001This meeting of the Manhattan Project School Board is now called to order. Welcome to everyone here in person and those joining us online. In addition to the live stream, both audio and video are being recorded. Nurture and challenge for success is our district's mission. It serves as a reminder of our intent to enable every Manhattan Township student to learn, grow, and thrive. Please rise and join me in the pledge of allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for it stands. One nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. So, just a few announcements this evening. Members of our community are encouraged to participate in board meetings in person or view them online in support of both transparency and community engagement. Recordings of our meetings can now be watched
002afterwards on the district's YouTube channel. The board met in executive session on Wednesday, September 17th, yesterday at 6 PM to discuss public safety issues, the disclosure of which would be reasonably likely to jeopardize or threaten public safety or preparedness. Third announcement, as part of National Art and Education Week, our high school students artwork is on display in the district office lobby and the boardroom. Their posters highlight the many ways art brings them joy and serves as a reminder of the important role the arts play in education and in our students lives. As our as my last announcement, I'd just like to recognize to the board members that we received some information about the confidential settlement that we'll be voting on a few minutes later than we normally would. If anyone wants to have a few
003minutes to review that in executive session, we can adjourn to the answer room. I want to ask all board members up first. Okay. If we do not need that time, we will not take it. [Music] Section two outlines the roll call vote. Unless otherwise stated, each vote taken at this meeting will be considered a roll call vote and the board secretary will record any negative votes or extensions. Now we're at section three, Manheim Township community comments on consent agenda and other action items. Residents, taxpayers, district employees, and students are all welcome and encouraged to participate. The board won't engage in discussion, but we'll provide followup if needed. If you'd like to speak, please fill out the commenters card for the board secretary to collect your remarks to five minutes related only to items in sections
004five and seven and share your full name before you begin. Who would like to make community comments this evening? Welcome. >> Good evening, board. I'm Mike McKenna. I'm a resident and a parent in the school district. I just wanted to uh affirm your investment of the $32,000 in the Raptor emergency management system. I think it's really important that you're demonstrating how seriously we take our students physical safety as well as our staff safety and of course any visitor and community members who are coming to the school district. So I think it's a relatively small dollar on a recurring basis but could have outsiz impact particularly in today's climate. So just wanted to affirm that as a resident as a parent that that's a choice that uh you're taking that is noted and appreciated. I also
005want to just Mr. Deetsz, um, you've you've been in the role for a very brief time and you're already bringing meaningful improvements to the district. So, um, I think that type of of excellence that our administrators bring to the work is really important as well as the partnership that's on display between the administration and the board. So, I wanted to call attention to that performance as well. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Are there any other community comments this evening? All right, I'm not seeing any. Assuming Mr. McKenna doesn't want an additional five minutes, we'll move to the next section. Okay. Um, the next section is approval of agenda or agenda modification. Is there a motion to either approve or modify the agenda? >> Are you moving to approve the agenda? Are you moving to
006approve it? >> Thank you, Mr. Hernandez. >> Is there a second? >> Thank you, Mrs. Hoffman. >> Uh, any discussion? All in favor, please say I. >> I. All oppose? Nay. The motion carries. Next, section five, the consent agenda. Items listed under this section are considered to be routine and are acted upon in one motion. There is no discussion prior to the vote unless a board member requests an item be removed from the section to be discussed in section six. Are there items from the consent agenda that any board member requests to in order to discuss further? Is there a motion to approve all items that remain on the consent agenda? Thank you, Mrs. H. Is there a second? Thank you, Miss Lamb. All in favor, please say I. >> I. All oppose, nay. The
007motion carries. There were no items for consideration. So, I'll move on to section seven. Other recommended actions. First action is approval of the secretary's minutes of the board session meeting on August 14th, 2025, which is a regular meeting of this board of school directors on 8:21 and a special board meeting of the board of school directors on 8:27. Is there a motion to approve? >> Thank you, Mr. Granter. Is there a second? >> Second. >> Oh, thank you, Mrs. Romano. All in favor, please say I. I oppose. Nay. The motion carries. Next is the approval to accept the donation to the Manhattan Township High School Technology and Engineering Department in the amount of $239,178. Is there a motion to approve? Thank you, Mrs. Hoffman. Is there a second? >> Thank you, Miss Lamb. Any discussion?
008All in favor, please say I. >> I. >> All oppose, nay. The motion carries. Item 7 C is the approval of the confidential student settlement agreement of student 2025-2026.02 SSA. Is there a motion to approve? >> Is there a second? >> Mr. Thank you. There is no discussion of this confidential item. All in favor, please say I. I. All oppose. Nay. The motion carries. And now we are at item number eight for superintendence report. Dr. Kate Cy. Thank you. >> Thank you. I'd like to start my report this evening. Good evening to everyone. I'd like to start my report this evening um by um introducing Mr. Rob Ben Fenmore. Uh I appreciate the board's grace in um late hiring. As you um you may be aware, but Pennsylvania does allow school districts to retain employees
009that submit resignation for up to 60 days. So Mr. Fenmore's hire was moving into the school year. And so again, I appreciate your patience with the um time and the process that that took to get him here. Um he has already started at the high school. We're excited to welcome him as the new assistant principal. Rob brings 21 years of experience in education and has spent the past four years serving as an administrator at Garden Spot High School. Throughout his career, he has prioritized strong relationships with students, educators, families, and the community. He believes in measuring success by how he encourages, supports, and cares for others, and often reminds those around him that his goal is to earn their trust. I love that quote. He views himself and others as or and organizations as unfinished.
010A perspective that guides him as a lifelong learner and a reflective leader. So, Mr. Funmore, can you please stand so we can welcome you this evening? >> Yeah. Thank you. >> All right. Also, another honor this evening, we'd like to say congratulations to our September employee of the month, Samantha Haldman. Um, we're excited to announce this. She was the high school employee of the month. And we did that recognition surrounded by her team and family at the high school celebrating her, which was really fun. Um, she's the 712 coral director, and if if any of your children are involved in music, you know that she moves the world to get these performances going. She's tremendously amazing. She directs multiple teaches electives such as musical theater, music theory, and keyboarding, and develops the district unified music
011program, an inclusive initiative connecting students in special education with their peers through music. It's very powerful. Thanks, Samantha, for proudly this month. Um, I wanted to share with you, and I'm sorry again that I missed this month as I'm working through the new slides, um, enrollment and homebound instruction. As of today, 6,036 total students, including 51 outplayed students between the IU, Rock River, New Story, Newtory, Vista, and Bradley Center. And then one student is homebound instruction as of today. I wanted to share as well that September is um recognized as National Suicide Prevention Month and it's critical and an important time to raise awareness, share resources and to share with you what our res resources are for our students. Um what you're looking at now is the the universal tier system that we provide. And
012tier one means that we provide that to all students. Tier two is targeted, often small groups of students that need attention. And then tier three is intensive work that we do and that's applied to what we call MTSS well-being for mental health supports as well. The next slide reviews and I won't review each of them but I want you to know that these are tier one supports that are provided to all of our students. The most important one is the universal screener that all students K12 are uh done with a fundamental K12 screener, excuse me, a universal screener that does it has a student perception. We use that data to engage students and involve them in their environment. So that's critical. We have a teen hope risk suicide screener for all nth grade students in
013the district. And then the Pennsylvania youth survey pays for grades 8, 10, and 12. The youth survey does gives us anonymous data on our students, but helps us plan for instructions based on the needs of the survey. We do morning meeting in our rooms um so that we set a tone of positive health and well-being. Advisory counsel counseling lessons in grades 7 through 12. Whole class lessons for grades 1, three, and five. Small group lessons for grades six eighth grade has whole class lessons in college and career readiness utilizing aum for eighth grade whole class suicide prevention for the high school health classroom and then K12 health curriculum which addresses positive mental health and well-being. Our whole system supports PBIS is also a universal tool for intervention. Then for tier two and three, we contract
014with several organizations that support us in this process and are experts in the field. So our students that are identified with needs related to this have school-based therapy, counseling services, student assistance programs for grades 5 through 12 with the Karen Foundation. We have a behavior specialist districtwide, school psychologists, social workers, check and connect mentor programs and staff training so that we are prepared to identify signs and symptoms of suicide. Thank you. I wanted to take a moment to share that this month. It'd be a great time to ask your children what they have seen in some of those things so that we can talk about those in our homes. Um then just uh foreshadowing that next month uh we will be hitting the 100 day mark. I've been working with an amazing team here in
015the district um ticking off uh each of the steps of my 100 day plan and then we'll be setting goals based on that. So that will be next month's board meeting. Thank you. >> Thank you very much Dr. Pepy. Yes, don't miss October 9th. That is the hundth day. So that'll be exciting. Um, next item is new business. Um, and items brought forward under new business will not be acted upon until the next school board meeting to allow schoolboard members to have sufficient information and allow opportunities for public comment. Does any board member have new business to bring forward? I am not seeing or hearing any there is. So, next we'll move on to board member reports. We usually start with our student representatives, but I don't see them here at the moment unless they're
016sitting somewhere I'm not expecting. Okay. Um I'm sure it's an excuse essence. No worries. Um now we'll move on to um ask are any board members have any key updates? Um we will also work into this section something that's usually in section two are facilities update by Mr. Grer. Are there any other board members first that have key updates to share? >> Mr. Bazar, >> it's not an update, but it's a personal uh service announcement or public service announcement that's personal to me. Um in addition to um September being suicide prevention month, it's also ovarian cancer awareness month. And I just want to I would encourage all women to know that it's known as the silent killer. And that's because the symptoms of this can be discounted on on all kind of other ways. Um
017so I have way too much experience with this. So I just encourage everyone to uh to to maybe pay attention if you're feeling a bit different. >> Thank you so much, Mr. officer. >> Mrs. Hoffman, >> I just wanted to kind of on a personal note, um, let everyone know and I think the board is aware, but the band showcase is on Saturday evening, September 20th, starts at 6 o'clock. Don't look at my fellow trumpets. Parents, the band parents stick together. >> Exactly. That's right. Parents, band parents unite, right? But it it is a really good show. The kids are amazing. Every week at the football games there's something new and it's always exciting to be Man Township is on at 9:00. The middle school performs for first at 6 o'clock. So it's exciting night.
018Thank you very much. >> Okay, Mr. Ger. >> Thank you. I will add one very brief Schaefer Elementary update. Uh, I believe the scholastic bear is September 30th. So, I'm not sure if that's the same date for all the elementary schools, but sher parents, look out for that. That's a big night, I know. Um, and then I will turn to a facilities update. There's not a whole lot that's different since the last time we spoke last month about this. I'm thrilled to share that the lighting on Journey Field is now done. I've yet to see it in action, but I've heard from others that it's awesome. Um, so I look forward to seeing a night game um in the very near future and I know it it's trickling down. You know, my my daughter plays
019middle school soccer and her time her practice time is going to be able to be more convenient now because of the lighting on that field. So I just think the log jam across our multi multiple schools and and multiple teams who use that is going to be in the very near future. So deep appreciation to this board and to everyone who hustled to make that project a reality. uh the positive impacts are being felt already. Uh I can also share uh from Bre Elementary um you call we were talking we've been talking about the roofing project there that's was delayed because of some intimate weather through the summer. Uh the metal roofing sections are completed. We're just waiting for one last section of the slate roofing to finish and then that project will be complete
020and I will be excited to check that out because that is a beautiful roof. Uh I'm also happy to share uh that the uh township zoning hearing board approved the new maintenance building uh to be front and center the the entrance of of campus. Um and then also the land is run access drive and parking areas. So uh now our our staff team we're working on a land development plan submission that uh I think we're on track to submit later this month or early next month. Um and then finally, I mean this isn't news. Um but uh it is news. Um RPS was selected as the architect for the NRA project. Um and just thrilled for that project to move forward. Uh and I believe our team is going to next be meeting with the
021good folks uh over at RLPS later this month. So uh with that, I am done sharing my good news, but deep appreciation to all the hard work that's got us to this. Thank you, Mr. Grenter. Anyone think of any questions, concerns, comments? If not, we'll move on to our next section. Uh, Manheim Township community comments. Um, residents, taxpayers, district employees, and students are all welcome and encouraged to participate. The board won't engage in discussion, but will provide followed. If you'd like to speak, please fill out a commenter's card for the board secretary to collect. Limit your remarks to five minutes and please share your full name before you begin. Who would like to make comment this evening? [Music] >> Um, hi, I'm Sarah H. Um, I wasn't planning on saying anything, but since you mentioned
022that September is suicide um awareness month, I'm a substitute in the district and we were told this summer that we had to complete um an over four-hour training on suicide prevention and substitutes. Um it was due on September 12th, so I did it on September 12th. And um as I was going through these modules, there was eight modules, the information was so incredibly dated. Um, some of the data was presented from 2006, which means not a single one of the teenagers that we would be interacting with was even born at the time that we were collecting on how we should help them and interact with them as substitutes in order to prevent suicides. Um, up to and including things like the national suicide hotline hotline number was incorrect in it and has been updated since
023then as well. Um, so after I completed it, I reached out to the ESS director and said, you know, you might want to update this. And he said, uh, it's not on me. Email this person. So I emailed that person and then got another, emailed this person. So I emailed that person and have heard nothing back. So, I think if we're employing substitutes in our district and we don't get the opportunity really unless you're a frequent substitute to build a rapport with the kids, um, that maybe we're not as effective as we could be. But giving incredibly dated information probably isn't going to do our students much good, especially since I know 20 years ago I didn't have a husband and I didn't have five kids, so my mental health was a lot stronger than
024it is now. Um, so I'm sure we could We have updated information. >> Thank you very much. We'll follow up with you on that. Who else would like to make comments? All right. Seeing hearing no indication that there are others. So that brings us to adjournment. Is there a motion to adjurnn? Thank you, Mrs. Romano. Is there a second? Mr. Bulazar. Our next scheduled board meeting is Thursday, October 9th at 6 PM here in the district office. Meetings will be livereamed and recorded for viewing purposes. Thank you to all Mannheim Township staff, administrators, and volunteers for your dedication to our students and community. All in favor of adjournment, please say I. I. All oppose, nay. The motion carries. We are ajourned.