A new board policy for suicide awareness, prevention and response is under review, having been introduced for a first reading and discussed at length at the July 13 East Penn School District board meeting.

Superintendent Dr. Michael Schilder said the district has many procedures in place for suicide prevention and response, almost identical to those outlined in the policy.

The background of the policy at hand involves a model policy just recently completed by the Pennsylvania Department of Education and overlapping in parts with one by the Pennsylvania School Boards Association. The district's solicitor Marc Fisher explained some definition is lacking in the policy, about warning signs of suicide, for instance, which are not defined.

Board President Alan Earnshaw brought forward the risk factors as listed in the policy are too broad and cumbersome, including things like loneliness, low self-esteem, isolation, poor problem-solving skills and "school or work issues" to name a few things he argued most every teenager experiences at one time or another. To follow the policy to the letter would mean opening a file on every teenager walking through the doors starting at sixth grade.

Moreover, Earnshaw noted, the policy states any observations and recordings of incidents by faculty regarding suicide prevention among students must be fact, not opinion, an item he argued did not allow for the personal judgement of skilled and experienced professionals in the district.

Schilder stated he was comfortable with applying the district staff's common sense and good, solid training and expertise toward the policy and asked Assistant Superintendent Denise Torma to comment on the district's current guide.

Torma said a crisis assistance guide is published and updated regularly and has been in place for a number of years.

"We have a highly educated, compassionate, driven staff that would do anything to protect a child in this school district," Torma remarked. "Policy or no, we would do these things on a regular basis and because of situations that have already occurred we're very good at it. This is not anything we haven't been doing."

The policy will come up for a second reading at the board's next meeting Aug. 10 and adoption at the Aug. 24 meeting.

In his district update, Schilder reported current enrollment in the district is down about 148 from last year, at 7,848. But, he noted, it is still early summer and transfers will continue to come in.

Additionally, Schilder reported recruitment and hiring is going well. The district is in good shape with teachers and a few more administrative positions remain to be filled.

The board welcomed Joshua Miller as a new assistant principal at the high school, following the resignation of Sally Hanzlik. Miller served as a high school mathematics instructor in Pennridge School District 2006 to 2009, and then in Upper Perkiomen School District until his appointment in East Penn this year.

Schilder also announced the retirement of the board's acting treasurer and district business manager Debra Surdoval, effective January, 2016. Surdoval has served in the district since 1980, when she came on as business operations specialist, rising through the ranks to her most recent appointment as business manager in 2009, then acting treasurer just last year.

Schilder shared with the board three words he felt summed up Surdoval's service to the district: loyalty, integrity and expertise, and expressed his and the administration's best wishes for her health and happiness.

Director Charles Ballard added a few words of his own, stating he was "tremendously upset" to learn of Surdoval's retirement and commended her for her business acumen in guiding the district over the years.

The board approved the bill list with board member Lynn Donches dissenting. Donches raised the point of reviewing the purchase order process for upgrading as it seemed outdated. She also suggested the board consider not renewing the district's subscription service with PSBA, a $15,000 expense she believes East Penn could do without. The fee pays for services to the district such as policy review, educational conferences and professional training. Donches's remarks did not meet with a response from the board.

Another policy is coming up for adoption at the next board meeting in August, relating to the use of service animals in schools.

The new PSBA voting delegates were appointed by the board, now to include Ballard, Francee Fuller and Wally Vinovskis.

Ballard reported news from the state legislature that new PSSA cut scores have been approved, after the test was already taken in schools. According to the PDE, cut scores define the range of scores that fall into a single performance category. The now more rigorous test scores will cause a large percentage of students to be scored at basic or below basic, which may cause some consternation when district scores are published.

Ballard also reported there is still no state budget.