001The organization meeting of the board of school directors of the Upper Derby School District will come to order. This meeting is in compliance with the school code and is in accordance with the following notice of which you have all been appraised and received copies of. In accordance with section 401, the school code of 1949 as amended, you are hereby notified that the school board of directors of Upper Derby School District will meet the first week of December for the purpose of organization and election of the of officers for the ensuing year and for general purposes. The first order of business is to nominate or the nomination and election of the temporary president. I will entertain nominations at this time. Mr. fields. I move that we have Damian Wars Savage as temporary president. >> Second. >>
002Are there any other nominations? With no other nominations, we'll close the nominations. Now we have a vote for Mr. Damen Warsavage to be temporary president. All in favor signify by saying I. >> I. >> Any opposed? >> Congratulations, Mr. Waravage. [Applause] [Music] Thank you very much. Mr. Rogers, would you mind reading the list of legally elected or appointed qualified school directors at this time? >> Sure. The following list of legally elected and or appointed and qualified school directors is as follows. Terms expiring the first Monday of December 2025. Neil Desers, Muhammad Afira Hussein, Michelle Pianentini Ko, Deborah Williams. For terms expiring the first Monday of December 2027, we have Don Field, Kimberly Glenn, Desiree Murphy Mercy, Damen Warsavage, and Britney Williams. >> Thank you very much. You may proceed. >> At this time, I will
003now ask each board member to affirm they have read, understand, and will follow the PSBA code of conduct and the principles of governance and leadership. As I call your name, please state the following. I have read, understand, and will follow the PSBA code of conduct and the principles of governance and leadership. >> Miss Britney Williams, >> I have read and understand and will follow the PSBA code of conduct and principles for governance and leadership. >> Miss Cow, >> I have read and understand and will follow the PSBA code of conduct and the principles of governance and leadership. Miss Murphy Mercy >> I have read and understand and will follow the PSBA code of conduct and the principles for governance and leadership. >> Mr. Hussein >> I have read understand will follow the PSBA code and
004conduct to the principles governance and the leadership. >> Thank you Mr. Fields. >> I have read understand and will follow the PSBA code of conduct and the principles of for governance and leadership. Mr. does no. >> I have read, understand, and will follow the PSBA code of conduct and the principles for governance and leadership. >> Miss Glenn, >> I have read, understand, and will follow the PSBA code of conduct and the principles of governance and leadership. >> Miss Deborah Williams, >> I have read, understand, and will follow the PSBA code of conduct and the principles for governance and leadership. >> Mr. War Savage. I have read, understand, and will follow the PSBA code of conduct and the principles for governance and leadership. Thank you for doing that, Mr. Rogers. I will now open the floor
005to nominations of the president for this board. Do I hear a nomination at this time? >> I nominate Neil Desers. >> Thank you very much. Are there any on any other nominations at this time for president? Uh, I nominate Desiree Lamar Murphy Morsy. >> I decline the nomination for president. >> All right. The only nomination that we have at this time is for Neil Dawyers. Any others? If not, may I ask for a not motion that the nominations be closed? >> So moved. >> All in favor of closing nominations, please say I. >> I. >> Are there any nazs? The nominations for president are closed. Mr. Secretary, would you pull the board, please, on a vote for Neil Dawyers as president for this board for the term of one year. >> Miss Britney Williams, >>
006abstain. >> Miss Ko, >> I >> Miss Murphy Morsy, >> I >> Mr. >> I >> Mr. War Savage, >> I >> Mr. Mr. Des I. >> Miss Glenn >> I >> Miss Deborah Williams >> I >> Mr. Fields >> I thank you very much Mr. Rogers. It is now the time to announce that Neil Dawyers is our board president for the next year. Congratulations Mr. Dooyers. The floor is now open for nominations for vice president. Do I hear a nomination? Miss Ko >> Desire Murphy Moresy, please. >> All right. Any other Thank you for that nomination. Any others? >> Yes. >> Director Williams. >> Damian War Savage. >> Thank you. Any other nominations for vice president? >> Deborah Williams. All right. To make this easy, I will drop out of consideration, but thank you.
007Thank you very much for that. Appreciate it. That being said, if there are no other nominations for vice president, I ask for a motion that the nominations be closed. >> So moved. >> I need a second. >> Thank you very much. All in favor of closing nominations for vice president, please say I. >> I. >> Are there any nays? The the nominations for vice president are now closed. Mr. Secretary, would you mind doing us the pleasure of pulling the board, please? First, for a vote on or how should we do this? First on a vote for one individual, then the other? >> No, the board members will simply cast vote for whichever named person they desire and the other option is to abstain. >> Gotcha. So, when your name is called, please say the name
008of the nominee that you would like to support. Otherwise, you may say abstain. Mr. Rogers, Miss Britney Williams, >> Desiree Miss Ko >> Desire >> Miss Murphy Mercy >> Desire >> Mr. Osine >> Desire Mr. Fields >> Desiree Mr. Mr. Desers, uh, Deborah Williams. >> Miss Glenn, >> Deborah Williams, >> Miss Deborah Williams, >> Deborah Williams, >> Mr. War Savage, >> Desiree, >> the the majority goes towards Desiree Murphy Morsy. >> Thank you very much, Mr. Rogers. Miss Desiree Murphy Moresy is our vice president for the next year. Congratulations. [Applause] And with that, my very brief presidency comes to an end. And Mr. Desoyers, no speech. Mr. Desoyers, would you like to take this seat, please? >> Very welldeserved. >> Thank you very much. >> Okay. The the next item on the agenda is the
009fixing of date, time, and place of regular meetings and committee meetings. Our board and committee meetings will continue to be scheduled for the second and fourth Tuesday of the month with the exception for the months of June and December where the meetings will be scheduled for the third the first and third Tuesday of the month. An additional exception will be for the committee meeting being held in April which will be scheduled for the fifth Tuesday of the month respectively. If the schedule meets with the board's approval, I would like to direct the board secretary to post and advertise the 2025 meeting schedule. All those in favor of the meeting schedule, please signify by saying a I >> I. >> Those opposed. >> The meeting schedule is fixed. Uh at this time I would just like
010to uh to make a brief remark. I would like to um uh thank my fellow board members for trusting me trusting in me to allow me to serve uh for the next year. Uh, and I look forward to working with Vice President uh, Murphy Moresy and my the rest of my fellow board members and Dr. McGary uh, to make um, the Upper Derby School District the best it can be um, for staff, uh, students, families, and the entire district community. Uh, thank you for allowing me to serve you. Uh, I will defer the appointment of liaison representatives and committee co-chairs until January um when I've had a chance to converse with Vice President Murphy Morrisy and other board members. May I hear a motion for adjournment? >> Second. >> Meeting adjourned. We will go right
011into the work session for the for the regular meeting. The first se the first item on the work session agenda is a presentation of the Upper Derby High School Encore Singers and Concert Choir. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. [Music] H might [Music] Hallelujah. [Music] You said [Music] God might [Applause] marity. [Music] [Applause] [Music] is [Music] Ever glory [Music] might seem [Music] might [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] hallelujah. All mighty. [Music] Amen. [Music] [Applause] The second item on the work session agenda is a presentation by board leadership of the unsung hero award. Uh, and for this I would like to ask uh, director Wars Savage if you'd like to make the presentation. >> In 2002, the Upper Derby School Board established its first ever school board leadership award to go to an unsung hero within our school community. All past
012recipients have served as role models for for our students and community by providing exemplary, caring service in a loyal, dependable, friendly, and humble manner. It is a priv It is a privilege to stand before you today and honor such a truly exceptional group of individuals, our school social workers. Today we are gathered to celebrate their dedication, compassion, and tireless commitment to the well-being of our students. And while their work often takes place behind the scenes, it's no less crucial. And that is why it is so fitting that we present the unsung hero award to these outstanding professionals. School social workers are the quiet architects of our student success. Building strong foundations of emotional support, resilience, and inclusion. Every day they create safe spaces where students like a former Damian Christopher Wars Savage would be able
013to share their struggles, their hopes, and their dreams. They are often the first to notice when something is wrong and the last to leave, making sure no student is left behind. Whether they're helping a student navigate the complexities of family dynamics, providing crisis intervention, or working to ensure that all students have the resources they need to thrive, school social workers are indispensable. They're problem solvers, their advocates, and their nurturers, providing not just a listening ear, but also practical solutions that help our students overcome the challenges in their lives. It's easy to see why they are called unsung heroes. Quite quite frankly, their work may not always be visible and their efforts might not always make the headlines, but trust that their impact is felt every single day in the halls, classrooms, and hearts of our
014school community. They give hope to those who feel hopeless. And they instill confidence in students who may have never believed in themselves before. Through their unwavering support, they help shape the future, one student at a time. As we present this award today, we are reminded that heroes come in many forms. Some wear capes while others wear compassion. Some speak in loud voices while others use silence to heal. But no matter how they show up, the effect that they have on the lives of others is nothing short of heroic. To our school social workers, thank you. Thank you for being a source of strength, a beacon of hope, and an unwavering advocate for every single student. Thank you for the countless countless countless hours you spend listening, counseling, and supporting. Not just the students who come
015to come to you for help directly, but also indirectly their families, other teachers, and this entire upper Derby Royal School community. Your work is a reminder that true heroism isn't about recognition or or reward, but about making a difference in the lives of others. And today we take this moment to say once again, thank you for everything that you do. You are heroes in every single sense of the word and we are honored to celebrate you this evening. Congratulations and may your continued work continue to inspire us all. Thank you so much. [Applause] The third item on the work session agenda is the recognition of 25 years of service by Miss Kamisha Simpson. >> Good evening members of the board, President Desyers, Dr. McGary, and members of the Upper Derby community. Tonight we recognize Julie
016Kylie for 25 remarkable years of service to our district. Julie has dedicated her career to nurturing the youngest learners first at the kindergarten center and then as a first grade teacher at Hillrest Elementary School. Julie is not just an educator. She is a remarkable teacher whose dedication to her students, colleagues, and community has made a significant difference. Julie exemplifies all the qualities a teacher should possess. Her commitment to creating a supportive and engaging classroom environment is evident. Julie possesses a unique ability to understand each child as a whole, meeting them at their level and guiding them toward progress. Her kindness, patience, insight, and empathy make her an excellent role model for educators everywhere. Both her colleagues and students deeply appreciate her presence and dedication. Julie treats each child as if they were her own. Her
017colleagues describe her as a dependable partner and a dedicated teammate who positively impacts the lives of those around her. Julie is a treasure to Hill Hillrest and the Upper Derby community. Congratulations, Julie, and thank you for the countless lives you've touched and inspired. The final item on the work session agenda is the presentation of the annual financial statement audit for the year ending June 30th, 2024 by Baker Tilly. >> Uh, I'm here to present the statements. I'm Caroline Hipple. I'm the partner with Baker Tilly, your auditors. Uh, there are statements. Craig has a whole bunch if you want them. I know not everybody's a financials person so feel free to grab them. So the results of the audit we really had no uh audit adjustments no corrections for management and that's uh a good indicator
018that you have a good control control structure over your financial controls meaning that you have controls in place that are segregation of duties uh reviews and approvals that there's not mispostings that we would catch or make recommendations to management to adjust. The financial statements themselves are 75 pages. I'm going to just go real high level what they are. Uh there is the page one through three is the auditor's opinion. That's our responsibility as the auditor is to issue an opinion that the financial statements are free in the chairless statement. They're unmodified meaning that's the highest level of assurance you can get uh and that users of those statements can rely on the numbers presented in those financial statements. Pages 4 through 20 are management's discussion and analysis. That's unudited information. A lot of it is
019comparative from the prior year. Uh expenditures to the budget. U information about your capital activity. It's really uh informative to the users of the statements. If you do grab a copy, I recommend that you look at that. It kind of gives you an overview of what happened in the year and comparing to last year and it has an economic overlook uh for the year going forward. So uh it's considered unudited because it's prepared by management. We do review it as the auditors to make sure there's nothing inconsistent with what we looked at. uh and there was nothing to really indicate that pages 21 through 32 are the core financial statements. There's a governmentwide statement which is on a full acrual basis that includes your long-term assets, your capital assets and your long-term debt, long-term obligations
020like the pension plan and the other post-employment benefit plans. They come on on this governmentwide schedule that's most informative to your bond holders. They want to see kind of the financial position of the organization. And then there's governmental statements and that's more on the cash basis. It's considered a modified approval basis and closer to what your budget and what you look at on a monthly basis. The footnotes of the financial statements are on page 33 to uh 63. It outlines your accounting policies and some footnote disclosures. Informational uh can drill down more detail about your debt obligations, your pension plan, your other post-employment plans uh and uh just qualitative information for users of the statements. Then getting into the compliance side, it's kind of the back hack half half of the report on page 64
021and through 65 is your government yeah government auditing standards opinion. And because you receive federal funds, we need to issue an opinion that you have controls in place. If there were significant deficiencies or material weaknesses in your internal internal controls, meaning you're they're not preventing or detecting errors on a timely basis, that would be reported there. And I'm happy to say it's an unmodified opinion. So nothing to report. The following opinion, the third opinion, this is the last one I swear, is 66 to 68 is the uniform grant opinion and that's over your internal controls on compliance uh and compliance with the federal standards for your your grant funds that you receive. So we audited the school nutrition cluster and the ESSER funds. Uh you have one more year of ESSER funding kind of ended
022in September, but you had about $8 million left in spending. So likely be audited again next year. That's a higher risk program. So, we've audited it every year and no no modifications again. So, no exceptions to report. If there were any findings, we would report it there. And the rest of the report kind of summarizes the results there. So, uh if you want a copy, there's plenty. But, um and I just want to thank Craig and his team. They're really helpful. And Mr. Burman really helped on the uh we have to do a legal confirmation. He turned that around really fast for me. So, I appreciate his support on that, too. >> Thank you. Uh, does any member of the board have any questions? >> All right. Great. >> Uh, Director Wars Savage, >> not
023a question, but so much a statement. Thank you very much for for underscoring how very responsible our administrators are with every single tax dollar that comes through here. Despite, again, I'm going to mention it every time I can, we're underfunded by a drastic amount. So any way that we can properly control how much we spend, we're going to be in a better position. So just kudos all around. >> If I could just make a comment. >> Go right ahead. >> Yeah. I just want to say to Craig and the team, thank you Craig, Robert, Yamola, and Marvin. You know, total team effort. A lot goes into when you close a budget and then you have to then be audited for the previous years. So I appreciate we have that ongoing. We also are monitored for
024special education, federal funds, and title funds. and we have another another audit for ESR funding that goes on outside of this typical budget auditing. So, there's a lot of auditing that goes on and it speaks to the amount of effort that goes into the district to be accountable for the finances. So, good job to the team. >> Okay. The regular and the regular in-person and virtual meeting of the Upper Derby School District Board of School Directors will please come to order. There was a closed session this evening from 5:30 until 6:45 p.m. for matters to be discussed within the limitations for closed deliberations as described by Pennsylvania Act 93 of 1998. For this evening's meeting, there were personnel and litigation matters. The district posted this evening's agenda to board docks at least 24 hours prior
025to the commencement of this meeting. Is there a motion to approve that previously posted agenda? >> So moved. >> Are there any amendments to offer? >> Not at this time. >> The agenda has been moved and seconded. All those in favor, please say I. >> I. >> Those opposed, please say I oppose and state your name for the record. Those abstaining, please signify signify by saying I abstain and state your name for the record. Motion carried. The minutes of the combined work session regular meeting of November 12th, 2024 is in the hands of each board member and has been made available to the public. I move for its adoption. >> Second. Are there any comments from the board? Are there any comments from the public? All those in favor, please say I. >> I. >>
026Those opposed, please say I oppose. Those abstaining, please say I abstain. Motion carried. The report of the secretary, Director Murphy Morrisy, please. >> The report of the secretary is in the hands of each board member and has been made available to the public. I move for its adoption. >> Second. Are there any comments from the board? Are there any comments from the public? All those in favor, please say I. >> I. I. >> I. >> Those opposed, please say I oppose. Those abstaining, please say I abstain. Motion carried. The reporter the sec of the treasurer, uh, director, Miss Brittney Williams, please. >> The report of the treasures in the hands of each board member and has been made available to the public. I move for his adoption. >> Second. Are there any comments from the
027board? Are there any comments from the public? All those in favor, please say I. >> I. >> Those opposed, please say I oppose. Those abstaining, please say I abstain. Motion carried. We will now have the report of the student representatives Tasnine Yasmin and Timothy Bishu. >> Good evening board president Desawyers, Vice President Murphy Morrisy, members of the board, Dr. McGary, and our wonderful community. After a speedy Thanksgiving break, Taz and I visited her past school, Biwood Elementary, for our December report. I'd like to start out by saying that it was an amazing experience walking back through the sentimental halls of my old school. Not only is the school itself great, but so are its principal and assistant principal, Mrs. Mien and Mrs. Newbie. Fun fact, Mrs. Newbie was actually my fourth grade teacher. Their dedication
028to the students and staff, as well as their utmost kindness and positivity, is truly inspiring. Mrs. Mien and Mrs. Newbie are the heart and soul of the school, and their vibrant, hilarious personalities make them superstars. Every morning at Biwoods starts with an upbeat song and Mrs. Mihin's classic line, "Keep smiling." They have an incredible way of connecting with everyone around them, making the school feel like one big energetic family. When we stepped into the classrooms of Bwood Elementary School, we had the pleasure of speaking with the teachers. To my surprise, one of the teachers was actually my second grade teacher from Charles Kelly Elementary School. At first, she looked familiar, but I was stunned when I realized who she was. It was an unexpected but a great reunion, making the visit even more memorable. In
029her class, she has student teachers. When we walked in, a student was teaching the class how to do long division on decimals. And let's just say I could not do that. One of Bwood's standout programs is Bilingual Buddies, where fourth and fifth grade part where fourth and fifth graders partner up and assist new English learning students. What makes this program truly remarkable is how it empowers students unfamiliar with the school and the English language to get involved, participate, and have fun. Through this peer-to-peer connection, students learn from each other and develop confidence and sense of belonging. Watching the older kids take on leadership roles with such care and compassion is inspiring, and it's clear that the bilingual buddies program is a is making a meaning meaningful difference in the lives of everyone involved. >> Mrs.
030Mien and Mrs. newbie both agree on one thing and that is that safety is one of the top priorities. As soon as you walk into the building, IDs are checked no matter who you are. The security guard there is more than just great at his job. He's a wonderful person to interact with, always smiling and quick to crack a joke. He makes everyone feel welcome while staying focused on keeping the school safe. On top of that, Mrs. me in has a big TV screen that shows live footage from the main entrance camera, keeping her constantly informed. They do a fantastic job of ensuring students, teachers, and staff are safe and cared for daily. Naturally, safety is one of the top priorities. However, like any school, Mrs. Mi and Mrs. Newbie emphasize academics. I have to
031say, I have never seen anyone with so many binders before, but that just shows how much care and organization Mrs. Mian puts towards the school. We discussed the importance of training teachers not only on how to teach but also how to tackle one of the most difficult tasks as an educator, behavioral management. As Mrs. Mi would put it, clear is kind. Straightforwardness is one of the nicest things you could do. Mrs. Mian and Mrs. Newbie are always on top of their game when it comes to behavior management. They both agree that one of their favorite things is to take over a class and start teaching themselves with their wonderful organization systems. They also have the students work on goal setting and behavior recognition themselves. This responsibility helps the kids recognize their academic progress and further
032understand how to regulate their classroom behavior. As mentioned previously, Biwood Elementary School is filled with positive energy. When we chatted with Mrs. Mi and Mrs. Newbie, they showed us a book titled The Energy Bus. It's a book they are referencing all the time, and they even incorporated into their YouTube videos on the district page. The book is all about how to fuel your life with positive energy through 10 simple rules. Mrs. Mian and Mrs. Newbie use these rules to motivate and excite everyone at Bwood. Whether through their videos or daily interactions, they sure the school stays on the positive energy bus. >> That concludes our December report. Thank you, the board, and our community for your time. Have a great rest of your evening. >> TNT out. [Applause] Taz and Tim, thanks for a great
033report. I look forward to working with you this year. The budgeted personnel and enrollment reports have been made available to the board and the public and are recorded as part of the record. No vote is required. We will now have an update on the November 26, 2024 Education and People Services Committee meeting. Uh, Director Damen Warsavage will read the summary. A detailed summary of the meeting, including public comments, can be found on board docs. >> Thank you very much, President Dawyers. We had two agenda items uh up for discussion that evening. The first one was the 2024 district review. The interconnectedness, let me do that again. The interconnectedness, there we go. Among attendance, staffing, and student achievement. It was informational. Uh district administration provided an update on staffing levels in the district, student achievement trend
034or student attendance trends and student achievement. Throughout the presentation, the administration highlighted strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities for improvement in all the affformentioned areas. Again, the presentation was informational. And the second item for that evening was policies. Board action will end up being required at some point. policy 323 regarding tobacco and vaping products. There was public comment, but as previously stated, all this and more can be found on board docs. Thank you, Director Wars Savage. We will now have an update on the November 26, 2024 finance and operations committee meeting. Director Fields will read the summary. A detailed summary of the meeting, including public comments, can be found on board docs. >> Thank you, Board President Dyers. Uh as stated Tuesday, November 26, uh we had the finance and operations committee meeting. There were two agenda
035items. The first item was the 2025 2026 budget, preliminary budget versus accelerated optout out that required board action. District administration discussed the act one timeline as it relates to both preliminary budget and an accelerated opt- out resolution. Historical data as it relates to the act one index was presented. Based on the information provided, district administration asked the board to move forward with one of the following resolution authoriz author authorizing a proposed preliminary budget display and advertising accelerated opt out resolution. Uh I think we are opting for the opt out. Item number two was a wasformational. This was a transportation update. This was this was a lot of information, very detailed information, and I highly recommend anybody that has questions or concerns or wonders about how this district provides transportation to please look at this uh
036presentation. District administration provided an overview of the Department of Transportation Services. The presentation included an overview of operations, notable trends, and the department's efforts to address challenges and improve the safety and reliability of transportation services. And that was everything for the finance and operations committee meeting. Thank you. >> Thank you, Director Fields. The instruction and curriculum report. Director Wars Savage. >> Thank you, President Dyers. The instruction and curriculum report is in the hands of each board member and has been made available to the public. I move for its adoption. >> Second. >> Are there any comments from the board? Are there any comments from the public? All those in favor, please say I. >> I. >> Those opposed, please say I oppose. Those abstaining, please say I abstain. Motion carried. Director Pitini Ko the personnel
037report. >> The personnel report is in the hands of each board member and has been available been made available for the public. I move for its adoption. >> Second. >> Are there any comments from the board? Are there any comments from the public? >> All those in favor please say I. >> I. >> Board President Desawers if I could just make a comment about one of the the retirees. >> Sure. just for those of us who have been in this district for long as long as we have Mrs. Cornco uh retiring and and back when making copies and paper was like a way of life um was a blessing to have such an expert in the copy center. I mean it's kind of like a legend in the school district's history. Uh husband was a
038teacher as well for years in the school district but uh if you're tuned in I don't expect that you are tonight but Mrs. Kco just a legendary person helping run the copy center for all those years. So, congratulations on your retirement. >> Those oppo those opposed, please say I oppose. Those abstaining, please say I abstain. Motion carried. The policies for first reading tonight, no vote is required. There are eight policies for consideration for first reading this evening. They are 113.1 discipline of students with disabilities 113.2 behavior support 202 eligibility of non-resident students 236.1 threat assessment 252 dating violence 254 Educational Opportunity for military children 607 tuition income and 805.2 to school security personnel. As the uh as the summary of policy changes is rather extensive, I'll just note that uh the full uh document is
039available on board docs along with the f the policy report. It's the first reading policy report itself. Moving on, the policy report second reading is in the hands of each board member and has been made available to the public. I move for its adoption. >> Second. Are there any comments from the board? Hearing none, I would just like to say there's a single policy for a second reading this evening. That is policy 323, tobacco and vaping products. A summary of the change is as follows. During the September 10th, 2024 board meeting, this policy underwent a second reading to adopt updates resulting from PA Act 33 of 2023. Updates to the reporting requirements from the Office for Safe Schools to the PA Department of Education were inadvertently left out of the updates the board adopted at
040its September 10th, 2024 meeting. These updates are being implemented in tonight's second reading. Are there any comments from the public? All those in All those in favor, please say I. >> I. I. >> Those opposed, please say I oppose. Those abstaining, please say I abstain. >> Motion carried. Director Murphy Morsy, the facilities reports. Before I go over the facilities report, I just want to um thank Marvin and his team for working so hard to organize all these outside organizations that use our facilities. I hope they appreciate him and I hope they take care of our buildings. Um and before I read the donation report, I do want to thank the donors for their their donations to our students. The facilities report, use of facilities report and the donation report are in the hands of each
041board member and have been made available to the public. I move for their adoption. >> Second. >> Are there are there any comments from the board? Are there any comments from the public? All those in favor, please say I. >> I. >> Those opposed, please say I oppose. >> Those abstaining, please say I abstain. Motion carried. Director Deborah Williams, the finance and budget report. >> Thank you. The finance and budget report is in the hands of each board member and has been made available to the public. I move for its adoption. >> Second. >> Are there any comments from the board? Are there any comments from the public? All those in fo All those in favor, please say I. >> I. Those opposed, please say I oppose. Those abstaining, please say I abstain. Motion carries.
042Does anyone have a collateral assignment report? I will say that uh um I will notify um board members of collateral assignments before next month's board meeting. Moving on. Is there any old business from board members? Is there any new business from board members? >> President, I have an item. >> Go ahead. >> Um, I just want to remind everyone of the UDIBOP sponsored and organized Winterfest Con. It's like two different events allin one. It's going to be taking place at the gymnasium/ lunchroom annex of the high school. Starts at 10:00 in the morning. Uh, there's going to be a pancake breakfast with Santa. I hear he's got some awesome Pokemon's cards and candy canes and all that stuff to hand out to kids. Don't ask me how I know. Um, there's also going to be
043in the gym and in the auxiliary gym a whole bunch of crafts and vendors and things like that and all proceeds from this event uh go towards supporting our scholar athletes as they go on these awesome competitions and come back bringing home championships in gold as we keep celebrating them for. So, if you're interested in that kind of a gig, I would welcome you to come on Saturday. >> Thank you, Director Wars Savage. Anyone else? >> First thing I wanted to let everyone know that the Senate and House are not in session at this time. They will return in um the new session will start uh late January 2025. Any pending legis legislation that they had prior to the session ending will have to be reintroduced um in the new session. There are no updates
044to charter reform reports. One bill that passed prior to the session closing that caught my attention will hopefully be an excellent example of why things move so slowly. Senator Michelle Brooks of District 50 got a bill passed. I did a real quick search on the bill and appears that it was initially introduced to education on January 27th of 2023 and it did not pass until October 29th, 2024. So it took it took a year and a half of it going on and off the table and amendments and things being made all to pass SB232 now act 120 Lyme disease education of parents and establishing protocols for tick bites in schools. It took a year and a half of our taxpaying dollars for people to decide what we should do if a student gets bit by
045tick while in school. Um yet here we are advocating with all of our might for fair funding and to have our on time our budgets on time. Um you will see a common theme from me encouraging everyone to get involved and talk to your representatives so we can move on to things that are vital to our students education. In good news, Shapiro got an appro got approval from the Commonwealth of Financing Authority to invest in PA school facilities. 175 million will go to 208 schools, ensuring they are modern, safe, and conducive to learning. These are the changes that we need. And if we want to continuously see growth and develop in our districts without it becoming a bigger burden on our communities, we all need to advocate for safe schools, student mental health services, e
046students, and for students that have challenges in traditional learning environments. We do not really know what um will be in store for us in 2025. Still, if anything is even remotely close to what they said during their campaign, this new administration will have a direct impact on our most vulnerable students and families. We need to tap into every resource that we can to protect our students and help ensure that public schools will be able to continue to provide safe and supportive environments in which everyone can learn, succeed, and thrive. Um, I do want to thank Superintendent Dr. McGary and his amazing team for all that they do um day in and day out to help make our Royals all that they are to our community. Um in my transparency, yes, we do have hiccups and
047barriers and some things that no matter how much our administration tries to prepare for, nothing will ever be perfect, but without a doubt, this team is very proactive. So, it prevents them from having to be as reactive as other districts. >> Thank you. >> You're more than welcome. Um, and so with that said, we need proper funding in order to keep their efforts going. We need legislation in place to protect our public school systems. PSBA has an advocacy engagement program. I have recently become a member of Education Voters of PA and there are many other organizations that are out there that really need support. So again, I encourage people to get involved. And this leads me to my communications report. Um, if you have noticed, we made a few changes in the layout and the
048information that is being shared. We now have an advocacy corner which will keep everybody updated with um, new legislation and ways to get involved. Um, we will be highlighting our school a school director every month so that you can get to know us a little better than from just behind these desks. Um, and we also have um an out in the community section now where we are making it a point to document when our school directors are out in the community. We are community members and we are volunteering when and where we can to be available to listen to our community needs and to help explain what it is that the school board does. I want to give a huge shout out to Aronda for listening to my ideas and helping me organize them so
049that you can all see um that the newsletter is truly representing your school directors. She implemented things in a way that far exceeded my expectations. So, thank you Aronda and thank you to all the school directors for getting out in the community and for sharing your joy with me so that we can share it in our newsletters. And that concludes my longest speech so far as a school director. >> Thank Thank you, Director Glenn. >> We are now at the time for the public hearing. We will call on Upper Derby School District residents who signed in to address the board in the order in which they signed in followed by emailed and phoned comments. We would ask that you come forward, give your name and address, and present your comments in the 3minut time limit.
050In accordance with policy 903, the time allotted for general comments, both in person and submitted comments, will not exceed 1 hour. Do I have a signin sheet? We do not have any anyone signed in this evening. >> Thank you. Are there any submitted comments? Yes, sir. We have one comment from Melissa Harris located at 8:19 Windmir Avenue. This comment was received on the 3rd of December at 6:30 p.m. via email, and it is a general comment. The comment reads, "My name is Melissa Harris. I live at 819 Windermir Avenue, which is the street behind CVS at State and Landown. Three weeks over, 100 of your students were in my back driveway right after school lets out and they were shouting and jumping up and down on residents cars that were parked in the back alley.
051The police were called, but as usual, they run. This isn't This isn't the first time your student have been in our back alley. Once it was 10 girls beating on one girl. Just because they aren't in school property doesn't mean that you aren't responsible for them. You can't tell. You don't know who are the troublemakers. You need to do something about this. I did leave a message with the principal which wasn't returned. End of comment. >> Thank you very much. >> And that is our last comment, sir. >> Thank you. Is there a motion for the adjournment of the meeting? >> Second. >> All those in favor? I >> I. >> Meeting adjourned.