001Good evening and welcome to the August 21st, 2025 regular school board meeting, also known as our action meeting for the month of August. Um would everyone please rise for the pledge of >> allegiance to the flag of the United States of America to the republic for it stands one nation indivisible with liberty and justice for all. >> Okay. I will now ask um board members to read the district mission and district goals, please. >> The mission of the school district of Havford Township is to educate and to inspire a community of lifelong learners who become well-rounded global citizens. The district goals are academic excellence in an evolving world. Prepare future ready students who persevere, adapt, problem solve, think critically, and are supported by engaging learning experiences and intentional use of technology. Belonging. Honor every individual's
002inherent dignity through equitable, inclusive, and diverse practices. Social emotional growth. Build a learning community that prioritizes social emotional wellness as a foundation for academic success, resil resilience, and strong relationships. And community pride and civic engagement empower students to be active, responsible, and contributing citizens through shared responsibility and community partnerships. Thank you. As a board, we value diverse viewpoints and act as advocates to make decisions in the best interest of students. To foster inclusive practices and to increase community engagement, we hold two board meetings a month. The first monthly meeting is a board work session where we take official action on some limited agenda items at the start of the meeting to conduct routine business such as personnel matters, financial approvals, and pupil service matters that may need consideration before the second meeting. When the short
003action portion of the meeting is completed, we transition into a work session that consists of presentations from the administration and our consultants with discussion amongst the board members and administration. No official action is taken during the work portion of that meeting. The second monthly meeting which we're having this evening is a board action meeting where official action is by vote is taken on items after a chance for board deliberations. We now use a consent agenda process at the monthly action meeting to streamline the process of approving items that have been considered and discussed thoroughly during the work portion of prior meetings. At each meeting, we hold two public comment sections. The first comment section is for items under consideration for official action and the second comment section is for any district related topic a community
004member wishes to present to the board. As I mentioned earlier, tonight's meeting is the second meeting of this month and is the action meeting. And also on behalf of the board, administration um and entire Hford School District, we're aware of the situation at Villanova University. Our thoughts are with the students, faculty, staff, and families impacted by today's v events and for all those in our community who have connections to Villanova University. School should be safe, a safe and enjoyable experience, and we're thankful to and appreciative of our local law enforcement for their selflessness and prompt response to the situation today. >> Thank you. Mr. Tessa, I'll ask you to take the role, please. >> Miss Lee, >> here. >> Dr. McKay >> here. >> Mr. Schwarz, >> here. >> Dr. Shelton >> here. >> Miss
005Nigress >> here. >> Miss Vitali >> here. >> Miss Weedman >> here. >> Dr. Larson >> here. >> Dr. King is traveling. Okay, I will now um we're now at section two, superintendent report. I will hand it over to Dr. Hayes. >> Thank you, Dr. Larson. Uh this week, approximately 25 new educators participated in new educator orientation sessions to learn more about our district and community and students. We want to give a big congratulations to the HR department and all of the administrators involved this in hiring this summer. We've hired 18 positions in just the last two weeks along with six guaranteed subs and an additional nine people have been processed since just this Tuesday. Currently, districtwide, we only have two educator positions that remain vacant and we do have a contingency plan in place
006uh for those positions. This is a great collaborative effort between the building administrators uh and HR who worked tirelessly over the last few weeks and this entire summer to make sure that students are fully supported on day one which is now only a few weeks away or a few days away. Um our bus drivers and aids also attended today's orientation and training sessions as they prepare for students to board the buses on day one. We'll continue our 25 26 preparations and we look forward to our professional learning and opening days next week with all of our staff as we welcome everyone back. Uh just a few reminders for the first day of school. First day of school is Tuesday, September 2nd, which is one week from this coming Tuesday. Uh for the 25 26th school
007year, free breakfast will be provided to all students. Next week, we will start transporting students outside of the district. So you will see buses on the roads. gives health extra time due to some increased traffic. We'll be emailing families next week with our bus pass information. This contains information on our stopfinder app. Allows you to track your bus, stay up to date for your students so you can get them to school on time and they can get home as well safely. Um and then our back to school Havford happenings will have important updates and reminders uh for the upcoming school year. Uh and also each school has been sending out their school specific updates this week. Uh so we'll be sending out our back to school Habford happenings next week. Uh and we're excited to
008welcome back teachers next week and uh very excited to welcome back students uh the week after on September 2nd. >> Thank you, Dr. Hayes. We're very excited for the start of school and we know you and your team have been working super hard to get things up and running. So thank you for that. Um we're moving now to section three, public comment for items on the agenda. We do not have anyone signed up to speak this evening for items on the agenda. We'll move now to section four, meeting minutes. I will accept a motion to approve the official minutes from the August 7th, 2025 board work session. >> Moved. Shelton second. >> Moved and seconded. Any discussion? All in favor? >> I. >> Any opposed? >> Motion passes. Moving now to section five, board reports.
009Our first report is for Delaware County Community College and no report. >> Thank you, Dr. McKay. Um, DCIU. >> Very briefly, um, this has been the summer of construction at the DCIU, both the Aston campuses and the Marple campus. So, those of us who have students that go to the Marple campus, I did have an opportunity to walk the campus today and to see what some of the construction looks like and the state of the construction. So, rest assured we will have school on September 2nd. No fear. And that's it for now. The next meeting of the DCIU is September 3rd. >> Thank you, Miss Lee. Our update for PSBA, Miss Weedman. >> Yeah, from the Pennsylvania School Boards Association, I have just have three quick things. Um they have done a um an announcement
010that's recorded you can watch it on the website uh concerning impacts of the late state budget and the challenges it makes for school districts for planning things like hiring um the number of teachers or staff that can be hired and the timing of doing so purchasing supplies or uh scheduling upgrades to buildings or technology. Uh that update as I said is on the PSBA website. Um and there's also advocacy tools uh for um uh call notes or emails that you can send to legislators and let them know some of our uh funding priorities that are tied to the state budget. Um including a goal of getting a statewide cyber tuition rate uh built into the budget. Um, another announcement. Um, voting for PSBA officers is now open and it's open through October 15th. Uh, our
011board has one vote for the panel of candidates. So, that's something that we should add to an upcoming agenda to discuss the slated candidates and then be able to vote within that October 15th time frame. And uh just a note to board members that I think it's the final um webinar in their building bridges series is scheduled for September 10th. Uh it is called with all due respect the art of public meetings. Um and you can sign up to register for it at that time. And I have seen that the prior ones are recorded and available on my PSBA if you want to watch any of the prior webinars. Thank you, M. Legislative council. Dr. Shelton, >> Legislative Council didn't meet in August, so no report. >> Okay. Thank you. Um, next we have the
012board president's report. Uh, I will open it up to colleagues on the board to provide any updates on events you've been involved with in the district. I was able to go to the uh staff picnic celebrate um recognizing the 12-month employees. We had a beautiful day to do it on the playground at Lynwood and um there were some raffle prizes and great food that was catered by our in-house cafeteria staff. uh put out a great barbecue spread and just a um nice way to appreciate the efforts of the staff who um have been working hard all summer to get ready for this very soon approaching school year. >> Thank you. Anyone else? Okay. Okay. Well, we're just again very thankful for the work that um administration has been doing to get our schools up and
013running um to welcome our teachers back, to welcome our students back, and we have a lot of important work knowing that our mission is for our students to become lifelong learners who become well-rounded cit citizens. So, this is not a small task. Um and we don't take it lightly. So, thank you. Okay, moving on now to section six, finance and facilities. Okay, letter A. I will accept a motion to approve items 6B through 6F as presented on the consent agenda. >> Second. >> Moved and seconded. Any discussion? >> All in favor? >> Any opposed? >> Motion passes. Section seven, human resource. Oh, I apologize. Thank you for that. Moving now to section 6G. Um I will accept a motion to approve the reallocation of funds from the Coopertown renovation project to the Chattam Park renovation
014project up to $400,000. Um and we discussed this um at length with Mr. Matthews at our work session weeks ago. >> Progress moved. Moved and seconded. Any discussion? While we did talk about it at the prior work session, the figure has increased. I think we discussed a figure of $250,000 and 400,000 is now deemed the appropriate number with more information to understand the final scope and and getting everything ready. And I believe there is a cushion in that. But um I would like to just hear a little bit more about what drove that number up. >> Yeah, there were um some significant unforeseen changes. We also uh happy to report that the building will be ready for students to start on time. Um Ken Matthews is here from CD Developers to give a little more
015detail on some of those changes. Um but part of that was to ensure that we're ready for kids to come in on September 2nd. >> Good evening everyone. Um, so a lot of it I think really was number one getting caught up on a lot of uh log because we're having things hit daily. Uh, so it is amazing how quickly as I said last time it uh continues to come up. I mean even just this week alone. Um, we had our prelim uh prelim preliminary inspections and some things came up from that. We had soft soil out we had to fix out front in the parking lot. So you know it does continue. So, um, it's really was a culmination of me really catching up on everything in the budget, getting additional changes from the
016contractors, uh, that had not been submitted yet. U, you know, there's always stragglers that they submit late. Uh, we also had some ticket work, which is time and material, uh, for things that they're move uh, fixing and redoing, uh, a lot of existing conditions. So, it just it really built up. And plus, that's that's not really the figure we're aiming for. It's just the cushion. So, we're really truly more at like 300,000 where we are today. Uh, but in order to finish the job and just make sure there's enough, that's why we decided, well, let's just at this point ask for that cushion. So, we're not coming back to you again. Uh, so we're kind of holding hovering around 300 right now and hopefully we'll be 350 or less. And just for the um benefit
017of anyone who's watching, can you put that dollar amount of this overage and the funds that we're transferring in proportion to the overall project budget? >> You know, so we're almost a $32 million budget. So you're looking at basically a little over a percent uh of this change. So in the grand scheme, yes, it's a lot of money, but in the scope of this project, it's not. uh and especially as we talked about uh this building just had a lot more unforeseen things and we were able to capture a lot of that for Coopertown as well. So that's why we felt comfortable with moving recommending uh transfer of the funds. I I saw on the change order there were some overtime you know items and and you know I think >> you know given with
018the start of the school year so close and I think the Chattam Park families would appreciate you know being a you know having everything ready and you know able to start on that first day. So, >> so yes, and that's a a great point, Chris, because you know, when you have only 10 weeks to get all this work done over the summer and you every day unveil new issues, you know, there's no more men and there's no more time. Normally, you'd give additional time for that uh for for those type of changes, but on a project like this, there isn't. So, the only thing to do is to work uh overtime, which they've been working all summer. Uh so those costs we did use some allowance money for that that was left over actually mostly
019for that. So there is now that's been depleted. Uh so we do need a little bit more to get wrapped up here over the next week and a half. But I think as uh Matt pointed out the building's coming together quickly. Um I personally want to thank JR and the staff. They're unbelievable. Uh could I don't think I'd survive without them frankly. Uh they're just so great uh all the staff. So that's been a huge help getting the building clean and honestly helping push the contractors out of the way. Uh so that's been tremendous uh tremendous help to the job. So we're right there. The kitchen might be just a a tad late, but we have contingency for that uh for the first week or two of school. And then as we've mentioned before, the
020gym will not be done as part of the project just because the wood floor uh takes so long. So that will be probably a month or so behind. Uh we'll be able to report back with a little bit better schedule when we come back in two weeks. Um it's all about when that floor starts. Uh so but it is it's coming together quickly. Today they paved. Um tomorrow they finished paving. So it's going to clean up in the next three four days. Be a totally different landscape. Dirt pile is going to be gone then. >> Uh next week hopefully they'll start getting rid of that. They got to spread that all around the building. Uh so hopefully that get gets moved next week. >> I know some of these delays were related to um some
021of the architects work. Are they aware of uh if they received forcefully constructive feedback on kind of their process and where they could have done better? >> Yeah, actually uh Jeff Stro, the lead architect that has been here many times to present. We walked through the building. We went through a number of the changes, you know, where they could have done better. Uh and as we've reported before, you know, we're still below that kind of 2% mark uh of changes uh versus how much the project is for the hard costs. And they're still around 1.8. eight. So, you know, some of these things as we talk about are, you know, you look at them individually and you say, "How could you miss that?" But that's part of what we build into contingency for. So, uh,
022but yes, we are doing a whole lessons learned, uh, so that moving forward, uh, they can try and pick up on more of those things. >> Any other questions or discussion? >> Thank you, Ken. >> Thank you. Have a good night. Um, Coopertown, do you want me to just give a brief update on that while I'm here? >> I don't want to mess up the agenda. >> If you want to do a brief just because and uh Tony can provide more detail if necessary, but both projects are looped in together. So, >> correct. Um, they've, you know, everything's getting prepped. They'll have it all cleaned up and ready for school next week. Uh, they've gotten a lot of work done over the summer, so uh, it should be in good shape. >> Thanks, Ken. And
023thanks for all the work that you've been doing um, behind the scenes to get this stuff done. Okay, we moved, we seconded, we discussed. Um, all in favor? >> I. >> Any opposed? Okay, motion passes. I am now moving on to 6H, our bill list. I will accept a motion to approve dispersements for payment totaling 4,977,59254. >> Okay, moved. Betalally second. >> Moved and seconded. Any discussion? All those in favor. >> Any opposed? Motion passes. Moving on now to section seven, human resources. I will accept a motion to approve items 7B through 7D as presented in the agenda. >> It's moved. Shelton second. >> Moved and seconded. Any discussion? >> This looks like a nice long list of appointments. So, well done. All those in favor. >> Any opposed? Motion passes. Moving now to section
0248, pupil services. I will accept a motion to approve items 8B through 8G as presented in the agenda moved and seconded. Any discussion? >> Just want to note uh the exchange tune from Germany. So that's that's exciting and interesting. >> That's Leica Coleman. All right. Thank you. Um all those in favor. >> Any opposed? >> Okay. Motion passes. Moving on to section 9, academics and instruction. I will accept a motion to approve items 9B through 9 C as presented in the agenda. Shelton moved for second. >> Moved and seconded. Any discussion? >> All those in favor? >> Any opposed? >> Motion passes. >> Section 10, policy. There are no policies to bring forward at this meeting. U Miss Snassras, I'll just look to you if there are any additional updates or comments to be made.
025>> Sure. Just to give a quick update. Right now the um for policy I think we're just evaluating where we are at in our policy review and um policy audit that we started all the way back in 2022. Um and so we are going to figure out where to go next in the policies and what to bring forward to the work board work session um which will be uh act as our policy committee review and then move forward through the um the the readings that we see at at the board review level. Great. Thank you. You're welcome. Moving on to section 11. Other items, we have the superintendent's professional learning plan. I will I will accept a motion to approve the 202526 superintendent professional learning plan as discussed at the August 7th board work session.
026>> The tally moved. >> Shelton second. >> Moved and seconded. Any discussion? >> Since it's a plan for the superintendent, I'll just add transparency. It's a slightly revised vision. It's just uh due to change in dates of one of the conferences. So that's the only adjustment on it. >> And participation in the new superintendent academy is required, correct? >> Yes, it is. Yes. And that starts in September 25th. So I'm looking forward to it. >> Wonderful. Um I just wanted to thank you for all the work that you're going to be doing to um further develop yourself professionally. We know a lot of the the knowledge and networking that you do and sharing of knowledging out knowledge out in other spaces um will benefit both you and our district. So thank you. >> Okay. Um
027all those in favor. >> Any opposed? Motion passes. We'll move now to section 12 for public comment on other items not on the agenda. We have one resident um who's requested to comment during this section of the meeting um on any school related topic. We have Rich Mcllori um to speak on the topic of services for reading instruction. >> Mr. Mcluri um when you come to the podium please confirm your residency in Hford Township and you will have three moments or sorry three minutes to share your remarks to the board. If you have any um if you have anything to share with us any materials please hand them to Mr. Ta and he'll pass them to us. >> Okay. >> Thank you. Well, I only brought one copy of the article which I sent to
028you guys via email, but I'll give it to you now so you have a hard copy, too. I would have made hard copies for you all, but I was pressed for time. >> Um, I sent it Oh, I'm Rich Mcllori. I live at 1246 Dill Road in Htown, Pennsylvania. Okay. Um, and I still read the newspapers every morning. And I happened on Sunday the 10th to read this article, districts, families waging secret legal battles. And they spoke about two things dear to my heart. The first is these legal battles. All of them discussed were about appropriate reading instruction for disabled students, which is dear to my heart. And you all know my position is that we should have reading specialists working with the autistic support teachers to provide appropriate instruction. And I even note Dr.
029Hayes did in council rock in that they teachers wanted instruction in the Wilson methodology and they didn't give it to them which I don't understand because when I was title one reading coordinator I was in charge of reading instruction in my high school and professional development and we had to have pursuant to title one regulations professional development for not only the reading specialists but the content area teachers too. The other thing which is dear to my heart is about alternative dispute resolution. Being an administrator in in Philadelphia and a teacher in Philadelphia, the best way the worst way to resolve disputes is to go to due process and to courts and get legal people involved. Although of course sometimes it is necessary. uh you know you resolve disputes inhouse together with collegial discussions. Okay. And
030that is by far the best way to do it. You I spoke to uh Mr. doves about I'm giving up my teacher tenure defenses uh and I'm going to take a break and then I'm going to hold out my services for mediations and alternative reading uh dis alternative dispute resolutions is a far better way of resolving issues with that I just want to say again that I think Dr. Hayes that we need to look hard at our reading services for our special ed students and children with reading disabilities, including my grandson and his autistic support classmates. I know Johnny's not the only one. Okay, I can speak for 10 hours on this subject, but I won't today. But we need to have collegial discussions about that issue and I'll speak a little more at the
031next working meeting about that. Thank you very much. >> Okay, moving um to section 13 report on executives. >> Uh you would have had to register in advance of the meeting. If you could join us in two weeks, that would be great. called to order. >> Okay, moving on. Now we have our executive session announcement. Um before we move to that though, I will invite Miss Lee to read a statement. Oh, okay. Um to give context, uh we the board met before tonight's meeting to discuss matters with council um on two confidential personnel related matters. Um, we also discussed with council information related to the negotiation of a collective bargaining agreement. And I'll turn it over to Miss Lee. >> Good evening. As members of the board negotiating team, Dr. Shelton and I wanted to
032give the community an update on negotiations with the Havford Township Education Association. First and foremost, since January, the board's bargaining team, which has included representatives of the administration, have met with the HTA team to get a new contract. The current contract expires on August 31st, but schools will be open as usual on September 2nd. The parties have met in different formats, including large and small group settings. Most sessions have included a state mediator from Harrisburg as is typical in this process. The talks between the parties have been cordial and while some progress has been made to date, the parties remain several million dollars apart. The key outstanding issues are salary increase for the educators and proposed changes to the health care plan. From the board's perspective, we want to give the educators as much as
033possible as so long as it's affordable within our budget and does not burden our taxpayers. We have reiterated to the HTAe team in our discussions that the board must not only fund their contract, but also all other employee agreements, curriculum, and special programs, building upkeep, and the many other expenditures included in the district budget. This all must be done within the confines of the act one index as limits I'm sorry as it limits tax increases and will be decreasing over the coming years. We plan to keep the community updated with the status of negotiations as events present themselves. This evening's negotiations update will be posted on the website for the community to review. Thank you. >> Thank you, Miss Lee. Section 14, moving to adjournment. Uh the next regular public meeting of the board is
034a work session scheduled to be held on September 4th, 2025 at 7 PM in the boardroom of the Oakmont Administration building. And with that, I will accept a motion to adjourn the meeting. Have a good evening.