The East Penn Board of School Directors gratefully accepted a total of $70,712.76 in two donations from the East Penn School District Education Foundation at the April 11 regular meeting.

The district’s middle level technology education program is to receive $48,000 from the donation.

The balance of $22,712.76 from the funding is designated for the Library 2.0 program at Lincoln Elementary School.

School Board President Joshua A. Levinson and foundation board member, along with Director Alisa Bowman expressed appreciation for the donations.

The special education comprehensive plan and budget priorities were presented by Director of Special Education Linda Pekarik as part of the 2022-2023 budget discussion process. The PowerPoint slideshow reflected an 11-member committee, which included special education supervisors, teachers, parents, School Psychologist Dr. Trevor Pinho and school director Allan Byrd.

Pekarik explained the inclusive practices for grades K-12 the committee were focusing on as well as what was needed in additional personnel to accomplish those goals.

The 2020 COVID-19 pandemic delayed work on putting together the plan and with the state extending the deadline for it, they look to submit the final special education comprehensive plan by July 30. These are generally developed every three years.

Pekarik explained the plan needs to align with Pennsylvania regulations on caseloads and facilities, while providing “a full range of special education services, programs and alternative placements.”

With staffing levels being flat since 2017, a greater percentage of special education students have been rising steadily since then, from 16.9 to 19 percent, Pekarik related with a chart.

Student populations with autism, disabilities or other health impairments have also risen during that time frame.

A Child Find System is employed to “locate, identify and evaluate children,” Pekarik said. They are evaluated for Autism, orthopedic impairment, deaf-blindness, other health impairment, deafness, a specific learning disability, emotional disturbance, speech or language impairment, hearing impairment, traumatic brain injury, intellectual disabilities, visual impairment, including blindness and multiple disabilities.

A Least Restrictive Environment provides a full range of supplementary aids and services. In state assessments, East Penn has recently scored green checks for “Disproportionality for Identification, Placement and Discipline Categories.” This means the risk ratio did not exceed the threshold for three consecutive years.

She asked the board to consider the following special education staffing priorities totaling $798,800:

•One Learning Support Teacher to serve at both Jefferson Elementary School and Lincoln Elementary School at $108,300

•One Learning Support Teacher at Alburtis Elementary School at $108,300

•One Learning Support Teacher at Shoemaker Elementary School for $108,300

•One Learning Support Teacher at Willow Lane Elementary School for $108,300

•One Learning Support Teacher at Lower Macungie Middle School for $108,300

•One Autistic Support Teacher at Eyer Middle School for $108,300

Pekarik requested a supervisor of special programs be hired at $149,000 to reduce the workloads of the three existing supervisors.

“Spring is in the air, finally,” School Superintendent Kristen Campbell said as she listed multiple items during her district update. She praised Genise Bishop from Macungie Elementary School for being named Lehigh Carbon School Counselors Association Counselor of the Year and employees Courtney Ridley and Kami Reinhard as March East Penn PRIDE Award winners.

Campbell mentioned the recent Emmaus Hornets Mud Club’s Empty Bowls event was quickly sold out while raising money for the Angel Network food program. The high school also hosted the 2022 Pennsylvania Miss Amazing event for girls and women with disabilities living in the commonwealth.

Graduating senior sign sales continue and the 2022 Grad Spotlight will be posted soon, according to the superintendent.

Campbell introduced Joshua Radcliffe as the newly-hired principal for Shoemaker Elementary School, starting in July. He will finish out his tenure as principal of Ramos Elementary School in the Allentown School District before he assumes his duties in East Penn.

In other personnel matters, the directors accepted the retirement of Emmaus High School Principal Kate Kieres effective July 1. Kieres had originally been approved as a resignation.

Also retiring are Grade 6 ELA teacher Elizabeth Dobbs and math teacher Vicky Romagnoli from Macungie Elementary School and kindergarten teacher Mary Anne Stella from Alburtis Elementary School, effective late June.

District technology specialist Deborah Siegfried retires in August and Assistant Business Manager James Frank will retire in October.

Campbell described Frank as being a “loyal and dedicated member” of the business team for the past 15 years.

The board acknowledged the resignations of Shoemaker Elementary School first grade teacher Mollee Brooks, Macungie Elementary School second grade teacher Danielle Slobodin and Willow Lane Elementary School health room nurse Melisa Johnson, all effective June 17.

The directors voted to approve the 2022 list of Emmaus High School graduates. Bowman abstained from voting. She is the mother of one of the students on the list and did not want to give a possible appearance of a “conflict of interest.”

There were no requests to address the board.

According to Levinson, an executive session was held before the public forum 6:45 p.m. on “personnel and confidential matters.”

The next regular school board meeting is scheduled for April 25. The public can access documents through BoardDocs via a link on the district website. Live streaming of meetings is available on the district’s YouTube channel.