Chief Human Resources Officer Russ Giordano reviewed 14 new or updated human resources policies at the April 19 board meeting. He also provided updates on staff retirements and elementary class enrollments, as well as the results of an employee vaccine survey.

Some policy updates were minor, such as changing the required medical exam for middle school students from sixth grade to seventh grade.

The majority of policy changes, however, stemmed from Pa. Act 110, which was signed Nov. 3, 2020 and sets out parameters for the education of students convicted or adjudicated delinquent of sexual assault. Act 110 sets out certain rights of the convicted student, as well as protections for the victim. Director of Student Services Dr. Vivian Robledo-Shorey worked with the district’s legal team to update all policies affected by Act 110.

There are 18 educators retiring during or at the end of this academic year, as well as five total resignations from the beginning of the year to the present.

Giordano reported that 128 students have returned to hybrid from eClassroom since Superintendent Dr. Joseph Roy’s announcement that elementary students would return to the classroom four days per week; a small number of students moved during the past month from hybrid to eClassroom.

The majority of school building employees – 1,349 – responded to the district’s recent vaccine survey; the majority have been vaccinated. Some are still deciding, and others have decided against it. Principals will receive a report on the results for their own buildings. Because roughly 600 employees did not respond, Giordano said he may reopen the survey.

During the public comment portion of the meeting, Freedom HS student Dayanara Marrero-Allen requested that the board employ a range of strategies to ensure a pool of racially diverse candidates for the principal to succeed Michael LaPorta Jr., who is retiring at the end of the year.

At the April 26 meeting, the board was to vote on four HR items: policies for board conduct and student weapon possession, an Act 80 request for conversion of teacher in-service days, and an amendment to an existing memorandum of understanding with St. Luke’s for physician services. All policies and proposals are available online (https://go.boarddocs.com/pa/beth/Board.nsf/Public).