001As always, our YouTube feed. Ah, that was quick. Mr. Rash, our YouTube feed is live. Our webinar is live. The meeting is yours. Hi, thank you everybody and welcome today to today's policy meeting. This map policy meeting is now in session. Please stand for the pledge of allegiance. I pledge 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. And I have a motion to approve the minutes of the last policy meeting. So moved. Do I have a second? Second. Any comments or discussion? Seeing none, all those in favor say I. I. I. [Music] Um Dr. Warders, would you like to please take over? Sure. Good evening everybody. Tonight, uh, we have three policy revisions to
002bring before you um, in hopes that you will consider recommending them for a first read. The first one is policy 234, pregnant parenting and married students. The second is policy 247, hazing, and the third policy is 252, dating violence. So, at this time, I will ask Mr. Summers to give you an overview of each. Thank you Dr. Waters. Uh good evening everyone. So um for each of these policies uh as was mentioned they are revisions to existing policies. Um so if we start with uh policy 234 pregnant parenting uh or married students. This is a policy that was uh last revised um in 2020. Um so it's it's been a number of years since it's come before the policy committee. Um over in that time I would say that there has been a a definite
003trend in the law in terms of supports for individuals who are pregnant or are are new parents. Um there um have been a variety of changes in the law at the state and federal level to support these individuals. Um, our policy has has always been to um be non-discriminatory, but um PSBA recommended recently that schools consider adding some language to um this policy, indicating just some of the ways in which the school district could be available to support uh primarily students who are pregnant or or students who recently gave birth. And so really the the change to the policy is just adding in uh that the board directs district staff to make reasonable modifications to policies, rules, um other expectations so that uh individuals who are pregnant or or recently gave birth um can continue
004to have an access uh to an education in the district. So those breaks include things uh or those um u modifications or um u accommodations include things like uh breaks during class, uh potential additional more frequent use of the restroom. um things that I I'm sure our teachers and other staff would accommodate students with, but it's putting it in policy that that is the stance districtwide of of what's expected. Um absences to attend necessarily medical appointments so students can get the um health care that they need. um flexibility in terms of standing um maybe for something like physical education um certain AC accommodations could be made. Um accessing facilities for uh lactation needs, counseling, um potential extensions of time um if certain circumstances warrant it. So, um PSBA did indicate that these are are um
005you know optional um supports that the district can list in terms of the policy. Um but they all uh when the administration was working on this policy u viewed all of these accommodations as reasonable things that our school staff certainly could put in place um for a student who needs them. So, um certainly it'll be on a case- by case basis for what a a particular student needs, but I would just say that this um these policy changes reiterate the district's um support of students um uh who may be pregnant or uh recently gave birth and in terms of allowing them to have as much of an access to a a regular education as possible and and giving them the supports that they need. So um before that this policy I would say has the
006most sort of substantive adjustments or edits to it. The other two that we'll talk about are are mostly just um minor uh language edits. Any questions to this policy before we we move on to the next two? Okay. No questions. No no questions. Thanks. No question. Okay. Um so in terms of the next two the these um the hazing policy and the dating violence policy both of those policies uh were last looked at in 2021. Um and the changes or edits to them is really consistent with edits that have come before the policy committee in recent months um involving language to our harassment and discrimination um notices or references to those policies and um references to local police ch adjusting that to refer to law enforcement. I think this is the maybe the third meeting
007in a row we've had changes to the policy in terms of language to um uh uh police and and law enforcement. So specifically 247 uh hing hazing there is a section um in our current policy that's titled title 9 sexual harassment and other discrimination. for consistency sake. Uh PSBA has recommended renaming that um as just discriminationharassment. So trying to be clear that it covers um certainly it continues to cover Title 9 uh harassment and discrimination, but it also references any other form of harassment or discrimination. So trying to just make clear to anyone who'd be looking at this policy that um in that section it's not just referring to Title 9 issues, it's also referring to any other form of discrimination or harassment. And so in the language um there's a couple of places where
008it references uh violations against discrimination. Um we've added or harassment just um harassment essentially being a form of discrimination. So um sometimes you know people are more familiar with one term or the other. So um it's making sure that that both are referenced. And essentially what that section means is that anytime that there's a hazing issue and we'll see similar um change to the dating violence policy. It's designed so that anytime that there's an issue involving hazing, let's say that also has a a discrimination component to it. So, uh a case of hazing and there is some sort of mistreatment um based on race or or uh religion or or sex or any other type of protected characteristic. That section is designed to ensure that the individuals reporting it also make our um our Title
0099 officer who oversees non-discrimination efforts that they be made aware of it as well. um because it it could need to follow um those policies, our non-discrimination policies and procedures in addition to our hazing procedures. Um so, and then the other change in the hazing policy is there's a reference as was mentioned to police uh further on in the policy and it just changes anytime that there's a reference to the police to law enforcement. Um, another change that we've seen in recent months is instead of referring to the Safe Schools Act, um, PSBA is updating policies to just say um, to refer to school safety and security reporting um, under the school code. U, and that's largely because certain provisions of the school code were were moved and it's really no longer referred to as
010the Safe Schools Act. Um, so those are the the changes to 247. very similar 252. Our dating violence policy again was last looked at in 2021. Um fewer changes in this one really just to the section under authority that says um discrimination and harassment um and adding where any instance where it talks about discrimination adding or harassment to it. Um so that those instances of discrimination or harassment that could also be dating violence um are that there's coordination with um the title 9 coordinator uh so that our our non-discrimination policies are followed as well as any sort of dating violence uh issue that might be recognized. So those are um the revisions um you know they're all uh recommended by PSBA um and went through the usual review process. So, uh, if there's any further
011questions, happy to answer them. Seeing no questions from the board that I recommend the following policies 234, pregnant parenting, 247, hazing, and 252, dating violence for first read. Do I have a motion to approve the policies? I have a second. Uh there any comments or questions? Seeing none, all those in favor say I. I. I. Um are there anyformational items for discussion today? [Music] Hearing none. Does anyone anyone from the community wish to speak? Uh yes, we have one person tonight. Just to remind um we have a couple people in the audience that if you'd like to make a comment, you raise your hand in the interface. It's at the bottom of your screen where it says raise hand. So Mr. Rash, whenever you're ready. Yep. Individuals attending this meeting virtually and intending to speak
012to the committee should be aware that they are being recorded. In order to meet the requirements of Pennsylvania's sunshine law, it is necessary to record the names of all citizens to speak to the committee during the meeting. To assure compliance with this requirement is essential that those planning to address the committee raise their hand electronically and state their name in municipality. As a reminder, the public comment portion of this meeting is designed for residents and taxpayers of the district to drive sorry to provide comment and feedback on matters being discussed at tonight's meetings or matters that may come before the policy committee. It is not designed for debate or discussion with members of the committee. When appropriate, committee members may choose to respond to public comments that have been made or request that a member
013of the administration follow up with the speakers after the meeting. To allow time for all those who wish to speak to the committee, the chairperson may ask an individual to yield the microphone to the next speaker. Thank you. Okay. Up first is Jason Laneir. Jason, I've enabled your microphone. So when you're ready to begin, please state your name and municipality for the record and begin your comments, please. You're still muted there, Jason. There you go. You got it. Okay. Uh Jason Lansdale. Um I I guess I'm my question is is kind of going back to the same thing I've asked before. When when policies are revised or you you remove a policy, replace it with a new policy, is there any look back on the policies that are currently existing and whether or not they've
014they've met their goal of being beneficial? And if so, why keep policies that have shown have have no documented benefit and have not actually been uh beneficial to the students but likely more to be detrimental to their uh their education success, educational success. And of course, I'm talking about the education equity uh policy. Yeah, you're actually what is it 832 or 836? I forget what the whatever policy it is. Has it has is there any documented benefit to that the educational equity that has been sort of uh infused in all of all aspects of of North Penn's education? And if if it has if there has been what is that success and how do you know when you have reached that success? So, I've asked this a bunch of times and and nobody seems to
015be able to give me an answer. Not uh uh not uh Pamela Hart or or Dr. B or anybody. So, if you guys were are interested would I'm assuming that you would want to know that you're doing you enact a policy for uh the purposes of of reaching a goal. What is your goal with that and it hasn't been successful? And if it has been successful, tell me what it is. And if it hasn't, why do you still have it? And I'll leave it there. Thank you. Okay, this would be the last chance for anybody. If you'd also like to make a comment, you would raise your hand now. Going in three, two, one. That'll conclude public comment for tonight. Um, Mr. Summers, could you please tell us why we enact policies? What what the
016purpose of a policy is? I think that's what Mr. Laneir's question really is. Sure. So, um the the policies I think there's a couple of purposes to it. Um there's there's a section of uh the policy handbook, the 000000 section that that really talks about um the purpose of the policy manual itself. And one purpose um is to ensure compliance with the law. So there are laws that are passed um that provide certain protections for individuals. You know, we were talking tonight about our our hazing and our uh dating violence policies. There are statutes that the legislature has passed that are designed to ensure that schools adopt policies that um help protect students and ensure that we prohibit um forms of uh hazing and dating violence in our schools. So, one purpose is to ensure
017that we're complying with the law. Um another is to um carry out the goals of the district or the board. So if um you know there's there's certain uh goals in terms of academic achievement or uh you know um other other areas of focus within the district, the board can adopt policies that generally lay out uh the way in which um activities will be conducted within the district. It sets expectations. It sets standards. Um so you know those are are I would say the purposes of of policy development. Um certainly um the board has been revisiting policies most you recently in our meetings. We haven't been developing new policies. We've been looking back and making adjustments and revisions to existing policies. So, uh, in terms of the question of of looking at existing policies, I
018I certainly would say it is appropriate for the board, um, to, you know, to look at how are our policies working and are they effective and are there adjustments that are needed to them. So, um, one thing the committee, um, you know, could certainly consider is is kind of a schedule of review for our policies. Um, you know, now that we've gone through and and adopted them all, we could certainly say, you know, here's a schedule that every so often we want to revisit or or look at certain policies. Um and and just specifically with regard to the equity policy, you know, I think one easy um response to that is is that our our um u climate surveys um that are performed are a way of measuring how those uh that policy of ensuring
019that all students are treated fairly. all students regardless of their background are given um you know access to all of our programs and opportunities. So the um climate survey, you know, looks at how do you feel in terms of your your um attendance at school? Do you feel safe? Do you feel welcomed? You know, all of those. And Dr. Bower could or Dr. Waters could address this. I know at a recent meeting there were results of the most recent climate survey shared. So certainly looking at that data, you know, is a way of of seeing is is that policy effective? Are there adjustments that need to be made um moving forward? Thank you very much, Mr. Summers. Um is there any other business for the policy committee? Seeing none, summary of items for work session
020are policies 234, pregnant parenting, 247 hazing, and 252 dating violence. Uh, can I please have a motion to adjourn? So moved. Thank you everybody. Have a good day. Thanks. Have a good night. Have a nice night. Thanks, Bob. Thanks everybody.