001This meeting of the Manheim Township 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. Would you please rise and join me in the pledge of allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. All right, we have three I have three announcements this evening. Although the change was shared earlier this month, I'd like to remind everyone that all regular board meetings, which happen on the second and
002third Thursday of the month in the district office, will start at 6 pm. Now, secondly, our members of our community are encouraged to participate in board meetings in person or view them online. In support of both transparency and community engagements, recordings of meetings can now also be watched afterwards on the district's YouTube channel. In addition to this month's regular board meetings, there will be a special board meeting in the district office at 6 PM on Wednesday, August 27th, which will focus on facilities planning. Next, we're at presentations and we have a facilities update from Mr. Greer, our board vice president. Mr. Greer, >> yes. >> Can I can we just mention that Dr. Henderson has joined virtually? >> Yes. Welcome Dr. Henderson virtually. We'll be able to record his votes then when we vote. >>
003Yes. Thank you. >> Are we all set? >> Yes. >> Okay. Awesome. Thank you very much. Uh and thank you, Miss Woodberry. And hello everybody. I'm here excited to give this month's facilities update. Uh as a reminder, I'm giving this uh update on behalf of our facilities team uh which from the board includes myself, Mrs. Hoffman, Mrs. Romano, and Mr. Landis. Uh we'll have more about uh the future of that team later on this evening. Uh but there's some exciting updates to share. I'll start with the Bere roof over at Bre Elementary School, which we talked about earlier this summer. Uh the roof project began on June 9th, but due to inclement weather, uh the project has been delayed. Uh we have an email with some of the details on that from uh our facilities
004team, but we're looking like we're on track for a completion in midepptember. Uh and so I'm excited to see that project through. On the campus master plan, we can talk about some of the phase one projects which are uh complete. We heard a little bit about this again last week from Mr. Mr. Cotch and Mr. Charles. The baseball and softball irrigation projects are done. The underground fuel tank removal is complete. Uh and thankfully we have clean soil samples from there. So everything is looking good on on that removal. Uh and also be thrilled to say that our track is done. I'm not sure if anyone made it out uh to the reading with the blue streaks event earlier this week or have been around if you have kids playing football or other sports around the
005uh the athletic complex. But I think the track looks spectacular and I'm really excited about it completion. And finally, I'll just say the Journey Field Lighting project uh is underway and looks like we're going to be completed by midepptember. uh and I know our athletes there are eagerly looking forward to playing under those new lights. So many thanks to everyone working so hard to make that happen. Uh related to phase two of the campus master plan uh you know focusing on the land run uh drive uh and parking upgrades and then the construction of the maintenance building. Our approval to move forward with Harbor Engineering and JPD architects uh we approved that in June. Uh and We heard again about that last week or last week, excuse me, at our board meeting. Uh our zoning
006board, not zoning board is actually considering those uh latest proposals this evening. So we're hoping that that goes well. Uh finally over to Mitra Elementary renovation and rebuild. Um again, we've talked about this before, but we uh solicited proposals from three on three options related to Mitch hour. The first option was a full renovation of the existing school to address its aging systems and code deficiencies with no additional building. A full renovation of the existing school to address aging systems and code deficiencies with a 40,000qt addition to address programmatic needs. And third, to build a brand new 140,000t building to address programmatic needs and to demolish the existing building. This board met uh to interview a series of architecture firms uh in July and we've narrowed the the firms down to two finalists which are
007RLPS and the SH group. Uh and that is all I have for this month's jam-packed facilities update. Thank you. >> Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Ger. Item three on our agenda is about 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 abstensions. Item number four on our agenda is for Manhattan 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 will provide followup if needed. If you'd like to speak, please fill out a commenters card for the board secretary to collect, limit your remarks to five minutes related only to items in section six and
008eight, and share your full name before you begin. Who would like to make comments this evening on consent, agenda items and other actions? All right, I waited my requisite 5 seconds and there will be another public comment period at the end of this meeting for for any So on to item number five, approval of agenda or agenda modification. Is there a motion to either approve or modify tonight's agenda? >> To approve it? >> Yes. >> All right. Wonderful. Is there a second? >> Thank you. department. All in favor, please say I. >> I. >> Oppose. Nay. The motion carries. Consent agenda item number 6A. Items listed under this section are considered to be routine and are acted on in one motion. There is no discussion prior to the vote unless a board member requests an
009item be removed from this section to be discussed in section seven. Are there items from the consent agenda that any board member requests to move in order to discuss further? All right. Is there a motion to approve all items that remain on the consent agenda? >> Hence, is there a second? >> Mr. Grer. All in favor, please say I. >> I. All oppose? Nay. The motion carries. Skipping section seven since no items were pulled for consideration. We're on to item number eight. 8A is for approval of the secretar's minutes of the board work session meeting on June 12th and the regular meeting of the board of school directors on June 16th. Is there a motion to approve? >> Mr. Bulgazar, is there a second? >> Miss Lamb. All in favor, please say I. >> I.
010>> All oppose, nay. The motion carries. Item 8B is approval of the confidential student settlement agreement of student 2025-2026.01 SSA. Is there a motion to approve? >> Second, >> Mrs. H. Is there a second? >> Second, >> Mr. Bulazar. There is no discussion of this confidential item. All in favor, please say I. >> I. All oppose, nay. The motion carries. Now we are item nine, our superintendence report. Dr. Py, thank you. >> Thank you. Good evening. [Music] Sorry for the delay. Hold on one moment here. Okay, this is my first formal superintendent report, so I'm excited to share with you. Um, this week we had the opening day of school where our staff returned. Um, we had a fantastic morning um where we really um drove home our mission about nurturing and challenging for success,
011but then also with the goal to um remember that that means all means all. So, and those capital letter letter alls are intentional. Um we celebrated our 30 plus year employees um Karen Quinn, Raphael Rosario and then Robin Porter and they um did a fantastic opening with our um that did involve singing and rapping um with individuals inside this room. Um and we're very proud of musical talent that occurred there. Um we had Ben Heart heart um a speaker an adult with autism who has progressed through the systems in Pennsylvania and successfully is presenting publicly and talked about his journey through education. We had lots of very positive feedback from our educators. Um you could not laugh. Um his his presentations are called Benergy um because they have so much energy and excitement. So we
012had a great time watching them that morning. And I'd like to introduce to you this evening our um director of safety and security, Michael Deetsz. >> Yes. >> So, Michael is um joining us having a a number of experiences and I'm gonna stop presenting there for a moment. Um he came to us as a new director. Michael was we're actually newbies together. Oh, it's presenting. So, we're actually newbies together. Um I'm going to exit out of this. So that there we go. And Michael came to us as the director of safety and security. Um he has experience in law enforcement, safety training and community partnerships. Since February of 2023, he served as the director of the Pennsylvania School Safety Institute, NSSI you may be familiar with, where he led the creation and administration of a
013statewide training program, which our district actually uses um for school resource officers. Before his work with Pan SSI, Michael spent 10 years with the Lancaster Bureau. Did I say Lancaster right? >> Real close. >> So tried on that one. Um, city bureau police as a police officer and county detective. During that time, he implemented the second chance program and gained valuable experience in substance abuse prevention and intervention. Michael also served in the Pennsylvania National Guard and worked as a logistics manager in the US Army. So he comes to us with a tremendous amount of experience and skills. He's been in the schools working on training and something very interesting for our board to know. One of the implementations he's been working on is moving our staff into a new type of fire drill. And so
014um we have not Michael will share some really interesting information with our staff that we have not lost students in a actual school fire since 1953. >> Yeah. >> 58. And so we're It is important that we start training teachers to think differently in the fire drill process to pause and assess what the actual risk is. And so it's a really powerful change that adds to the safety of our district. So we're really glad to have him. Thanks for coming tonight. [Applause] >> That's everything for my presentation report. Thank you so much Dr. Kate Hy. Um, now moving on, we have new business as item number 10. Items brought forward under new business will not be acted upon until the next school board meeting to allow school board members to have sufficient information and to
015allow opportunities for public comment. Does any board member have new business to bring forward? >> Mr. Crer, >> yes, thank you, Miss Woodberry. I alluded to this earlier during my facilities team update. Uh but I would propose and I I think there's support on the board to adjust our facilities team structure to be a board committee. uh and specifically a board committee of the whole of the entirety of the board all nine of us uh so uh that we can I think all weigh in engaged at all the steps of the process of our facilities engagement and I think particularly during this time of so many needs across the district and so many exciting opportunities that we make sure that our board is has a front row seat to be able to engage uh fully
016and also with the committee format we'll be able to have public attendance at those and public comment. So, we're completely open for the public to understand and provide their opinions and thoughts each step of the way in a way that I think is going to really benefit this board and the school district at large. So, uh I know we may need to consider some of our existing board policies in order to enact that change. Uh and so I would like us to start exploring what it means for us to uh operationalize that idea. >> Thank you, Mr. Greer. So, we'll expect to have that on the next board meeting's agenda during the work session where we'll hear um a lot more information about it so that we can take a vote on it at the
017voting meeting of next month. Any other new business items? All right, we're item number 11, which is for board member reports. I usually say, let's begin with our student representatives, but we thought it'd be so unfair to ask them to come before school even started. So um I'll be looking forward to welcoming our student representatives next month. Any board members have from their committee assignments or partner schools any key updates to provide? >> Mr. Bazar. >> Yeah, I just wanted to report that the Lster County Academy is changing their east campus. It was at hack. It now is going back to the mall where it all started. But they had a very nice space. nicely renovated. They spent all summer renovating. It's more central location. It's also a little bit lower cost. The hack was
018getting to be very um not positive partner for the school. It it was disrupting schedule and and the cost kept going up. So, it's going to be a good um a good change and hopefully it it's already leading to some, you know, a part of other school district starting to participate. I think somewhere along the way it would be great to have um the director come Amanda Griffith and give a little update on what the Langster County Academy is because I think it's something that I think we have 10 seats on that and we rarely ever use more than two to three. And so just kind of hearing her talk about the school and how we might utilize more of of what what we invest in I think would be good to hear from her.
019So maybe that's something along the way we could schedule a third. >> Thank you. Well, we'll invite you to do that. >> Sure. You can ask Mr. Bolar question. >> Uh so you said the I had two questions. Is the change happening at the start of this academic year and then the second part is you said we have two or three seats. Is that in the student body? >> Yeah. So the way that the academy works, it's an alternative um for students who may not maybe the the way that the the standard school day work doesn't work for them. Um and so it's a different learning environment. So we have up to 10 seats that students from the district can go there. Um I think now we might have two two to three, but in
020my time there we've probably never had more than two to three. Um so it's just and if you really go to the all means all that's another way of of having the all all mean all another another approach and it will be in the start of start of this year. >> Thank you Mr. Bazarates >> Mrs. H. >> Sure. Uh first of all, um I was privileged to share lunch with the NES staff and welcome them all back and and welcome new teachers there. So NE is off to a great start. As far as the IU13, um those board meetings are regular flow of contracts for services as students and and programs change. Um so there are also waiting as we are on the budget except that the IU uh relies greatly on federal dollars.
021So, their funding continues to be in flux. Um, but we are in great shape to start the year. Um, they're they're starting at least 10 new classrooms, possibly more depending on staffing at the request of school districts and needs of our students. Um, staffing is almost complete for professional positions. This is an improvement over the past several years. There is still plenty of room for anyone who would like to be a support staff member with the IE13. Um the biggest thing is you have a flyer for their upcoming yard sale. Um this is at Burough Business Park. If you're as old as I am, it's RCA. Um but you can see the kinds of things that um that the money raised from this project will um will benefit. They have secured housing for a family
022in need. And they provide essentials for their career training program. It it includes here uniforms and clothes and boots and and things the kids might need in order to properly take advantage of all that the au has to offer. So, it's a wonderful opportunity. You could set up a table. You have things to get rid of. Um or just browse and do your part. And they tell me there's a contribution uh jar that's always full by the end of the day as well. So if you can support the IU support us um Saturday, September 20th, that's my report. >> Thank you very much, Mrs. Hence. um today. Um I I don't have an update, but I just it's rare that board members get an opportunity to I just want to say congratulations to Michael Deetsz.
023I've known him for a couple of years at the Bur um police in Lancaster City and I know that he takes safety for the community very seriously. So just congratulations on his position. Thank you. And that safety Thanks for the slide. >> All right, I'm not seeing or hearing any other reports. Thank you very much for all that information. It's really helpful to keep everyone um rowing in the same direction. Now, we're at the time for Manhattan Township Community Comments. I'll share again that residents, taxpayers, district employees, and students are all welcome and encouraged to participate. The board won't engage in discussion, but will provide followup if needed. If you'd like >> All right, I'll try not to do that again for that one. But if you would like to speak, please fill out a
024commenters card for the board secretary to collect, limit your remarks to five minutes, and share your full name before you begin. Who would like to make comments this evening? >> If you just hand a comment, Mrs. Marshall. and share your full name. >> Start here. >> All right. So, my name is Mike Elliot. I'm a >> sorry. Welcome. >> Um, I'm a resident of the school district. I'm here tonight as a person who I feel this school district has greatly mistreated. I was given an offer to become your next girls head volleyball coach on May 27th. I went through an intense interview process, had references checked, and even had unsolicited positive comment from other coaches and athletic directors of the LL, all given to your athletic director of Manheim Township School District. I was told
025my hiring is only waiting, board approval, and my clearances at the state, NPS, and FBI. I got all those clearances in a matter of days since I was already employed by a district as a volleyball coach. I did my part only to be called by the AD on June 4th and told the offer was being pulled. Not because the board voted me out, but because a few people, players, and parents sent anonymous communications about me, false statements and exaggerations. All things that could have been answered by me and explained, some could not because they were blatantly false. These words cause the district to pull my offer. I had players a player from your team set up a website to find actions by me or yelling at players and throwing clipboards and breaking clipboards during games.
026I know this because I found the site. The player found actions as such but blurred the coaches because they did not involve me. They involved college coaches and high school coaches from the California area. They never found another situation of me yelling at my team or throwing a clipboard other than when the team I coached at Epherta qualified for stakes for the first time. I threw my clipboard into the stands. I was never given a chance to answer any of the charges or accusations against me. I was never given the board vote I was told I was waiting for. I was told based on the issues within the Manheim Township athletic department currently it was decided without fact to withdraw my name. You cannot afford a hiring that might have issues. The HR director wanted
027to spare me public embarrassment if the people who showed up at the board meeting had made comments and wanted to do it publicly. As I told her, they would never do that because they could not be anonymous. I know for a fact many parents of Man Township players who I have coached through club volleyball, sent emails, phone calls of support, visited your district offices and the athletic director. Even parents from every high school where I previously coached sent letters on my behalf. I wrote to the HR director, the previous superintendent, the AB, and each one of you on this board received an email from me personally, and no one had common decency to reply. You all you all though I went away in June thought that this was over. This issue is not over. I
028demand an explanation of how this was handled. I know who the anonymous person was and seek legal counsel against that person. I can take it against the parents for what they have said about me being patently false. I find artically that a district, one with public issues surrounding boys lacrosse team and the fact that the coach is a mandatory reporter because I was one is still working despite the issues in that team. That was used against me. And I know this because I was told by the HR department that if this would have been two years ago, I would have been hired. But you couldn't afford to do that because of what was going on. The parents wrote, "I was bad for the players mental health. They knew the buzzwords. I took away the players
029love of the game." Well, you have done that for me. I vowed to never coach high school volleyball again. When parents are on the team, coaches need to leave. I still have players on the team that I respect and think the world of and want to see them succeed. At my last interview, I even mentioned there are a few players on this team who don't like me and I will have to deal with that once I'm hired. Well, they won. >> Thank you, Mr. Elliot. Dr. Py more than happy to follow up with you after this meeting. Do we have any other public comments this evening? Seeing none, that brings us to adjournment. Is there a motion to adjurnn? Mr. Hoffman, is there a second plan? Our next um regular scheduled board meeting is Thursday,
030September 11th, 2025 here at 6 PM in the district office. But recall that next week we have we do have a special meeting focused on facilities planning here Wednesday, August 27th at 6 pm. Meetings again will be livereamed and recorded um to be viewed later. Thank you to all Manheim Township staff, administrators, and volunteers for their dedication to our students and community. All in favor of adjournment, please say I. >> I. All oppose, nay. >> The motion carries. We are journed.