Legislative Board Meeting

001testing. 545 375. Yeah, >> that's >> Yes. >> Okay. >> Test. >> We don't know if this did it or you turned it off. Did it? >> No. This I Test test one two three batteries First, testing. Test one, two, three. >> No error. >> Alert. That's all. >> Replacement or just moving inside something. Touch it. It's good now. Test. Test. Test. 1 2 3. Testing. Testing. Okay. This is a way test test. Nice to see you. >> Good to see you. >> Sorry. Test Test test test. >> Yeah, she goes she goes right after the Yeah, she goes right after the roll call. I was so proud of myself. I was sleeping. I got some good when I go home. Okay. Uh Which slide am I using Very good. I get two in one

002day. Oh my go Good evening. >> Thank you. Good evening everybody. I'm going to call tonight's meeting to order. Thank you for being with us this evening. Um we will start with the pledge of allegiance and our statement of acknowledgement and honor of indigenous and diverse communities. Miss Murphy We begin this meeting with acknowledgement of and honor for the many legacies that have impacted our community, particularly those buried over time. Acknowledging truth is critical to building mutual respect and connection across all barriers of heritage and difference. Sheltonham Township stands within the Lape Hopnik, the ancestral homeland of the Len Lape civilization. Their people were and still are caretakers of this land and its rivers, and their legacy continues. We pay respect to their elders, past and present. Our community owes its existence and vitality to

003generations from around the world who contributed their hopes, dreams, and energy to making the history that led to this moment. Some were brought here against their will. Some were drawn to leave their distant homes in the hope of a better life. And some have lived on this land for more generations than can be counted. Please take a moment to consider the many legacies of violence, displacement, migration, and settlement that bring us together as a school district committed to fostering intellectual curiosity and discourse in service of social justice. Join us in uncovering such truths. >> Thank you, Miss Murphy. Miss Hatcher, could you please call the role? >> Good evening. Miss Listing, >> present. Mr. Belle Williams >> present. >> Mr. X >> present. >> Miss Lman >> present. >> Miss Mohern >> present. >> Miss

004Murphy >> present. >> Mr. Shorts >> present. >> Dr. Watts >> present. >> Dr. White >> present. >> That concludes our roll call. >> Thank you, Miss Hatcher. Um, we are now going to hear public comment on agenda items only. And as I have done the last uh few meetings, reiterating what public comment uh looks like within the context of these legislative meetings, any Cheltonham resident, taxpayer, school district employee are all permitted to speak and comment on at this time agenda items only. Speakers comments are limited to three items or less. We also take comments via Zoom. And um the other thing I'll say is that uh in this context we hear comment. It is not necessarily a conversation. Usually we take notes. We will write down questions and um if needed a reply will

005be sent out from Dr. Scriven or another member of administration in the interim. But at this time if you have a comment um on agenda items only you may come to the podium or raise your hand uh in Zoom. Sorry, three minutes or less. Not three items or less. You're good. Thank you for the correction, Mr. Hi friends. >> Yes. Hello. Oh, and please state your name and where you reside in the township. I forgot that part. >> Okay. I'm Emily Sheremy Walls. It's so good to see many of you. I reside in W six. Um, I wrote my comments today because I would definitely go over the three minutes and as an elected official myself, I know the importance of that. So, forgive me for reading them. I read this morning's announcement about the

006administrative changes at Cedarbrook East with real concern. After the abrupt closure of Elkins Park last year and the difficult realignment of buildings, our sixth graders have already experienced significant disruption. Through that upheaval, Miss Nelson has been a trusted and steady presence for the students at Cedarbrook East. Removing the sole administrator from the building in the middle of the school year when there are only a few months left in sixth grade feels deeply unfair to the students who have worked so hard to adjust. These children have already experienced extraordinary instability in their formative years. They began elementary school during the pandemic with remote learning, then partial remote learning, and now major building changes. Many of them have only recently found stability after adapting to a new building, new schedules, and new teachers. Changing their leadership again

007right now creates yet another disruption just before they move to a different school next year. I'm also tremendously concerned about what this decision signals for the broader district. Just months ago, families were told that Dr. Russell would strengthen leadership at WCOT. That has indeed been the case. Reversing that decision so quickly raises questions about long-term planning and stability. Finally, the email announcing this change stated that the board will approve these trans transitions at tonight's meetings. That language suggests the decision has already been made. when the elected board represents this community and deserves the opportunity to deliberate. For the sake of the students at Cedarbrook East specifically, I urge the board to allow Miss Nelson to remain through the end of the school year so these sixth graders can finish with the stability that they so

008deserve. Thank you. >> Thank you, Miss Jeremy Walls. >> Thank you. All right, seeing uh no one at the podium and no hands raised, we will Oh, no. Thank you, Miss Seedra. >> Hi, everyone. I was hoping my husband got here before, but he's better at these things. But, uh, my name is Elizabeth Seedra and I am a resident of Elkins Park. Uh, last year the Elkins Park school community discovered that the sixth grade experience would be drastically altered. The CSC leadership team shared plans for the fifth grade to remain in their respective elementary schools and the former fifth grade to remain at the modulars for their sixth grade year. This decision greatly impacted the children in profound ways. When the changes were proposed, the community was promised consistency in the face of displacement. Principal

009Nelson has been the con has been the constant. Now she is being moved and there was no community input. We're wondering why. Principal Nelson is an excellent administrator. She excels in all competencies in the leadership continuum. In a complicated situation, she was able to provide stability in one in one school year. Alkins Park and CBKE students lost half of their teachers. They left a familiar space and were moved to the modular classrooms. They lost the opportunity to experience being student leaders for younger students in the building. The current sixth grade is alone in their building. Despite being in this atypical situation, Mrs. Nelson led with purpose. She has successfully created a positive culture under challenging circumstances. Not having her for the foundational sixth grade experiences like the camping trip to Laughing Waters, the promotion ceremony,

010and the overall preparation for transition to seventh grade is unfair to this cohort of students. They have already experienced enough instability. Why take away their most trusted adult at such a pivotal moment of their school career? Mrs. Nelson also guided her staff through a difficult transition. She prioritized their needs as they lost the opportunity to work with colleagues that they had known for years. She provided clear expectations and stability as they moved classrooms, grade levels, and content areas. Many staff elected to remain at CBK East because they knew Mrs. Nelson would continue on as the lead administrator. The proposed decision to move her in March will undoubtedly impact staff morale and their trust in the decision-making process. The same can be said for the school's families. Although we were deeply concerned about the potential impact

011of our children learning in a modified sixth grade environment, we have developed trust and confidence in CBK East because of the strong leadership and relationships that have been developed with Mrs. Nelson. We appreciate you hearing our concerns. We know last year the change to move to Elkins Park School to the modulars was something that was necessary, but we're struggling to see the necessity of this current change at this time in the school year. We truly urge the board to think through the decision and also encourage district administration, the school board to really take into account community input. Last year when we were making this reorganization decision, we were all so grateful for all the input we were allowed to give. We felt like the school board, the administration really heard our concerns, answered all of

012our questions, and took that time. And so we're urging you to really consider that this evening as well. Thank you. >> Thank you, Miss Sra. Any other We have a hand online. Thank you, Kevin. Hi, my name is Rebecca Conn. I am a resident of Elkins Park and I have an eighth grader at Cedarbrook and a sixth grader at Cedarbrook East. I'm here in support of the other comments um that are here tonight. Our biggest concern is the timing of losing Miss Nelson at the end of this year. I would like to see more thought given to the timing itself. I think it's great opportunities for both Miss Nelson and Dr. Russell. Um, but it feels very rushed and it feels like the community has not been given an opportunity for input into the decision.

013I also am wondering how the timing of the move benefits the students. In Dr. Scriven's email today, it noted that this move was being made with the students in mind, which we appreciate, but there was no uh evidence given of how the timing of this move will actually be benefiting them. So if there could be more information given there, we would appreciate it. We would also like the board to consider the timing of everything and possibly ask for push back on that. Thank you. >> Thank you, Miss B. Any other I don't see anyone at the podium in the room. There are no other hands online. So at this time, I will close uh public comment on agenda items only. Thank you. Uh, we will now move on to our recognitions. Uh, we have Glenside

014with us tonight and so I would love to have Dr. Robinson and her team come wow us with what the Glenside Bears are up to. >> Good evening. Um, to our community, to the distinguished board, to board members, to madam board president, Mrs. Mohern, and superintendent Dr. Scriven. Um, first I want we're excited to present the artwork that we have here the Glintside Elementary Art Showcase under the guidance of our wonderful art teacher Mrs. Connley. Glennside student artists learned the elements of art and principles of design as well as experiment with a variety of media. Students explore art history, world cultures, and seasonal themes across the K5 curriculum. And our program promotes art appreciation, self-exploration, and diversity. Highlights from this year's art showcase include assorted artist inspired portraits, Van Go adaptions and experiments and surrealisms.

015Next, I wanted to just share that when we talk about in terms of my share for Glenside, when we talk about transformation, we often talk about programs, curriculum or initiatives. And over the last nine years, I've highlighted those things during my annual board share. But tonight, I want to talk about people and the power of leading. As my friend Chanel Baswain says, leading as we, not me. Tonight, I want to show gratitude for your investment, this board's investment in teacher leaders and encourage this governing board to continue to seek out the expertise, brilliance, and capacity of our greatest resource, our teachers. Dr. Scriven, you will remember when I first met you, I told you about a first grade teacher that was guaranteed to be a future star. She is sitting here tonight poised for her

016next dimension. This evening, I want to share with you snippets of many more shall we have the courage to continue to see them in a K5 building. The most powerful lever next slide for the most powerful lever for student success is not a new resource. its adult capacity. And the question I hold every day is this. How do we build a school where every child thrives academically, socially, and emotionally? Not because of me, but because of we. Over the last nine years, my focus has been simple. Invest in the adults. So the adults invest in the children. And our students are counting on us with increasing in complexity. Next slide. They need stronger literacy instruction, differentiated math pathways, inclusive special education practices, explicit social emotional support, and classrooms where they feel seen and valued for

017each of their unique identities. No single administrator can meet that level of complexity alone. And the only sustainable path forward is is collective leadership. And that is why I thank you for intentionally again investing in our teacher leaders. Over the last nine years, this team that I call the dream team, we have built structures that move us from isolated excellence to shared expertise. We've identified teacher leaders across grade levels and disciplines who lead data conversations. They facilitate collaborative planning. They support new teachers. They model inclusive practices. They guide literacy and math alignment. They help us strengthen belonging practices. But this is not about titles. It's about multiplying impact. And when we teach, when teachers learn from one another consistently and intentionally, three things happen. Instruction becomes more aligned. Next slide. Students experience greater consistency. Teachers

018feel supported instead of isolated. And let me share what this has meant for our students. We have seen in the data stronger literacy small groupoup instruction, clear math learning progressions across grade levels, earlier identification of intervention needs through MTSS, more inclusive classroom practices for students receiving services. And behind every data point, as I always say to Dr. Kat, every child is a heartbeat. Every child feels more confident picking up a book and a child who now raises their hand in math. Because teacher leaders also support culture building. We've seen stronger classroom community routines, more consistent behavior expectations, increase restorative justice, and increased student voice opportunities. When adults collaborate well, children feel it. The climate shifts. And perhaps most importantly, our teachers are not carrying this work alone. They are observing one another. They are planning

019together. They're problem solving together. And that builds collective efficacy. And collective efficacy is one of the strongest predictors of student achievement. So when teachers feel supported, children feel supported. I would like to take this moment now, next slide, to invite members of you can next slide again to invite members of the dream team to answer a brief question. These members are we call them fun squad, joy ambassadors, curriculum and instruction leaders, PBIS leaders, new student ambassadors, social media wellness leaders, special ed coordinators. They do it all. And I want to ask them, how has teacher leadership changed your impact on students? Good evening. My name is Katie Jacob and I'm a reading specialist and a teacher leader for curriculum and instruction. These roles have given me the privilege of working alongside some amazing teachers across

020our school, supporting them in ways that touch the lives of every student. I've had the joy of collaborating with colleagues to model instructional strategies, run schoolwide reading initiatives, support datadriven decisions, provide for professional development, and help shape our curriculum. Through these efforts, I've been able to contribute to meaningful learning experiences for many more students than I could ever reach alone. What makes this work truly meaningful is knowing that our collaboration helps students flourish. I'm truly thankful for having the chance to be a leader. It has taught me that when we support our teachers, we lift up every student in our building and that is a gift I am deeply grateful to be part of. Thank you. Good evening. Uh, my name is Stacy Epstein. I'm the math specialist at Glennside. As a classroom teacher, my

021focus has always been on the students in front of me each day. Becoming a new student and family teacher leader has expanded that impact in a really meaningful way. I realized that a student's experience at school begins long before they walk into a classroom. It starts with whether they feel welcomed, comfortable, and let and that they belong. In this role, I've had the opportunity to help create those first positive experiences for new students and their families. Whether it's organizing student ambassadors to give tours to our guests, helping new students find a buddy, or simply making sure families have someone they can connect with. I've seen how much those small moments matter. When students feel supported from the start, they walk into their classrooms more confident and ready to learn. What has been especially meaningful to

022me is seeing our student ambassadors grow as leaders themselves. They take pride in others in helping them feel welcome and it builds empathy and responsibility in them. This leadership role has reminded me that our influence as teachers goes far beyond our own classrooms. Being able to help shape a welcoming school community has been incredibly rewarding and it has deepened my understanding of how important connection and belonging are for student success. Okay, >> I've been asked, my name is Gina Malone. Hello everybody. I've been asked before I uh deliver my prepared little speech that uh you join us in our honey hurray, which is what we're doing over here. So when we have um our assemblies, our schoolwide assemblies, instead of a lot of applause, which is very loud for some of our students, we do

023a honey hurray. So it's a clap and then make it rain kind of. So that is what we're doing. We just do one. Yes. >> Okay. So again, thank you for um allowing me to speak tonight. Uh my name is Gina Malone and I am the life skills teacher at Glenside Elementary. I also have the privilege to serve on the PBIS core team and I'm a co-sponsor for the Rainbow of Friends, which is a character building and student service organization at our school. Through PBIS, I help support a positive school culture where all students feel recognized, supported, and encouraged to make good choices. Through the Rainbow of Friends, I work with student representatives to build leadership skills while giving back to our school and community. These leadership roles have allowed me to extend my impact

024beyond my classroom and continue supporting students in feeling confident, valued, and connected to our school community. Thank you. >> Hi everyone. I'm Gabe Daredinis. I'm the school counselor at Glenside Elementary School. Uh serving on the PBIS core team has allowed me to participate in shaping school culture, shaping a positive school culture and environment where all students feel supported, recognized, and encouraged to make good choices while keeping our schools agreements in mind. It has given me the opportunity to advocate for students, especially those who may need extra support and to help ensure that all students feel seen and uh celebrated. Um, and honestly, I I want to give some credit to Dr. Robinson cuz she has this way of doing things where she's never demands anything of her core team. Um, but she'll call you into

025a meeting and you'll just be feeling like totally exhausted. I can't add anything onto my plate. And then you go into the meeting and she gets you really excited about these ideas. and then 20 minutes later you leave and you've committed to running a bullying prevention event and a scholar of the month program and a career day and it's like your idea now and you're like, "Yeah, yeah, I'm ready to do it." So, um, special shout out to her because she really, uh, gets the most out of us. So, thank you. >> Good evening. My name is Caitlyn O'Drriscoll and I'm a kindergarten teacher at Glenside Elementary School. >> And my name is Kate Bergmiller and I'm also a kindergarten teacher at Glenside. And we are a part of a threeperson teacher leadership team called

026the Spirit Squad. Unfortunately, our third partner, Kirby Brown, could not be here tonight, but teacher leadership through the Spirit Squad has allowed us to extend our impact beyond our own classrooms. As a part of this team, we support monthly PBIS assemblies, schoolwide celebrations like the Bear Bonanza, spirit weeks, and PBIS prize redemptions. This role has helped strengthen student relationships, bring some fun back into the elementary school, and it's exciting for us to see students buzzing with upcoming events, and genuinely celebrating one another in our school. We've noticed a positive shift in our peer dynamics with students eager to recognize both their own successes and the success of their peers. Being a part of spirit squad helps create a school culture where students feel proud, students feel connected, and excited to be a part of our

027school community. We look forward to continuing in this role and making very special memories at Glenside. Hi everyone. Um my name is Tobaya Brooks. Um and we're the teacher leaders for Glenside's cultural proficiency teacher team. Um we collaborate with colleagues to support and create a more inclusive learning environment and experiences that help ensure all students and staff feel seen, valued, and respected. This year we have successfully participated in our school's diversity festival, the district's black black history month showcase and the um Glennid's Hall of Fame during Black History Month. As well, we maintain an updated school-based cultural proficiency website that provides resources on monthly cultural celebrations aligned to our K to2 and our 3 to 5 grade bands. This role has expanded our impact beyond our own classrooms and helps us think about how our

028whole school supports every student. With that, we actively collaborate with our school's PBIS um team through our uh Swiss data analysis to ensure there is equity for all of our students at Glenside. Through this work, being a part of this team has strengthened our belief that when we work together to celebrate and understand our diverse community, it creates a more supportive environment where all students can succeed. Um, in addition to working with our cultural proficiency team, I am also our social media teacher leader where the goal is to bridge the gap between our classrooms and the community by capturing and sharing the joyful moments at our school. This role has profoundedly shift my practice, pushing me to view every lesson through a lens of celebration and engagement. The impact on our students has been remarkable.

029They take immense pride in seeing their hard work recognized and they often refer to themselves as Instagram famous. This sense of belonging and visibility has notably boosted student morale with our viewership reaching into the 4,000s for our top performing posts. Our reach is significant. Um in fact, our digital pres presence is becoming a powerful recruitment tool for our district. We've had a parent call our front office seeking specifically asking how to enroll their student um at Glenside Elementary because they uh stumbled upon our account and started following us and they fell in love with the vibrant culture that we showcase every day. Thank you. All right, I'm wrapping up, I promise. Um so this is what capacity looks like, friends. Um, it's quiet, it's steady, and it multiplies. And so, at the end of the

030day, this work is not about structures. It's about children. Not your child, not my child. Our children, Cheltonham School District children, a place where I choose to send my own children. And they deserve schools where adults are growing, adults are learning, and adults are leading so they can thrive academically, socially, and emotionally. Over the last nine years, we've uh shifted from working harder to working smarter together. And when adults move together with clarity and purpose, children flourish. Thank you for your partnership and investment in building a school that Glennside Elementary where leadership is shared, where the focus is not me, but we. And regardless of who stands at this podium next year and beyond, every child will have the opportunity to continuously thrive. Thank you. Thank you so much Dr. Robinson and Mr. Ryan for

031coming and sharing not only your students artwork but your dream team. It was so awesome to hear from all of you. Uh really fantastic. Some of us were able to meet some of the families and kids that were here earlier tonight doing the artwork and that made the room feel a lot more vibrant and fun with so many uh little people in it. So thank you again for joining us. We appreciate you hearing what's happening at Glennside and thank you for teaching us what do you call it? Your >> honey. >> The honey hurray. So we might start implementing that. Thank you so much. Um next up is the approval of our minutes. If I have a motion to approve our February 10th minutes. >> So move. >> Thank you, Miss Litstein. >> A second.

032>> Second. Ross Whiting. >> Dr. Whiting. Thank you. Uh any comments or corrections on the minutes? And I will uh take a vote. All those in favor say I. >> I. I. >> Not seeing any abstensions or oppositions. Thank you. The motion carries. Um, next up is our student council report from Tingham High School. I believe we have Miss Striker with us this evening. Good evening everyone. My name is Elizabeth Striker. I'm a senior over at the high school. I'm a part of the student council. Our last meeting was February 18th, and I'm going to read out all the reports. So, elections for the new positions on student council are going to be held from April 20th to May 1st. This includes our president, vice president, environmental board, civil, school board, um our social media

033people, pretty much everybody. So, um if you're looking to join student council, look on our Instagram page, Cheltonham Stuco. Um our long-standing tradition of Mr. Teltonham pageant. Um that's also being brought back up this year. Um more information will be released later about um dates, but if you want to apply to be in it, you can reach out to us on our Instagram page. Um one major thing we were talking about was our upcoming like dance garden party thing. Um it's called the Magnolia Mixer and it's going to be held at our high school in the courtyard. Um so the weather's really nice, I'm sure, as we as we've noticed. Um, and the intention of this is to have a good time in the courtyard. We're going to have like garden party like activities like

034croquette and like chess and like it's going to be really cute. Um, we're going to have live music and some snacks. So, entry is $10, but um, it should be a really good time. Um, feel free to come over. Um, tickets are being sold from April 10th or no, the event is April 10th from 5:00 to 8, but tickets are being sold early April. That concludes my report. Thank you. >> Thank you, Lizzie. Can I ask you, do you know last Friday was blue and gold. Do you know who won the blue and gold competition? >> Hey, gold one. >> Thank you. Uh, next up is our solicitor's report, Mr. Diazio. >> Thank you, Miss Molharn. Uh, the board did meet in executive session this evening prior to tonight's uh, public board meeting. There were

035a number of personnel items that were discussed as part of that executive session. Thank you. >> Thank you. Uh next superintendent report, Dr. Scriven. >> Yes. Good evening and thank you, Madame Chair. Uh this evening, as promised, I said that we would have a standing uh item uh every month on our safety updates. Uh today I want to just give a high level overview of the report from center of safe schools with respect to our high school and the safety audit which was conducted uh on December 9th. uh what we are going to do every time that I uh present one of these reports which will be from now until the end of the year and into the summer uh we're going to create a web uh that will house this information and actually anyone

036will be able to view the full uh public document. You can go to the next slide. So, just a quick overview uh of the scope of the high school. Uh 1,400 students, approximately 113 staff members, over 315,000 square feet. Um we know it's adjacent to 309 and of course the address. Next slide, please. So the format of uh what actually occurred when the team uh came out uh they came out 30 minutes prior to the beginning of school. Uh they stayed throughout the entire day and were present approximately 30 minutes uh during dismissal uh and afterwards. I I know that as educators uh we're extremely big on the acronyms. Uh so I just want to unpack that uh briefly. So PCCD is the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency. Uh and they are the actual

037Pennsylvania Commission that oversees uh the Pennsylvania Center for Safe Schools. Uh the reason that we've re reached out uh to the center for safe schools is that we wanted a credible uh evaluator to come in uh which is research uh based uh that will actually give us uh credible uh feedback on the state of all our schools and this administrative building. The CPTED principles is something uh that they use as a guiding uh measurement and that stands or comes from crime prevention through innov environmental design. So there is a whole rubric that the center for safe schools uses align with crime prevention through env en environmental design and that is the process or the protocol uh that they use to evaluate uh not just our high school but what they will be using to evaluate

038each one of our school houses and again the administration building. Next slide. So when you just talk about a baseline, a couple things that we have, not just at the high school, but I I let me limit because this is only reporting to the high school, but every classroom does have a landline and uh that affords fluid uh cross building uh announcement or the ability to announce uh in the case of emergency. Uh there is also a secure reception area. um that is located for the parent entrance which is right there uh by the flag pole. Next slide please. Other things that were highlighted from the findings uh were in reference to the deployed technology access controls uh the badge scanning attendance the buzz in buzz out controls and the raptor uh visitor management uh

039system that each visitor has to uh adhere to prior to entering the building. Next slide please. So in terms of enhancing the first responder efficiency, our buildings from the exterior are labeled where uh anyone reporting for an emergency uh can clearly see uh what the entry point is. Um we did something a couple years ago. We work fluently with the police department to make sure that they do have updated maps of of our facilities. Um not just the police department, also our fire fire department uh or any first responder. So uh we were uh given uh positive remarks for for having this uh labeling uh in place. And it is a reflector labeling where even if you come in night you're able to see the number. Next slide please. So identifying high consequence vulnerabilities. These

040are now areas of potential uh consideration. And let me say that again and let me just read this statement be because I I think it is worth uh reading. In a high stakes environment, areas for consideration are not operational failures. They are strategic opportunities to mitigate risk and evolve Sheltonham High School from a standard baseline of safety to a comprehensive resilient security model. So uh we are not compromised at in any way based on the report but there are areas for consideration um with regard to recommendations that have been made uh when we look at evaluating uh that tactical resource gap. One thing that did come up and if you look uh at surrounding districts uh many of our campuses uh outside of Sheltonham do have unarmed I mean armed uh staff member. We we

041do not. We have safety officers uh which manage our building but the recommendation is for uh a sworn law enforcement. Uh some refer to that as a SRO school police officer. It's something that the high school potentially had in place uh I want to say maybe seven years ago um approximately. Again, this is a consideration. This is a recommendation. Uh this is something that would need to be unpacked further. I'm simply sharing the findings uh from the report um as it stands. When you look at uh upgrades with physical hardware, uh we do have to consider safety mechanisms on the interior of every uh classroom door. Uh that was something uh that was brought to the attention. Our maintenance facilities has already started pruning trees on the exterior because they want you to have a

042clear sight line uh into uh the building. And then there are repairs and uh we are always uh auditing our camera surveillance to see if adjustments need to be made to make sure we have appropriate coverage. And then there's signets around mobility rescue that needs to be uh updated and addressed. Next slide please. So there is a process that they referenced called tiered risk of unrestricted mobile devices. Uh it's being stated that uh the absence of a strict no cell phone policy introduces severe uh optional uh operational hazards during an active emergency. They want us to consider as a board uh enforcing a no cell phone policy during the course of the day. Again, this is a consideration. Uh but this is a recommendation that did come out um of the of the audit. There's

043a phase approach phase one phase 2 phase three uh phase one are things that potentially can be addressed immediately. Um and if you can go to the next slide. When we look at this phase one immediate operational interventions, uh it's around enforcing the cell phone policy. Uh it's around uh just the overall uh procedural rigor. Um maintaining the landscaping, uh eliminating roof access points, etc. It's upgrading the signage. Uh it's the centralized digital uh safety or threat assessment team uh along alongside of safe to say um and it's just initiating training. We currently do do training uh but they do want us to do more tabletop exercises not just with central office staff uh but with balcony and staff. That is something that we would actually have to look at building into our professional development

044uh cycle. Next slide please. So when we talk about the tact tactical hardware and personnel, it's the armed personnel. It's that SRO or uh a hired armed uh guard. Uh it's uh panic alarms. We used to have them in every building. is the alarm that's usually located somewhere in the front office area. For us, it would be in our welcome area that would go directly to 911. Uh it's upgrading digital key boxes that would go uh directly uh to 911. And then there's a protective glazing that's supposedly on the lower level glasses. Whereas if it was struck by a bullet, it would the glass would not shatter and it would give a little more additional time prior to someone an intruder having free entry into the building. Uh so these are phase two uh things

045that would be considered. Uh and then uh phase three are larger big ticket items. Uh for those and most of you are familiar with the high school coming in off of the student parking lot. Uh it would entail us beyond the double entry building another entry which would be uh a protective zone that would not allow intruders into the main part of the building. We do not currently have that in that vestibial area. Uh and it would be something that would need to be uh designed and uh constructed. Uh they are asking potentially to install exterior audio visual intercoms um to vet visitors also on that entry. Uh we do have it for parents where they come in at the bus stop but not at the main entry and just upgrading our communication uh integration.

046Next slide please. want to pivot um and again uh that material the full report which I believe is 78 pages we will be creating a website that will be accessible to the public where they can go through that full report in u detail um Dr. Robinson uh I just wanted to make eye contact uh Miss Nelson Dr. Savage, Madame Chair, our VP. We have so many. Miss Rwell Green, um, Miss Smith, Dr. Collins, Dr. Watts, just everyone or the women in the room. Um, this is a month which acknowledges the strength of women. Um, the leadership of women, the importance of their voice, um, the importance of diversity. Um, it it represents what we just heard in the Glennside uh report. Uh, I just wanted to take a moment uh because I only have this

047opportunity going legislative to call folks out uh in this way and just thank you uh for your leadership. Um it is something that we do honor um as a district and something that I would be remiss as superintendent if I did not recognize. um when we talk about uh Mrs. Nelson and um Dr. Russell and to my parents uh to the emails that I have received um I do believe in being collaborative. I I I think that that is extremely important. There are some times unfortunately where um being collaborative is not afforded to me in this role. Uh when I have unexpected resignations at an unexpected time in the year, uh it is my job to make those hard um decisions. Uh with principal Janad not staying until the end of the year. um and

048opting to leave at the end of this month. I did not have a lot of notice. I had to move uh quickly in terms of making some um decisions. Um I remember when uh Principal Nelson uh was assigned at EP as interim, that was a decision uh which I played a role in. I really love the concept about it's uh about we and not about me. Um you can go to the next slide with with Mrs. Nelson. Uh let me just say this. I understand wholeheartedly how uh the uh parents community at the mods uh feel uh with losing a a a solid uh administrator uh an exemplary administrator. But I do want to reiterate I I am not uh removed from CBE. I I push in every month when I move where where I

049meet with a group of very powerful students uh in my superintendent advisory council. I get to observe um very powerful teacher leaders that are in that meeting. Um Mrs. Morgan being one of them who's uh a teacher on assignment currently at that building. Um and I have to acknowledge Dr. Russell. She is going to be a powerful asset to the mods. This did not go without a lot of thought uh and deep consideration. Uh I do want to clarify that even though I put this on the board agenda, uh this is is not uh a move that needs to be approved by the board. Um even though the board is uh aware um I take full ownership of superintendent as superintendent for uh the uh transition uh which is being recommended uh tonight. I I

050think that not I think I know uh without a doubt that uh the parents uh at CB East uh will be or grow uh to respect the leadership of Dr. Russell in the same way that they respect the leadership of Mrs. Nelson. I could not have made a move like this three years ago because we did not have the bench to even go to. And I that speaks to part of the messaging that Dr. Robinson put out around the importance of building capacity. I could not bring in a outside administrator and put them at Sheltonham Elementary. that that was a a non-negotiable. This is an opportunity for Mrs. Nelson to continue to grow in her career path and I do not apologize for that, but I do apologize for the impact that it is having

051on the families. I know that this is a question of trust in my decision making and my leadership and the timeliness or lack thereof of this and I sit here as superintendent looking you in your faces and saying that I will own that. Uh it is not the intent to bring discomfort or disruption. I will also comfortably say that I know that principal Nelson and Dr. Russell will work collaboratively uh with this transition and even through the remainder of this year uh whether it would be shaping what the uh stepup ceremony will look like um and so forth. So I have the confidence they have a great working relationship. there's going to be opportunity for um transition where principal Nelson will be able to push in prior to Miss Jana leaving Sheltonham Elementary and Dr.

052Russell will have an opportunity to push in at the mods prior to Principal Nelson uh exiting uh from um the mods. So, I I just want to set the record straight from the standpoint that um I know the wording in the communication um potentially was not worded correctly. To be quite honest, I should not have even gone through the process of even putting it um in the board agenda, but I tried to be as transparent as I can. I got the communication out as fast as I could. I made the decision as fast as I could based on the leadership individuals that we have uh in the district. I really want to acknowledge uh Principal Taylor because he out of everyone is um the one that is losing an extraordinary administrator but he is an

053extraordinary administrator and he is demonstrating that and I know that he will continue to run Winco with the same efficacy which he has done to this point and we will be pushing support in as a community. I will just simply say please give this time. I know that it will work and you can hold me accountable for that statement. Um so that brings closure to my superintendent report. There will be opportunities for them to meet uh parents um which I think is going to be important. um those at CBE have not had the opportunity to meet Dr. Russell. When you do have that opportunity, um you will see why I selected to move her into that position. So, uh I want to publicly acknowledge both of them uh for their willingness. I did not force

054them to move. This was not a directive. This was something that they both had to speak to their families about. This is something that they are uh doing with their eyes wide open. Um this is a move that they are embracing and principal Nelson is embracing this because she knows the leadership of Dr. Russell. her heart will and always will be with those students at CB East because they will always be her students. So, um thank you Madam Chair and thank you to the board for that opportunity. >> Thank you, Dr. Scriven. Uh it is now the board president's report and the first thing I'll say is thank you Dr. for walking us through both the safety audit which is some difficult heavy material to weigh through and also for explaining the process to uh

055to where we are with the moves with Mrs. Nelson and with Dr. Russell and I think it uh helps all of us to understand your thoughtfulness, your transparency and your willingness to own when it doesn't go as planned or doesn't go perfectly. and I I have full confidence in you and in these moves that um our students and staff and our families will uh will come to love their time with both Mrs. Nelson and Dr. Russell. Um the other two things I'd like to mention uh briefly are uh if you listen to our reorganization meeting or have heard a few of my other reports, I've talked about the board's uh interest in wanting to be more community oriented and attending more events. And to that end, uh, we're taking a stab at a a way

056to track events and get us all kind of organized and getting to more of them. So, that is in process. Um, and I wanted to share that so that you are aware that we didn't just talk about it. We are trying to put it into action as well. Um, so hopefully you'll see our faces at more and more events uh because they're all going to be housed in one place and we will know where they are. What did I did I do? Did I Oh, your smile. Okay. Thought I said something wrong. Thank you. Uh the other thing you're used to hearing Mr. Belle Williams talk about Eastern Center for Arts and Technology, but I wanted to take a minute to acknowledge uh they had their annual open house last weekend and also some training

057and orientation for board members and both Mr. Pel Williams and Dr. Watts and I all had the opportunity to go there. I don't think I saw I don't think I missed anyone else that was there. Um it was an amazing experience uh seeing that facility, seeing those students, so many students showcased whether they were speaking to a room full of board members talking about their experience at Eastern and what it means to them or showcasing what they do within the various uh areas and you know trying to get other kids excited to want to come there and do that same thing there. So um Dr. Parski does amazing work there. It was good to see it all in action and so if you have not been and get the opportunity go. Um, but I just

058wanted to put that out there that uh we had an opportunity to do that and to thank Eastern and continued thanks to Mr. Bolians for serving on the JOC and bringing all of that good news back to us every month as you will in a little bit. And next we will have committee reports. Uh, first up is the MCIU, Miss Lman. Thank you, Miss Mhern. The Montgomery County Intermediate Unit Board met on Wednesday, February 25th at 6:45 p.m. The board met in executive session beforehand to discuss personnel matters. Some highlights from the um from the board meeting include a presentation by um Sandy Edling, who is the IU's assistant executive director about a new program that the IU is launching called Leadership Monco. Um just a sort of background about the IU. The IU it

059it has no taxing authority. So all of the revenue that it raises either has to come through grants or from fee for service. So um or or from fee for service from districts or other entities. So one of the things that the IU has been doing is trying to brainstorm ways to make more money basically. And so they have um developed this program called leadership monco which is um two distinct leadership tracks designed to meet professionals at different stages of their journeys. Um it involves targeted learning, hands-on collaboration and real world engagement with complex challenges. Um there's an executive leadership track and a lead forward leadership track. They are nine months long each of them. One of them is $6,500. The other one is a little less at $6,300. So these are these are really

060for professionals who are looking to um gain some more skills and meet other professionals within mine county. So that's a program that the IU is is launching now. Actually, um the other thing that I wanted to mention was that um Miss Edling also noted and sorry um if I may be stealing your thunder a little Mr. So that the legislative breakfast that's held every year for superintendent and school board members in McGomery County. The panelists for that breakfast will be state representative Matthew Bradford from Norristown um state senator Tracy Penny check Penny Cook Penny Cook. Thank you. And um North Penn students will moderate um and the theme will be about school facilities. So that is coming up at the end of March. Um Barbara um I can't Barbara Cayenne Thornton Barbara Thornton um Barbara

061Thorton provided a brief overview of the audience financial statement um for the IU and reported that it was a clean report. Um the IU is actually piloting art therapy which is a new therapy for them. Um they're contracting for services with the child and family art therapy center. So that is something that the IU will be offering. And um one other mention, the Montgomery County IU Education Foundation is offering scholarship opportunities um for students through inclusive experiences. So this is for students with disabilities for scholarships for either post-secary education or summer camps. So I will make sure that that information gets forwarded to the right folks so that those can that can be made available to our families. Um, the next IU board meeting will be held in person and over Zoom on Mar Wednesday,

062March 25th at 6:45 p.m. This is my report. >> Thank you, Miss Lman. Financial affairs, Mr. Schultz. >> Thank you, Madame Chair. The financial affairs committee met on Tuesday, March 3rd, in a hybrid format. Following roll call and approval of minutes, we received interim financial information as we do every month and things are still continuing on expected paces. Uh we then received an update related to capital financing and also uh a review of our current debt service uh and essentially making sure we understand the layout of our debt service which will largely uh the largest amount of it wraps up in 2041. That's related to a lot of projects that were done long in the past. Um but this is really important information as we are doing capital planning and financial planning um that spans

063over multiple years. We also received a uh an update around our food services uh and the money which is handled in a separate budget from our general budget. It has its own budget um that operates within itself and we got updates around that uh that fund. Uh this is particularly relevant because we are about to consider bids for our food our vendor and so folks should feel free to reach out with thoughts and input for that process. Finally, we received an update on the governor's budget proposal. It is just a proposal. So, it's early days, but it's still very important for us to be familiar with what is uh what discussions are happening in Harrisburg. So, that way we can uh refine our own budget in hopeful anticipation that the proposed funding increases will be

064at the 4.8% level that that is in that proposal or higher. Since I see our state representative in the room, uh, our next committee meeting will be held on April 7th. And that concludes my report. >> Thank you, Mr. Schultz. Educational Affairs, Dr. Whiting. >> Thank you, Madam Chair. The Educational Affairs Committee met on Tuesday, February 17th at 7 p.m. in a hybrid format here in the administration building and via Zoom. The meeting included information on gifted education identification and instruction and special education. Dr. Pimenal, supervisor of innovation and enrichment, opened the meeting with a review of gifted and individualized education programming. Dr. Pimel also provided a history of equity in gifted education, beginning with the identification of an over representation of white students and under reppresentation of students of color in gifted education beginning

065in 2017. A review of changes to gifted identification proto protocols occurred in 2021 and current racial disproportionality identified in early 2025 that continue to overidentify white students and underidentify students of color for gifted education. Over the last year, Dr. Pimel and the administration reviewed all gifted reports since 2022 to identify patterns in racial inequity and gifted programming. As a result of the review, evaluation processes have changed as of September 2025 with the focus on racial equity within the district. Since the implementation of those changes, data show the incoming cohort of students identified as gifted is much more proportional to the racial population of the district as a whole. Dr. Pimento also identified programmatic changes to gifted education, including reorganization of course sequence courses and sequencing in the high school to focus on rigor and real

066world skill development. The board and public will continue to receive updates on racial equity and progress in gifted education across the district moving forward. Dr. Katherine Bone, director of special education and Miss Gian Vtorio, supervisor of special education presented information on special education in Sheltonham School District. Special education evaluations and assessments reviewed while were reviewed while current staffing programming curriculum were described at both the elementary and secondary levels. Dr. Dr. Catherine Bone highlighted paraprofessional development to improve the effectiveness and fidelity of um of services for students who receive paraprofessional support. The district continues to receive parent feedback on special education services through a yearly service uh survey which is conclude uh which has recently concluded. Look out for that survey in the future to provide feedback or email us uh the schoolboard members anytime to

067provide uh feedback on special education. Finally, I want to highlight the community support, including members of the Special Education Alliance of Cheltonham, who were uh many members who of whom were in the meeting that evening. Uh please check out SEK if you have not already. They are awesome. And the United Parents Group and organization comprised of parent representatives from all across the district. The educational affairs committee will meet again on March 17th, 2026 at 7 p.m. in a hybrid format here in the administration building and via Zoom. This concludes my report. >> Thank you, Dr. Whiting. Next up, we will hear from Mr. Berdell Williams on Eastern. >> Thank you, Madam Chair. Good evening, board members and community. The Eastern Center for Arts and Technology Joint Operating Committee uh met last on February 11th in

068a hybrid format. As is customary uh at the Eastern Center for Arts and Technology, the first uh order of business on our agenda is the approval of a student of the month. Uh we recognized David Phillips who is a senior at Abington Senior High uh and was recognized for his outstanding work in Eastern's protective services program. Uh he's been a junior member of the Rosland Fire Company for the last four years and uh after visiting Eastern and attending the open house that that Miss Mohern did just reference uh in his actual 10th grade year um he chose to enroll in that protective services program to broaden his knowledge across the multiple public safety fields. Uh he currently serves as the sergeant for the protective services class and regularly volunteers his time at school and at

069community events. Uh he was recognized last year uh at Eastern's award night with the protective services achievement award and at Abington Senior High he is an active member of the first responders club. Uh after graduating from Eastern and Abington Senior High, uh David plans to continue serving his community by part by part by working part-time with the Upper Morland Fire Department uh while completing the additional certification required to pursue a career in firefighting. Um including firefighter 2, vehicle rescue technician, and emergency vehicle operator. Um after approving that item, we did also uh unanimously approve East or certify, I should say, Eastern's 2026 2027 operating budget. Um we did just hear from Mr. Schultz a moment ago uh about the uh budget cycle here in Sheltonham School District. Eastern operates on a different different cycle. uh

070they operate on more of a January to December cycle so that their approval happens on a little bit of a different cadence than what you would hear at our normal uh um financial affairs committee meetings here in Cheltonham. Um two important uh functions of that budget. Number one, um the amount that a school district is responsible for contributing to that budget is directly proportional to the students who attend. Um, so we are in Cheltonham, we have the second largest populace of students uh, who attend Eastern Center for Arts and Technology. Something I'm quite proud of. Um, that does mean that we do contribute um, quite a significant amount when it comes to their budget. Um, secondly, uh, an aspect of Eastern's budget is the ongoing 10-year capital improvement plan. Um, one of the things that,

071uh, Mrs. Mohern as well as Dr. Watts and anyone who's seen seen Eastern at least in the last three years has experienced this a significant upgrade of the physical plant um where we have been able to add programs such as the robotics and automated technology as well as the exercise science program as well as make enhancements to the culinary program, protective services, welding, automotive um as well as the allied health space. uh all inside of the uh seven years since that plan has been kicked off. There are still ongoing projects. Um but we are seven years in and we are continuing to uh to fund uh that capital plan. uh the after we did the very exciting stuff of uh of of approving uh both the student of the month as well as the certification

072of the budget, we heard more about student recognition, which is always one of the highlights of my time that I spent at Eastern Center for Arts and Technology, but also here in Cheltonham. And I did want to just take a moment to recognize Cheltonham students who were recognized at Eastern during Black History Month. Uh first was Michaela Dri who was recognized for her work in the business and business and technology professional program. Uh Giovani Francis recognized for his work in automotive technology. Kayla Irvin, who was recognized for her work in the business and technology program, and Isel Araban, who's known by Zeli, um, who we heard from actually at the, um, at the board member presentation last week, um, for her work in the, uh, allied health program. The secondformational update related to student success

073from Eastern is related to the Skills USA district competition medalists. Um, there were 66 total students from the Eastern Center for Arts and Technology who participated in either a skill area or a leadership competition at the Skills USA District 2 competition back in January. Um, this was held at Walnut Hill College and then also uh at Bucks County Technical School based on the the particular focus area. Um, at Eastern there were 19 first place winners out of 66, five second place winners, 25 third place winners, and five of those first place winners are going to sorry, five who will go directly to state competition. Um, the gold medal winners will compete at April state competition in Hershey and there's a full list of medalists on Eastern's website at easc.org. The next meeting of the Eastern

074Center for Arts and Technology is tomorrow at 8:00 p.m. at Eastern's facility on Turwood Road in Upper Morland. And that concludes my report. Thank you. >> Don't turn your mic off yet, Mr. Belle Williams. You're up next with facilities. >> Thank you. Uh the facilities committee for Chelnham School District met last on Tuesday, March 3rd at 7 p.m. Uh we heard two updates. One that I'm happy to speak of in the past tense related to snow removal and freezing temperatures. That's both the reality of what we're experiencing right now and also everyone knows if you don't know my uh my my solid focus on optimism. Um, we also then heard an update related to our capital projects, our large capital projects that are in progress now. One being our athletic uh athletic stadium update at

075the high school and then also the two expansion projects, one at Cedarbrook Middle School as well as one at Glennside. Um, what we heard was that there was a significant amount of challenges from the snowstorms and the freezing temperatures and I don't think that was exclusive to the school district. I'm sure many of us experienced those, but um now a thing of the past um and hopefully to stay that way. Um but you know, significant effort was was done on the part of the uh of the facilities team having so many snowstorms this year, the way that they happened, the freezing temperatures that accompanied them and the challenges that they had to fight through, but doing their very best to ensure that our students and families and and faculty um could make it in and

076out and around our buildings uh as as safely as possible. Um the updates related to our capital projects. First uh from a financial standpoint, we are about 8 million out of the 13 million that we have budgeted uh for the stadium project. There's a significant amount of progress that has been made. Uh if you happen to pass now, you'll see things like uh you know well-defined um um the turf is down. You'll see well- definfined uh bleachers. you'll see where there's going to be the new track being laid as well as the um the building currently of the uh the new clubhouse that will house you know bathroom, restrooms um as well as concessions. Um there is still quite a bit of work left. Uh but that that project is well underway. Um the district

077then also uh shared an update related to both the Cedar Brook and Glennside projects where we heard a that we've got some trailers that have been moved on site. I'm sure they're not very pretty and they may not take up um they may be taking up some valuable space, but they're there for a good reason. So, I know we're smiling now, but I think it's uh some of the necessary uh pain or hurdles that we have to experience in order to see the outcome that we want for those facilities. Um there was, you know, some public comment related to the cost of the stadium project relative to some other district plans. Um and then also a comment on on my part as chair just related to wanting to understand more from the administration related to

078the existing and ongoing timeline related to um that big project at the athletic stadium. So um I know there's a lot of work happening. I know that the administration bless you, Jenny. Um, and I know there's a lot of work happening at the site and also at administration to make sure that we're planning the opportunities um that we want our community to experience and that we're following and tracking the timeline closely. If there's an opportunity uh administration to be able to share any updates with the community, I would also, you know, ask that we take that opportunity now to do so. And I appreciate all the information that we've received so far. Um, that concludes my report. The next meeting for the facilities committee is going to be on April 7th at 7 p.m. in

079the hybrid format. Thank you very much. >> Thank you, Mr. Belle Williams. Um, I will give the update for the liaison group. Uh, we have not met since our last legislative meeting. However, the leazison group is slated to meet this coming Monday, March 16th at 8:00 a.m. via Zoom. So, I will have an update next month. Uh policy committee, Miss Lman, >> thank you. The policy committee did not meet in February. Our next meeting will be in two weeks on March 24th at 7 p.m. here at the administration building. I believe that we are going to be looking at our electronic device policy perhaps again. Um I don't know maybe that's maybe um which which incorporates the um issue around cell phone usage. So, um, that ends my report. >> Thank you, Miss Lman. Uh,

080legislative update, Mr. EPS. >> Uh, thank you. Greetings, uh, members of the public administration, my fellow board members. I'm Zachary EPS, a member of the legislative committee for Montgomery County. So, I have four, maybe five updates for you. I'll try to be as brief as possible. first to continue the student outreach unrelated to legislative as a board member we've been getting around I was able to see the basketball team in action and I'd be remiss if I didn't point out they have a number of seniors on their team one is Micah Milis who was who is a four-year captain on the team even before varsity uh pursuing aerospace engineering at his next level and was accepted to a number of universities the one I'll mention is University of Maryland College park because they have a

081wonderful engineering program and my alma mater, but he was he's been accepted to a number of schools and so it's an exciting time for his family. Uh and the basketball team had uh had some tenacity, persistence, and I was able to see them come back from an 11point deficit. They held the team to no points in the third quarter, came back and won uh to get fifth place uh in their in their division. So, so shout out to the to to the work that Coach Pat and the team is doing. Shout out to the Milis family uh for all the accomplishments. Right now, uh now to legislation. Uh to to you'll hear a couple things that you've heard uh earlier. When we met, we talked a lot about the budget proposal as well. Um I

082won't go into all of the details, but three things to be mindful of for your own advocacy and and and knowledge. One, something to pay attention to is revenue. what are the projected revenue sources and that's going to be a conversation over time. Uh how much revenue is is projected to come in are those projection and how accurate are those projections? Uh rainy day fund, you may hear a lot of talk about the rainy day fund. Pennsylvania has about a seven a little more than 7 billion uh in reserves and this proposal actually in its current form uh is is proposing to use about four billion of the seven billion in reserves. So that's another topic of conversation and as well uh shifting funds around early uh childhood education that 0 to5 uh range. We

083heard a little bit about like demographic shifts but but what funding is needed for 0 to three versus 3 to 5 that's another another topic of conversation. So folks, continue to stay uh aware. Unfortunately, Pennsylvania is not unique, but we have a secretive budget process. And so a lot of the conversations, they they are budget hearings, but a lot of the conversations around decisions do happen uh behind closed doors. And so that's another advocacy moment for for ourselves as as community members uh around transparency in the budget process. Uh secondly, I will report on a few legislative um proposals that are in place right now. One, the cell phone ban. So everybody's talking about cell phones and at the state level, uh there is a prop there's some leg proposed legislation right now for really

084a bell-to-bell uh uh elimination, right? And so there's some conversations around local control. How much uh discretion should local districts have in determining uh to what extent to ban cell phones? Uh charter school enrollment uh topic uh that that some folks have have brought up here is when students leave charter schools, where do they go next? Right now there's no requirement to sort of do do some reporting and around that once students leave. And so there's some legislation to um hopefully around accountability and actually tracking where where students uh and enrollment and and how that changes from year to year for charter schools. And then something our solicitor is I'm sure very well aware of is around the requirement to post our notices about our meetings in a written newspaper. And so we are 2026

085um without getting into the merits of journalism where it is today. uh that is can be somewhat of a tedious requirement. So that that is something that uh hopefully will modernize how we can uh promote and talk about our meetings. And then AI AI is something we've been talking about within the school district, how students and teachers use AI, conversations around AI and now we're we're talking about safety a little earlier today. There's now some conversations around AI and security systems and cameras and weapons and detection. And so that's a conversation uh that is growing and and something we want to be mindful of as we make security enhancements uh and and AI policy uh as well. Something something to consider as we talk about that. So those are not the only pieces of legislation

086uh that are on board but a few that uh folks may want to be a little more mindful of as as time moves forward. And then there's a voices for education. uh our students our students are actually what our high school students are well known around the the county as cultural ambassadors uh as it relates to race and and and uh racial recognition and and equity. Uh Voices for Education is a broader program for students to meet with legislators, design solutions to to is to issues that are important to them, actually advocate within and around Harrisburg. And so sh uh about 11 school districts participate in Voices for Education. And so Brandon Langanger uh who runs the program came and and and let us know about the positive impact uh that they're having. And they're

087also going to be meeting with our three Montgomery County commissioners uh over the next couple weeks. So again, a moment a space for learning for those students, but also for them to contribute uh to the decisions that impact their lives. So that's Voices for Education. That would be a program open to our high schoolers. And so our next our last meeting was March 4th. So we just met last week. Uh we meet virtually and then our next meeting will be April 9th uh right after our facilities and finance. And that will bring uh my report to a close. Thank you. >> Thank you, Mr. EPS. Uh our last report for tonight is from Dr. Watts with the Chelton Cheltonham Education Foundation. >> Thank you, Madam President. Um the Chelnham Education Foundation just held their annual

088donor event donor thank you event on Sunday March 1st with about 40 people in attendance including Drs. Scriven and Miss Savage highlighting the partnership the close partnership between the foundation and the district in supporting innovative educational and instructional programming. Uh during their presentation, they highlighted the money that they've raised over the past year and their commitment to increase spending on grants and scholarships uh with the excess surplus. So things to highlight in terms of their innovative educator grants for this school year, they gave out 30 grants for a total of $30,000 across all six schools impacting more than 2,000 students. And in terms of scholarships for the class of 2025, there were 18 scholarships given to 30 grant recipients for a total of $20,000 given out. So, a lot of really good work being done

089there. Scholarships for the class of 2026 were released yesterday. So, keep your eyes out, students. Um, this year many scholarships increased in size from $500 to $1,000. Seniors are encouraged to apply. There's a wide range of scholarships uh available reflecting different student interests, experiences, and goals in the district and the kinds of experiences, the unique experiences that our students have here in Cheltonham is something that the foundation really tries to highlight. So, please check out the website at cheltonhamed educationfoundation.org or touch base with your school counselors. Uh finally, in order to raise the money for those scholarships and awards, the race for education is a month from tomorrow on Saturday, April 11th. Uh flyer is attached to the minutes and is available also on their website. We really urge people to form a team at

090their school or in their comm community in your community in your neighborhood and or join an existing team. We do have a board team. We're looking for more members. And again, the shout out to Mr. Belle Williams who's looking to repeat last year's success. Miss Lman and I will be bringing up a slower, more thoughtful pace in the walking constituency. So, the next meeting of the foundation will be our annual retreat on Saturday, March 21st. This is my report. Thank you, Dr. Watts. Appreciate those updates. Um, next we're going to move on to our approval of agenda items. Do I have a motion to approve the >> So moved. Daniel Schultz. >> Second, Charles. >> Oh, second. Miss Murphy. Uh, thank you. Uh, any comments uh from the board? Mr. Schultz. >> Uh, two quick

091comments. The first is actually a clarifying question around just uh the approval of agenda items lists repeat first read policies. I just wanted to clarify we are not voting on the first read policies. That is just for information. Correct. >> Correct. The final approval comes at second reading. >> Thank you very much. Um I also just wanted to thank Dr. Scriven for his superintendence report. thank the community for sharing their thoughts and their experiences. And I wanted to also thank Dr. Scriven for the opportunity to affirm my trust in your judgment and leadership. Um, as a board member, I see I recognize that personnel decisions are the jurisdiction of administration. You have way more context than I do as a board member. And my role is to make sure that I have trust in the

092processes that are followed, the judgment and the strategy. I think that um we have seen when there when you have the luxury of time, the level of community engagement that you incorporate into major decisions. Um, and I also think that the process that led us to Cedarbrook East in its current state, it it shows how deep how deeply you think and how deeply you care as as a superintendent and an administrative team. So, I have um I I I very much valued getting to hear your thought process here and and in passing in other other ways. But um I'm very excited for my fifth grader, soon to be sixth grader to experience us experience Cedar Brook East next year. I'm excited for all of our students who are going to benefit from some amazing principles.

093So thank thank you the opportunity to speak. >> Thank you, Mr. Schultz. Any Miss Blitzstein? >> Thank you, Madam Chair. Um, I just wanted to acknowledge our 22 volunteers this month who went through the rigorous process of getting volunteer approval and recognize that that is not an easy feat. Um, so thank you to all of those who went through it and um, I'm happy to approve that. I also wanted to just make one note about approving the young playwrights contract. Um, which I was really happy to see on here as I have seen the the products and the productions that young playwrights creates with our students and the power of writing beyond responding to text um is powerful. So, I'm I really appreciate that and happy to see that on here again. >> Thank you,

094Miss Blitzstein. Any other board comment? I'll just seeing that. I will uh just echo regarding the volunteers. I know at least a few of these volunteers are heading on the affforementioned sixth grade camping trip. So glad that they got all of their paperwork in. I know at least one of them uh was here. I don't know if he still is, but uh Mr. Cedra was in the audience and he is on the list. So, thank you to all of them. Um, the only other thing I'll quickly mention because uh I don't think board members know how to not acknowledge retirements and I know we will acknowledge them at the very end when we celebrate all of our retirees. Uh, but this is the time of year they start to come in and um, Miss Lendy

095has been a special education shirt for 28 and a half years, which is an amazing uh, tenure. She was one of my children's special ed teachers. So, a special shout out to Miss Lundalfi and uh excited for her to enjoy her uh her time outside of Wimco going forward. Um if there are no other comments, I will take a motion to approve the agenda items. Oh, we already did that. Sorry. This is a long way. I'm going to call a question. Yes. So, all those in favor, please say I. >> I. >> Any oppose or abstensions? Thank you. The motion carries. Apologies. Um, moving on, the next item on our agenda is public comment on non-aggenda items. So, similar to our time earlier, if anyone uh that is here with us in the room or

096on Zoom would like to speak um about any items, you're welcome to come to the podium or raise your hand, please state your name, where you reside in the district, and we look forward to hearing from you. And you would have three minutes. Miss Rodwell Green. >> Good evening, everyone. Good evening. Um, school board directors and Sheltonham administrators, thank you for all that you do. Um, I'm Kesha Rodwell Green. I am co-president of the United Parents Group as well as co-president of the band parents association. I am here tonight mainly as a parent and I do not have an ask, but I am going to read a statement. Um, before I do that, I want to say Dr. Scriven, thank you for sharing the security updates from the assessment. Many of those items were requested

097by UPG and our sister organizations, the Specialed Ed Alliance of Sheltonham and the Sheltonham African-American Alliance, as well as the band parents, football parents, and several other groups about two and a half years ago when the gun incident happened at Abington High School. It's good to see that we're moving forward with potentially implementing some of those. So, thank you. I believe that you can tell what a person values by where they spend their money and their time. I believe the same is true of an entity like a school district. First, I'm going to start by saying that during our band home show on February 14th, there was no security staff present in the building on that day. The show lasts two days, Friday and Saturday. Saturday, we had no security in the building. I am

098not sure how many people are aware of that. Thankfully, Mr. Sheridan had honored our request to have a Sheltonham police officer present at the admissions table. As you know, we are handling a large amount of cash. You all may not know that, but we are. And several hundred people are are being hosted in our school that day. To have no security present was a glaring oversight. The security manager, Mr. white walked through the building briefly that I know of. My understanding is that no security personnel were scheduled that day, so it was not an accident or a mixup. Again, this is my understanding. This lack of security caused preventable issues, including a parking situation where an Abington parent was blocked in their parking space for over an hour with no security available to assist or

099arrange a tow. Mr. Sheridan ultimately had to make a buildingwide announcement before the vehicles plural were moved. I am also deeply concerned about the ongoing displacement of our color guard team due to the continuous use of the Sheltonham High School gym by the Sheltonham Adult School Basketball Program. This has forced our team to be relocated during their practices repeatedly. Every Wednesday evening, the team practices at Cedarbrook Middle School, relocating their flags, rifles, sabers, and props to Cedarbrook because the adult school's men's basketball team is using the gym. Additionally, they are often forced to practice on Sundays, which for many of the students is their only day off from school and activities. They do this because it is the only day they can get gem time. It is clear, >> I apologize for interrupting you. We

100are past three minutes. >> It is clear, please allow me. It is clear that the district prioritizes the adult school program over our color guard team despite this being at odds with board policy 707 use of district facilities. I believe this is because the team is predominantly young women. They would not dare displace the men's basketball team from the gym. Our color guard team deserves better, especially considering that just two years ago they were left stranded in Wildwood without a bus and had to walk to their hotel in the pouring rain in full costumes, hair, and makeup. Mr. Sheridan has worked with us to correct some of the long-standing issues present when he arrived, but the situation with the adult school appears political in my opinion. Again, to ensure transparency, I plan to file a

101right to know request regarding the relationship and agreements between the Sheltonham School District and the Sheltonham Adult School. I also plan to file a second request seeking detailed information on the number of music staff and personnel employed by Sheltonham School District and comparable school districts in Montgomery and Bucks County. I believe our music program is un underfunded and under supported for its size and potential impact, especially when compared to districts similar to ours. Two weeks ago, Dr. Savage led the UPG webinar titled Pathways in Progress, examining the CSD performance data. During that presentation, we shared a document comparing our district to similar districts with comparable medium home values in Montgomery and Bucks counties. Parents spoke during that meeting about the benefits of music education as it relates to academic development and performance. UPG has also

102created a parent guide to the right to know law for any parents. >> For any parents who would like a copy of this document, >> please email sheltonham_upgmail.com. Thank you and apologies for going over. >> Thank you. I would also like to add if any band parents or UPG members are present or on the line if you would like to comment as well. Thank you. >> There anyone else who would like to make public comment? Please come to the podium or raise your hand via Zoom. >> Sure, I'll go. >> Thank you, Miss Striker. >> Hi, my name is Crystal Striker. I live in Shelton Ham. I have three children. Um, one of them is over there. She's going to graduate soon. Um, so I am a band parent and I spent two whole days

103volunteering um, eight hour days in the building and I had sorry I I had to use the ladies room in the high school and my goodness it is not in keeping with Cheltonham school district. My kids are getting a phenomenal education here. And I think the ride home, if you visited and you were in the same ladies room that I was, the ride home is, oh my god, those bathrooms. That's not what we want. My kids are getting a wonderful education here. And I'm sad that visitors to our school have to be told by, you know, other kids, "Oh, those two soap dispensers don't work. Go to that one over there." The graffiti is just really, really insane. I mean, it's just so out of keeping with our district and the impression that we want

104to make to a guest or a visitor. Um, think about your home right now. If someone visited you, would there be soap in the bathroom? Okay. Thank you. And I also endorse what Kisha had said about the color guard team. Um, to me it's really surprising that adult men who've already had the chance to go to school and be, you know, basketball players or whatever, adult men are displacing high school students. We pay taxes to this district to educate our students, not our adult men. Thank you. >> Thank you, Mr. Der. >> Is there anyone else that would like to come to the podium? Do we have any hands? Mr. offer in your hands. Mr. Striker >> since uh Kesha Hello, I'm Jeff Striker. I'm Lizz's dad. Um the I guess prop father so to

105speak of the color guard. Um just to give the board member some board members some context of the issue that we're talking about with the displacement of the color guard. Um, we're talking about a 50x70 vinyl floor that probably weighs over 300 lb that these 20 girls have to haul around to and from practice to or from events in addition to their props, their uniforms, water, change of clothes, whatever else they have, their school books. So when we're talking about displacing the girls from sorry excuse me the team there is a boy on the team this year like displacing the team from school facilities it's a real challenge for the team to move their equipment even with traversing the school um the back elevator it barely fits the equipment um it's incredibly difficult to move

106so I just want to give the board members some real um perspective on the ask here. Um, additionally, when they go to competitions, um, transportation has been a challenge. Imagine lifting a 350 lb 400 plus floor into a bus to transport it or to a grandparents car. It's an extremely safety issue for the team. So, um having the appropriate trailers and uh drivers to support the team in their competition schedules uh would be appreciated. >> Mr. Sharky, just a question to that last point. >> I know you just had an event, I believe, on Saturday. >> Yes. Did did you have a driver for? >> Uh so there was provided an additional bus driver and there was the uh use of a a CHS district uh van which I think is the more appropriate solution

107than the additional bus. I think the ask would be if there's a I believe a small trailer that the uh band or the school district owns that's not operational that w with an associated CHS vehicle or the van. I I understand that a ramp has been bought or supplied, but um having an extra driver that could help tra transport the equipment in a CHS um fleet vehicle would be uh I think the appropriate solution. So, thank you very much. >> Thank you, Mr. Striker. >> Any other? >> Yeah. Sorry, I I I just I just was sorry, I should have made this earlier, but I can't I don't want to leave a meeting without mentioning one of our students at the high school who did something really amazing um a few weeks ago, which is

108Benjamin Samson. He scored a perfect score at the Pennsylvania Junior Academy of Science competition in Montgomery County. I competed in PJs when I was in in high school and to I can tell you that to to obtain a perfect score at PJAS is almost impossible. He won a monetary award for that from Merc Pharmaceuticals. Um and he is just one of our many students actually who placed at the PJS competition. But all of our first place students will be moving on um to the state competition in May. and we had five first place finishers. So, I just want to make sure that those students are I saw that I know we did it on social media, but I just want to make sure they're committed here. They did an amazing thing. >> Thank you, Miss

109Woman. Mr. Coffin, do we have a hand? >> Thank you. >> It will be loud. >> Good evening, everyone. My name is Nwana Stevens, co-president of the band parent association. Um, and I definitely um thank you all for um this time, but um I just want to say that I had student um my daughter graduated um about 3 years ago. She was on the color guard and now um my son is also on the band as well. And so I support the parent. Um, we, you know, there's a lot of parents that volunteer, but I'm just asking that you treat and support the team, the color guard team, the band team, as you would treat any other sport team. Um, the students work very hard and tirelessly and so we would just appreciate that. Thank

110you. >> Thank you so much. Any other public comment? Any hands? No. Uh before we close out the meeting, we only have our uhformational meetings on the agenda left. I would be remiss if I did not acknowledge in the room with us, we do have Mrs. Nelson and Dr. Russell who, as you all aware, were just approved for moves in interim capacities to uh Cheltonham Elementary and to Cedar Brook East. So, thank you for being with us tonight and sticking with us throughout the evening. Um we're excited and uh happy for both of you. You're welcome to say something if you like, but there is no pressure at all. and they have declined and that is just fine but I wanted to at least acknowledge and congratulate you. So thank you for being >> and

111with that uh the meeting future meetings are listed in the agenda and I will now take a motion to adjourn. >> So moved >> second Dr. Whiting the meeting is ajourned.