do want to acknowledge um a update that will be coming to the agenda, which is um item A40, which is approval of delegates to the PSBA delegate assembly for November 7, 2026. In the justification, it states that up to three board members may be appointed as delegates to attend. Two board members are currently set to attend. Those two board members are Dr. Morales and Doc um Director Pulk. The third
055board member that will be added to this is Director McLaren. So, we just want to um make a note that um those who have read the agenda, that addition for the third person has been selected and that will be um director McLaren. So, again, we're just acknowledging the update that will come with that one. Um we want to thank Dr. Morales today for our educational session for um understanding PSBA. She gave a presentation to us so that we can be aware of how we can advocate more for our school district by being present. So we want to thank her for that presentation. And we also again want to thank everybody that went to Harrisburg with these young people. Director Morales is Reverend Kirkland Miss Moy Miss Trina. I know it was more. They were not
056by themselves. I saw the video and I was like, if I could have made emoji, that's what it would look like. But kudos to you guys. You did an awesome job. So, thank y'all for taking our time cuz Harrisburg is not around corner. >> Amen. >> And we went twice that week. >> Exactly. We went twice >> that point. So that's what I'm saying that anybody that's, you know, taken that time out, it is noticed. So thank you. Thank you. Thank you. And we appreciate that so much. Are there any other questions or items for discussion from the board? >> Thank you. >> Please have a safe summer. Make good decisions. >> Yeah. >> All right. With that being said, please come up and take a picture once this g is selected. >> Who's taking
057a picture? >> Somebody gonna take it. Somebody go. All right, that meeting is this meeting is a journ now. Come on and take this picture.