001Sorry, I'll leave it here. It's yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Oh, okay Everyone settled and ready over here on the board dies. Yes. Okay. Good evening, everyone I'd like to welcome you tonight to the April 23rd 2026 central bucks school district school board general meeting all who were able please rise for the Pledge of Allegiance Thank you everyone Mrs. Radcliffe, will you please do roll call for us? Here here here here Mrs. De Leon, would you please announce any executive sessions that we have? Yes, good evening. The board had multiple executive sessions this month first on April 7th 2026 to receive information regarding special education then on April 14th 2026 to discuss safety and personnel matters and to receive an update on labor negotiations and Today April 23rd 2026 to receive information on the budget process discuss
002legal matters and labor negotiations Thank you. And with that I'm going to turn it over to dr. Malone for the superintendent's report. Thank you, mrs. Reynolds Before we start good evening everyone. We we do every month a see the good be the good video Mr. Jaffe, I'm surprised you are here in record time You get to see his daughter in the pen relays today and made it back in time Which I didn't think would happen and it did so congratulations on that. Thank you Let's do the video this month's theme was see the good be the good in creativity And our winner is Addison Carr a senior at CB West Addison's work represents the spark of an idea and how creativity brings separate ideas together To form something new here is Addison herself talking about
003why she enjoys art and her future plans I have always had a strong passion for art, especially drawing and painting Creating art allows me to express myself and relax and it has been an important part of who I am for many years When I'm not working on physical art projects I enjoy writing poetry as another way to be creative and reflect on my thoughts and experiences As I approach graduation, I feel excited and motivated for the next chapter of my life this fall I will be attending Penn State's main campus where I plan to major in pre-veterinary medicine I'm looking forward to combining my love for creativity with my interest in science as I work towards my future career Addison, please come forward so we can recognize you Addison chose PF Chang's for her gift
004card Next I'm proud to recognize one of our certified school nurses Jennifer Hendry for being named the Pennsylvania School Nurse of the Year for 2025 by the National Association of School Nurses Jen, please join us up front to be recognized I got more to say you're standing here Jen is a true role model in the field serving Barclay and Doyle elementary schools Her work has a meaningful impact on the health, safety, and well-being of students every day Because of her dedication, Jen was selected from regional award winners across the state and now represents Pennsylvania at the national level A significant honor that reflects her outstanding service Jen was formally recognized at the state level at an awards banquet in March And will receive her national award in June at the NASN conference in Las Vegas
005Let's all give Jen a well-deserved round of applause Our next recognition also involves adults providing support to students in times of need Recently a group of staff members at Cold Spring Elementary School took swift action to come to the aid of a student during a medical emergency I'd like to welcome these employees to the front to be recognized while I share more about their response And you can come to the front here when I call your name Denise Sheila, principal secretary Stacey Fisher, teacher Sarah Hedges, nursing coordinator Shannon Hollenbach, staff nurse Maria Kenzie, staff nurse Erin Lineman, personal care assistant Megan Maynard, school psychologist In late March, Cold Spring activated the hold-in-place safety protocol to allow emergency responders to move quickly and safely to assist a student in medical distress During this time, members of
006the school's certified response team and these staff members acted quickly, providing care until EMS arrived and took over The student was transported to the hospital and is now doing well The actions of these individuals were calm, coordinated, and professional Exactly what is needed in these moments We are incredibly proud of your response and grateful for your care and professionalism Please join me in thanking these staff members with a round of applause Next, an update on the Cary Pupil Services Evaluation The evaluation is now complete and results were shared with both the board and the district's full administrative council on April 16 Community members can view the April 16 public presentation on our website This was in reference to the Pupil Services audit We appreciate the thoroughness of this review Administration is currently working through the
007full report, it's long, and recommendations to identify next steps We will continue to keep the board and community informed as that work progresses Before I move on to a few agenda items, I want to officially welcome Dr. Joanna Wexler as CB's soon-to-be-new superintendent following the board's approval of her appointment last week On behalf of the administrative cabinet, including those of us who are here tonight, we look forward to working with Dr. Wexler to support the success of every student, strengthen our work with our staff, and continue moving the district forward We are ready to support her entry into the role and ensure a smooth and thoughtful transition in the months ahead We wish her the best tomorrow when she is sworn in at the county courthouse On tonight's agenda, we have approval of the proposed
008final 26-27 budget, the dedication of the CB East Press Box in honor of Larry Green Mr. Green was a colleague, coach, and friend to the CB East community During his 26 years of service, he left a legacy of honor, kindness, gratitude, and positivity And, finally, a policy up for second read related to searches Lastly, it's important for us to acknowledge that this has been a difficult time for many members of our central box community, particularly at CB East Our hearts and thoughts go out to everyone impacted Following the tragedy, the district's crisis response team, school and district administrators, and other staff took immediate action to support and care to East and other schools that were directly impacted Including activating the crisis response and post-vention plan, deploying additional counselors and mental health supports, providing individual and
009group support for students, engaging external partners like Roxy Therapy Dogs and KidsPeace, and communicating appropriate information to families with sensitivity Support is continuing in various ways, including through special community and student programming next week at East, during, and after the school day We want to ensure help is readily available and visible for our students and our staff, and to reinforce culture where individuals feel safe in seeking help and connecting with trusted adults We thank our entire community in partnering with us on this effort Now I turn things back to you, Mrs. Reynolds Thank you, and I also want to just commend the district, Dr. Waters, your staff, our staff at large for all the work that they've done to support students at East, at West, all across our district in the wake of the tragedy,
010so thank you, thank you That brings us to public comment on agenda items Persons wishing to make public comment were required to register prior to the start of tonight's meeting If currently these students register to speak, they'll be permitted to do so first. Please note, the first period is for public agenda items, is for agenda items only, except for our students who may speak on any topic Public comment is not intended to be a question and answer session. When you begin your comment, please indicate which items you're speaking about Regarding the minutes that appear on the agenda, comment is limited to approval of the minutes, not their content If your comments are not about agenda items, you'll be asked to stop speaking, and you will be permitted to speak during this second period of public
011comment If a question is posed, the individual may be referred to the superintendent for follow-up When your name is called, please approach the podium and begin by stating your name and municipality Each speaker is allotted three minutes. You will be asked to cease your comments at three minutes We kindly ask that all comments be directed to the board as a whole, rather than to individual members We appreciate your cooperation in maintaining a respectful environment Please be considerate of all speakers and their opinions, including those that differ from your own Thank you for understanding. And with that, we have Deneen Dry, CBESPA, on item 6G budget If you want to move it down, you can address it Good evening, Deneen Dry, President, Central Bucks, support professionals Tonight I'm speaking to agenda item 6D, the budget For
012months, we've been told the district is facing a projected deficit of over $20 million But the spending decisions and priorities we are seeing do not match what we're being told During these months, we brought forward facts, asked questions, and raised concerns about supervisory salaries Stipends for additional administrative work, new administrator hires coming in rates well above long-standing employees in this district And items not clearly reflected in the budget, yet are still being approved After months of raising these questions and concerns, they remain ignored That is the disconnect We are being told that there is no money, while watching decisions continue that are not reflected, that do not reflect that reality In fact, there are a lot of decisions and a lot of money tied to realignment Although we have multiple concerns, I'm going to speak
013to just one tonight The line item of three high school house principals totaling $585,000 Here's the question, if we're in a deficit, why isn't the workload being shared? Why aren't those responsibilities being shifted within existing administrative roles using the staff we already have? Because that is exactly what we've been demanded on support professionals for the past years We are told to adjust, to shift, to be flexible, and to meet the needs of the students We've worked short-staffed, covered vacancies, and taken multiple roles, responsibilities in multiple roles We've kept this district running with less That expectation has been placed on support professionals Why does it stop there? Over the past five years, support professionals have been ignored, devalued, disrespected, and placed at the bottom of every priority list You may be asking yourselves, what is it
014that you're looking for? We are looking for a lot We're looking for a shift in district policies and priorities that reflect not only protecting and providing for our students But also protecting and providing for the people who support and protect them Because our roles are just as critical to the safety, the well-being, and the success of our students And to the daily functioning of our schools, just as our administrators We're asking for fair compensation for the work we are already doing and the wages that we should have been receiving So, if there's a money tree for three administrators at $585,000, then we need the same money tree for support staff To be clear, we did not vote for realignment, the board did We did not vote for full-time daycare or kindergarten, the board did We
015did not vote for these expenditures, projects, and decisions, the board did And because of those votes, you have left us no choice but to hold our own vote to determine what happens next Because CBESPA support professionals will no longer be at the bottom of the priority list We will no longer be ignored, we will no longer be the consequences of this board's spending with its current priorities Thank you Ed Mackhouse, Buckingham Township Ed Mackhouse, Buckingham Township Former teacher, engineer, scientist, discoverer of the structure of the electron, proton, neutron, and neutrino Talking about agenda item 819, suicide awareness We mourn the loss of CBES 11th grader, Samuel Hanson The Columbia Protocol uses questions to screen for suicide The QPR approach questions, persuade, and refer training is being promoted so that we can address problems of children
016Every child has problems, and a lot of us have known people who have committed suicide Republican Mike Murphy, a nurse is running for the PA House District 144 in Warrington At the request of his daughter Kelly, whose life he saved Though we have an example of someone who actually saved his life and is trying in his request of his daughter to save others' lives Promoting the transgender agenda by President Trump, President Biden, and by national and PA transgender healthcare leader Rachel Levine has led to increased suicides Give President Donald Trump and Robert Kennedy a chance Does the rainbow room emphasizing sexual fiction books reduce the transgender suicide rates? The real banned books, the non-fiction books that face the problems are necessary to help make children healthier Abigail Shrier wrote a book, Irreversible Damage, with documents
017of transgender grace seducing our daughters This often leads to suicide Abigail Shrier's book, Bad Therapy, Why the Kids Are Not Growing Up, Gen Z's mental health is worse than that of previous generations Are mental health experts making children sicker by over-diagnosing and over-prescribing? There are a staggering number of kids who are lonely, lost, sad, and fearful of growing up How shall we raise emotional, resilient, independent children? I believe that I've had a lot more education than my parents who did not go to college But I'm no better than my parents, and in some ways they are better than me I think the Ten Commandments in the schools where it says honor their father and mother are important Children feel lost, and the most responsibility for children, the most dedicated, is parents So I think that
018there needs to be relationships with the parents, teachers, in order to properly deal with these issues Everyone needs love, and we have to figure out how to give it Thank you Thank you, that concludes public comment for the first section of it Moving on to Item 4, Approval of Minutes I'm seeking approval for Items 4A and B Approval of School Board Meeting Minutes for March 26 And then Item B, Approval of Special School Board Meeting Minutes April 14, 2026 That's Item B Motion to approve Items 4A and B Moved Moved by Mr. Herring Second by Mrs. Smith All in favor? Aye Any opposed? Motion passes 9-8-0 Moving on to School Board Reports 5A Education Committee, Mrs. O'Connor Great, on April 16 we had our Education Committee Where as Dr. Malone already talked about tonight We
019had Dr. Kim Gibbons And she is the Director of Care who came out and did an audit of our People Services Department I would encourage everyone if you can to please check out the video from our April 16 Board Meeting Where you can see parts of the report that Dr. Gibbons came and you can see some of her recommendations The board was able to ask her all sorts of questions And I know the administration is now going through the full report that was given by CARE-I With their findings and recommendations And we thank them very much for all their hard work that they did over the last year We also had the K-12 Social Studies Supervisor, Christopher Johnson Come and talk about a wonderful Harrisburg trip for our fifth grade students The students were able
020to go to the Capitol They were able to tour the Capitol, go on the House floor And a special thank you goes out to the four state representatives who encompassed Central Bucks All four of them made time to meet with our students during that meeting And I just want to give a special shout out to CB grad Shelby Labs who met with our students there So I greatly appreciate that We also had on the agenda the review of several textbooks that we moved to approval for tonight So we will be approving or on the agenda tonight is to approve a ninth grade U.S. History textbook Also a psychology textbook We also had the math and focus program resources renewal for the next few years As well as a math intervention resource adoption for the next
021few years as well Two other things that wrapped up our meeting was Dr. Zalinsky gave us a briefing on the FID Or the flexible instruction application that the district will be submitting We have to submit this application every few years And so that was submitted and we should hear I assume sometime over the summer of whether or not we are approved To again use FID days in our calendar And lastly that brings us to our calendar for the 26-27 school year Dr. Zalinsky presented to the committee regarding revisions to that calendar The proposed changes include moving the March elementary conference days From March 19th and 20th to the 18th and 19th This would give off a full week for spring break next year And aligns with the requirement of having students in school for 180
022days So those items will be on the agenda for approval this evening And our next meeting will be on May 7th And I encourage all who want to to please attend Thank you Thank you Mrs. O'Connor 5B policy committee that would be you Mrs. Smith Hello there we go okay So policy committee met on April 9th And it was a rather short meeting We had a discussion on the implementation of policy 221 dress and grooming We're not looking to make any changes to that policy at this time But rather administration has been reviewing school handbooks to ensure That the policy is handled consistently across all of our schools Particularly as we move in to warm weather over the next couple of months On tonight's agenda we have policy 226 up for a second read And
023policy 819 is being tabled in order to allow administration time to update the language On large group assemblies The next policy committee meeting will be on May 14th Which is a week later than normal Normally it's the first Thursday but it's the second Thursday next month Thank you Mrs. Smith Item 5C Mr. Herring finance and operations committee update Thank you very much Mrs. Reynolds The finance and operations committee met on Thursday April 9th There were several operational agenda items that were spoken That you'll see about appearing on the agenda tonight One that we did have some healthy discussion on that we looked to defer Was some conversation about new scoreboards at some of the schools We wanted a little bit more information on those before committing to that Based on some of questions that the
024committee raised So we're deferring that for further conversation Most of the conversation that we had was around the budget review We spent almost an hour and ten minutes going through the latest budget numbers across the board A lot of questions there You will see it on the agenda tonight It's a proposed budget that we reviewed Again the district is still working to review and try to continue to work down on some of the numbers there They're also on the agenda tonight are several tax assessments from several locations within the district That will be approving as well And then there were several support service items that were informational in nature There were realignment updates on some of the construction transportation updates related to realignment And then also some of the latest capital projects that are being
025worked on as well So the next meeting scheduled is on May 14th And we welcome you all to join us We typically get not the turnout that we'd like So happy to have anybody join So thanks a bunch Thank you, Mr. Herring Item 5D, the Bucks County Intermediate Unit That is typically given by Mrs. Foley who is attending the National Junior Honor Society induction for her daughter Congratulations to her and to all the inductees tonight She will be giving an update on April at the May meeting So moving on to item 5E, MBIT, that is also you Mrs. Smith Yes, MBIT Two of our media students presented last month at the National Conference for ACTE The title of their presentation was Crafting the CTE Narrative, Tips and Tricks for Modern Advocacy They've been doing some
026really great work in that class on actually explaining why vocational education is important And it's part of Dr. Covell's goals to continue increasing the reputation of MBIT by speaking at national conferences And both students did beautifully There were a lot of people coming up to them afterwards And MBIT is really getting to have a really strong reputation across the nation We should look out for the spring plant sale at MBIT Actually I don't have the date yet, but our landscape design students sell hanging baskets and flats of flowers and vegetables You can stop in and get them and support the program And then the registration for the Summer Career Exploration Program is open This is open for upcoming 7th, 8th and 9th graders And they can take a one week class at MBIT in many
027of the different disciplines we offer there It's a really good way for middle school students to get an idea if perhaps they're interested in any of the vocational offerings we have there Thank you Mrs. Smith That brings us to Item 6, Finance Mr. Mattis, turn it over to you Yes, Administration requests approval of Finance Item 6B through 6G please A motion for Item 6B through 6G So moved by Mrs. Smith, seconded by Mrs. Gibson Any questions or comments on the motion? All in favor? Aye Any opposed? Motion passes 8-0 Moving on to Item 7, other board action items Is that us? Okay Administration is seeking approval for other board action items 7B through 7F Motion for Item 7B through 7F Moved by Mr. Herring, seconded by Mrs. O'Connor Any questions or comments on the motion?
028Are you and Ms. Gibson going? We were the delegates last year And so we just put our names in this year If anyone has any objections, willing to hear them, of course, always So other than that Okay, motion made by Mr. Herring, seconded by Mrs. Gibson No, Mrs. O'Connor for that time Okay, sorry about that All in favor? Aye Any opposed? Motion passes 8-0 Okay, moving on to Item 8, Operations Mr. Spencer Thank you, Mrs. Gibson This is Reynolds Administration seeking approval of Operations Items 8B through 8F So moved Motion to pass Item 8B through 8F Moved by Mr. Kamali, seconded by Mr. Kimikata Any comments or questions on the motion? Hearing none, all in favor? Aye Any opposed? Motion passes 8-0 Thank you Moving on to Special Education, Item 9, that would be you,
029Dr. Malone? Yes Administration is seeking approval for Special Education Items 9B, C, and D Motion to approve Items 9B through D Moved by Mrs. Gibson Second Second by Mr. Herring Any questions or comments on these items? Hearing none, all in favor? Aye Any opposed? Motion passes 8-0 Student Services Item 10A, that is you, Dr. Malone? Administration is seeking approval for that Item 10A Seeking approval for Item 10A, or motion, sorry, for Items 10A Moved Moved by Mr. Herring Second Ooh, seconded by Mrs. Smith Gonna give it to you Any questions or comments on this item? Hearing none, all in favor? Aye Any opposed? Motion passes 8-0 11, Education is, okay, Dr. Malone? Administration is seeking approval for 11 Education Items 11B, C, D, and E Motion for approval on Item 11B through 11E So moved
030So moved by Mrs. O'Connor Seconded by Mr. Kimikata Any questions or comments on these items? Hearing none, all in favor? Aye Any opposed? Motion passes 8-0 On to Policy, Dr. Malone? Administration is seeking approval for Policy Items 12B and C Motion to approve Items 12B and C So moved Moved by Mrs. Smith Seconded by Mr. Kimikata Any questions or comments on these two items? Hearing none, all in favor? Aye Any opposed? Motion passes 8-0 Moving on to Field Trips, Item 13, Dr. Malone? Administration is seeking approval for Field Trips Items 13B through G Motion to approve Items 13B through G Moved by Mr. Kimikata Second Seconded by Mr. Herring Any questions or comments on these Field Trips? Hearing none, all in favor? Aye Any opposed? Item passes 8-0 On to Human Resources Mrs. Rossi? Administration
031is seeking approval of Human Resources Items 14B through G Motion to approve Items 14B through E G I'm sorry, I'll amend that Motion to approve Items 14B through G Moved by Mrs. Gibson Second Seconded by Mrs. Smith Okay, before we approve the motion, I would just like to read off the retirements We have Brian Finger, Elementary Principal, Warwick, 28 years of service I know he also served at Cold Spring when my kids were there And he was very well loved at our school Kimberly King, Speech-Language Pathologist, Lenape, 12 years of service Lori Marano, Math Teacher, Tamanand, 34 years of service Steven Riley, Music Teacher, Groveland, 32 years of service Oh sorry, I should wait for the applause, I'm so sorry I'm sorry Susan Roth, English Teacher, Tamanand, 32 years of service Renee Zaccardi, Senior Accountant,
032Tax and Food Services, Admin Building, 20 years of service For a combined district total years of service of 158 years That's a lot of years, and that's, yes We thank them all for their service to our district, to our students, and our community So the motion was on the table, and it was made by Mrs. Gibson, seconded by Mrs. Smith Any other comments on these items? Okay Hearing none, all in favor? Aye Aye Any opposed? Abstain Sorry, any abstention? Okay, so item passes 7-0-1 One abstention Okay The reports and information are simply information items So that brings us to the second public comment I have a brief statement to read, and then I will get to the second period of public comment Persons wishing to make public comment were required to register prior to the
033start of tonight's meeting If students registered, they're going to go first Please note that public comment is not intended to be that question and answer session If a question is posed, the individual may be referred to the superintendent for follow-up When your name is called, please approach the podium Begin by stating your name and municipality Each speaker is allotted three minutes You will be asked to cease your comments at three minutes We kindly ask that all comments are directed to the board as a whole rather than to individual members We appreciate your cooperation in maintaining a respectful environment Please be considerate of all speakers and their opinions, including those that differ from your own Thank you for your understanding With that, Jess Corson, Shelfont Borough, support staff pay topic Good evening, my name is Jess
034Corson, and I am a resident of Shelfont Borough I am a proud graduate of CB Central Box I am dedicated for the last 20 years of my life working in the district In those 20 years, my total increase has been just $10 Yes, $10 over two decades I stand here today because the simple That simply does not reflect the work we do or the value we bring As a PCA, my job is not easy I have been bitten, I've had my clothes ripped, my hair pulled I've been spit on, scratched, kicked, pushed, and objects thrown at me These are not occasion incidents These are part of the reality of the role And yet, despite all that, I continue to show up every single day I truly love what I do and the students I support
035My day doesn't even start when the bell rings I come in early to complete the required paperwork So I can prepare to do my job effectively I give this work my time, my energy, and my heart But outside work, I face challenges that might even be harder When my husband became ill with early onset Alzheimer's I had no choice but to hire a caregiver so I could continue coming to work My insurance does not cover this kind of care So I had to pay out of the pocket I was losing $15 an hour just to be able to come to work every day To make ends meet, I have taken additional jobs within the district Working after school on weekends just to cover the gap Even with all that said, I still don't earn enough
036money to support my husband and myself I am committed to this district I've given 20 years of my life to it I have stayed through challenges because I care deeply about the work and the community The commitment should not come at the cost of financial hardship We are asking for fair pay for compensation that reflects the responsibility we care The risks we take, and the dedication we show every day Please pay us what we're worth Thank you. Have a good evening Karina Levinson, Warwick Township My name is Karina Levinson I'm a parent in the district I have two special needs children Both who rely on PCAs every single day Let me be clear These aides, they're not just extra people They're everything They're the support system They're the stability They're the ones that step in
037when a child is overwhelmed When a child cannot communicate When a child needs someone to advocate for them in real time For children like my son who are non-verbal, who have fragile X syndrome His PCA is his voice And yet, people like him are continuing to get underpaid Costs go up, everything goes up Groceries, rent, gas, basic living expenses But somehow the pay for the people doing one of the hardest jobs in the district stays low And every time it comes up, it becomes a fight Families like mine moved here from New York Because the reputation of this district We came here, believe in the central box values education And more importantly, values people who make this education possible But what I'm seeing is the opposite My son started middle school this year He has
038a new aide The man is an absolute gem He didn't just show up He's invested in my child He learned him He understood him He shows up every single day with patience, dedication Simply a strength that most people do not have That's in a replaceable position That is something that you just don't hire A human being given a full energy Very demanding job and he deserves to be paid like it My daughter's aide I've watched her over the years, many years I've seen her with other students, other families, different situations And I'm telling you honestly, most people will not last a week Doing what she does, the emotional strength, the patience, the self-control And she does it with grace and a smile every single day And the bus aides They're the first people that the
039kids see when they get on the bus They make their days They deserve more money So I'm asking you why the people are not as valued Why is it that we always hear about hiring But not about retaining the people who we already have And doing the hardest job in the district And I'm going to say something that is very uncomfortable But I need to say it You guys find the money where things go wrong You find money for legal battles You find money when there are serious issues When there are accusations When there are situations that end costing the district lawyers and PR So money does exist somewhere, right? The question is what are you choosing to prioritize? Because instead of spending money cleaning up problems Maybe invest in the people who prevent these
040problems in the first place Invest in the aides Protect these kids Who support these kids Who make sure these kids are safe, understood and included They're the small roles These are critical roles And right now the message being sent is they're not essential But they're in value and not enough and pay properly That doesn't make sense to me If you truly care about special ed Not just in words, not just in policy, but in reality Then start showing it where it matters Pay them what they deserve, respect the work they do Stop making the battle every single day Because families like mine are not theoretical Our children's lives matter Thank you Carlos Ciderio, PCA support staff I'm sorry if I... Are you good? Good evening, I'm Carlos, a PCA support staff at Holocon Middle School
041I'm one of the staff members who work with the kids in the classrooms, hallways and in the community When a child is having a meltdown, we are always the first to respond Let me be clear, I love my job and I love every single one of our students Now I'm going to ask you all as a whole some questions that might feel blunt Have you ever been bitten, scratched, punched, kicked Or bitten so hard that the skin bled Have you ever had to clean the wound, go home and explain to your family members That that's just part of your job Have you ever been struck to the point where you think it's just a headache or a concussion Or where you have to work through the dizziness because there's no one to cover you Due
042to being short staffed Or because you are one of few that is so committed, you go through the pain daily Have you ever gone home wondering if your job will still be there For support staff, this is a daily thing we think of We are the ones who step in between the students and the wall We are the ones who hold them when they have tantrums, trauma, rage and fear Parents trust us with their kids, minds and bodies every single day We toilet, deescalate, feed and redirect We are the ones doing all this while we are dangerously understaffed and underpaid When we are short staffed, a student who needs adults for safety sometimes gets one Do you know what happens then? Behavior spike, teachers lose instructional time to assist support staff You cannot build a
043safe support school system with low wages and constant turnovers Our responsibilities are high, our risk is definitely not low We carry the decisions you make down the hallway into the classrooms Into the moment when a student is swinging or sobbing on the floor We are asking for a paycheck that tells us the district understands the weight of what we do The risk we take and the difference we make Instead of thinking about how much extra it will cost, picture the student who didn't bolt out the building because someone held their hand Picture the student who doesn't hurt themselves because we noticed the look in their eyes Picture the teacher who actually got to teach that day because we are there managing the storm in the back of the room Our impact is not small, we
044keep showing up but caring is not a safety plan Loyalty is not a model Love for our students does not pay rent, medical bills, gas, or it does not protect us from burnout or injury So here's what I'm asking you, raise the pay for support staff to be more competitive with neighboring districts Not as a bonus, not as a one-time bandage, but as a structural correction If we are responsible for high risk, our pay should reflect that reality We need competitive pay that reflects the level of risk and responsibilities of this job Invest in fully supporting support positions within the district When we are fully staffed, we prevent injuries, crisis, and escalations which lead to fewer emergencies When we are fully staffed, we prevent all escalations Please acknowledge the importance of our work and give
045us appropriate training and protocols in the escalations and trauma-enforced induced practice Not just a quick slideshow, we need real training This is not extra, this is essential, please start treating it that way Thank you, Amy Mitchner, New Britain Township Hi, good evening, I'm Amy Mitchner, I'm actually a fourth grade teacher at Doyle Elementary I've been teaching in Central Bucks for the past 28 years And I have worked in four different CB schools During that time, I've worked with numerous support staff And I'm sure that I speak for the majority of our teachers in the district When I say we depend on these people on a daily basis for help Over the years, their jobs are getting more and more challenging And we are asking so much more of these staff members Often to do the
046job of more than one person because of the number of unfilled positions These people are with us because of the children And often go above and beyond expectations One educational assistant that does this on a consistent basis that I know personally Is my sister, Stacey McBride, who has been an EA at Pine Run for years She has gone out of her way to attend student games, supported her school play, monitored group during reading Olympics These are not paid activities that she is participating in She is doing this because of how much our children, the students mean to her And my sister is not alone in her actions or feelings I've worked with multiple PCAs, EAs, IAs, administrative assistants, nursing staff, custodial staff, IT techs That have gone above and beyond expectations for our children every
047day They need to be recognized Instead of taking a job in our community that lacks people interaction skills These men and women show up every day for our children When are we going to start giving them the respect and compensation that they deserve? I'm truly grateful for the numerous support staff I have worked with in the past They deserve more Thank you Ed Mackhouse, Buckingham Township Ed Mackhouse from Buckingham, former teacher, educator, scientist, cover of the elementary particles My first teaching job in New York City I took over a classroom The woman was so happy to get out of the classroom The principal told me that a boy in the class had murdered somebody And because he didn't confess, they couldn't do anything about it So there's a number of dangerous kids in the class
048They're big as me and about as strong as me But I managed to get through that whole year without any serious injuries for anyone And I wasn't injured I had the full support of the principal I respected that I would go back and teach there if I was physically able now But I would not teach in Central Bucks I don't feel that there's enough support for the teachers and staff And the responsibilities You have staff that are doing way beyond the call of duty that people should do The punting bag approach is not working The teachers and staff need support They need to be able to properly restrain children Neglect of not The parents and teachers are abused They are burned out This is not necessary It can be done better Hopefully when the new
049superintendent comes in She'll take steps to make Central Bucks great again This is It's not just your fault It's the fault of the Democrats in the PA House Like Like Sanisario Who did not support legislation to protect women from transgenders The women deserve support should not be beaten up You need men to stand up and protect women Women The average woman cannot defend herself from a man over 13 We have to have men also to support And do The teachers and staff know what is possible to do with the children They have comparison Like as a teacher with hundreds of children you know what they can do And they can help them develop to the greatest degree properly And children have to be able to control themselves Protect themselves Other students and the staff and
050the teachers The teachers know the best Parents want their children to be treated well But the best parent enables the children to develop So they can become independent and be proud of themselves and their families And as a child you don't appreciate things unto your parent Thank you Dennis Locke, Warrington Township I'm Dennis Locke from Warrington Township I'm here on behalf of the support staff I happen to be married to a member of the support staff But my family has also benefited greatly from the support staff with a previous student We moved here in 2015 from Lower Bucks County Substandard schools, no real programs, our son is autistic We moved in to Titus Elementary Was immediately welcomed in, a plan was made, started to excel We moved into Taminant, even better Got to South, even
051better Suddenly the boy wants to go to college The boy goes to college and in three weeks he'll be graduating from Kutztown State with honors Now that's a wonderful story for I'm sure members of the board would love that And his previous teachers and all the folks within the district would love to brag about that But it wasn't possible without these red shirts People behind me are the reason why he is where he is today And my wife was called to this as a PCA She's finishing her fourth year now And she was called to this vocation because of the work that those PCAs and those support people did for our son And I got to tell you, we have a beautiful marriage We married 30 years this October She's a beautiful woman, she's sitting
052back there Everyone who knows her knows that she's wonderful And all my friends know that I definitely out-kicked my coverage However, the abuse that she took, physical, on her very first day She went to work very excited, scared to death Because she knew that this is what she wanted to do and she'd never done it She came home with scratches on her body, day one scratches on her body Broken necklace that I gave her And she went back the next day She'd be going back every day for the past four years And the fact that she can make more money at Chick-fil-A is a little gross, quite frankly Because these people that are standing up behind me Our son was diagnosed with autism 20 years ago Before any of these support systems were established And
053it wasn't, if it wasn't for these folks behind me He would not have a future And now he's graduating with honors from Kutztown State University It's incredible And the fact that these folks have to take second jobs is disgusting, in my opinion So thank you Kate McKenna, Chalfont Borough Hi, Kate McKenna, Chalfont It is with the utmost pleasure and unwavering respect that I came here today in solidarity with our educational support staff here at Central Buck I have the distinct ability to speak on this topic as a current parent and per diem substitute As well as a former special education support staff member Daily I experience firsthand the crucial role that our supports take in being the cog that keeps the wheel of education turning Without their central roles, I have no doubt our educational
054system would collapse Just like our headteachers, EAs must constantly pivot toward the ever-changing needs, abilities, and emotions of our diverse student community They provide a level of one-to-one care that is unrealized in the public school system However, my concern lies in the district's ability to retain these valuable assets I have spent over 25 years devoted to the field of education including public, private, and preschool education What often seems to be dismissed is the level of respect that should be afforded to a field in charge of our nation's most precious resource, children Careers in education often go hand-in-hand with unreasonably low-wage offers Unfortunately, job opportunities with this pay gap tend to attract two ideals Those that think working with children is easy, and those that are devoted to making a difference in the life of a
055child Those that think it will be easy quickly learn that it isn't, but they tend to make mistakes along the way Mistakes in the life of a child can be life-altering, or at the very least stunt their progress Then we have the chosen few, the angels of our educational system, educators that passionately, tirelessly aim to make a difference Do you know that many of our educational assistants hold advanced degrees? I personally know a chemist, a psychologist, and I have a master's in special education with a specialty in autism Many of our EAs are devoted parents that want to raise their children while following their schedule These are the gems that we need to retain This is who parents want for their children I bet most would be surprised to know what a huge effect EAs
056have on the academic day When a child needs extra TLC because they're pet passed the night before When a child excels at reading but needs a leg up in math When your child has advanced past his or her peers When they miss school for vacation or the flu When they fall on the playground When they are being teased in the cafeteria When they need extra time on a test for their 504 When they need a special care plan for their IEP When your child's teacher goes to lunch When there's an emergency When their emotional well is full and they just need a break You can thank an educational assistant I think we can all agree we are not trying to attract or retain simply a warm body to fill a space in our schools We
057want the very best role models We want a home away from home We want to know people care about our children This desire garners the respect it deserves Respect that looks like fair wages Continuing education for specialized fields like autism Benefit packages and simply the acknowledgement that our talented, devoted EAs deserve I cannot imagine a school day without these pillars that quietly hold up our district Thank you Buckingham Township Good evening, my name is Gary Fortier I'm from Buckingham Township and I'm here as a concerned parent I wanted to say that compensation in any field is determined in part by the challenges of the job The importance of the work and the value that they bring to the institution and the community I respectfully suggest that the members of the board spend some time in
058these classrooms, if they haven't already To see the challenges presented and to appreciate what those paraprofessionals bring to their students and to our community Current wages discourage new staff from entering the field, leading to shortages among the support staff And the need to shift staff from student to student, benefiting no one These shortages will only be exacerbated by continued low wages Workers suffer without a livable wage, but it is ultimately the students that will pay Thank you, thank you all for coming out, for coming out after hours to be here to share your stories We're going to move on to board comment, if there's anyone here who would like to make board comment tonight Anyone on the board looking to make a comment? One quick thing, I want to apologize, I had to step out
059for a coffee fit I wasn't not paying attention and I'll watch back the public comment on the replay, thank you Thank you, any other board comment tonight? Okay, hearing none, I just want to make one announcement The next scheduled meeting is May 28th, 2026, and it is listed as 16 Weldon But be advised that we are looking to change that to one of our high schools to accommodate a large group So when you see that it says 16, that will likely change to a larger venue I just want to make sure everybody knows that And with that, motion to adjourn So moved Moved by Mr. Herring Second Seconded by Mrs. Smith, all in favor? Aye Meeting adjourned