Whitehall-Coplay School Board held committee meetings Sept. 12, beginning with education/student activities.

Dr. Robert Steckel, Whitehall-Coplay School District superintendent, discussed the district’s partnership with St. Luke’s University Health Network and the AthLife Academic Athletic Coach Grant awarded to WCSD. The grant opportunity was presented by Jeff McCann, of SLUHN, to WCSD administration, Athletic Director Bob Hartman and Whitehall-Coplay Middle School Principal Angela Friebolin.

A $7,500 grant was received. The district will match the funds.

The grant is for the creation of a part-time support staff position, specifically an academic athletic coach. The coach will help monitor student athletes’ attendance and grades and connect students at risk of failing a course with academic support.

According to Steckel, the position will start out at 10 hours per week, though he hopes that will be able to grow in time. The academic athletic coach will assist eighth-grade student athletes during the first year, to keep students on a path to academic success when they move to high school, which Steckel said is one of their most difficult transitions.

Steckel said this position will help to support and retain student athletes.

“When students are involved in activities - whether it be athletics or other after-school activities - we tend to see greater engagement in school and, in turn, better grades and better outcomes after school,” Steckel said.

Steckel hopes the position can be expanded to help ninth-grade athletes and grow over time.

In other business, the committee discussed recommended changes to the 2022-23 school year health and safety plan, which will be shared with the community to solicit feedback.

WCSD is no longer required to report COVID-19 cases to Pennsylvania Department of Health and recommended changes to the plan include no longer reporting cases or tracking close contacts and removing the online dashboard of positive cases.

Also at the meeting, Thespina Godshalk, of Lehigh Valley Health Network, presented data on the school-based behavioral health program. Last school year, Godshalk said there were 78 new referrals among all five schools. WCMS had the most referrals, followed closely by WHS, with the most common reasons for referral being depression and anxiety.

According to Godshalk, there were also referrals for stress management, family discord issues, grief and loss, co-occurring substance abuse treatment, non- suicidal self-injuries and pre- and post-hospitalization. Out of those referrals, 87% were seen, 10% were assisted to ensure other services were in place and 2% of the referrals were not seen because therapists were unable to connect with the families, so resources were sent to the family home with contact and program information.

To determine the effectiveness of the program, therapists used a strengths and difficulties questionnaire recommended by University of Maryland’s School Mental Health Program. This brief assessment is done at intake, at six months and at discharge.

According to data from the assessments, behavioral distress at six months of treatment decreased by 44% and problem improvement, the problem presented at the start of treatment, decreased by 35%.

At the end of treatment, students and caregivers reported their problems were somewhat better (53%); much better (34%); or had no change (12%). No one reported problems becoming worse.

A survey goes out to students and families at the end of treatment asking for suggestions.

According to Godshalk, all of the caregivers agreed or mostly agreed the treatment positively affected their children. Also, Godshalk said there was a waitlist for most of last year, so there will be two therapists in the schools for the 2022-23 school year, and they are accepting referrals now.

In other news, Christopher Schiffert, assistant to the superintendent, recommended a new policy as a first reading. Policy 628, tax assessment appeals, recognizes the board is responsible for funding quality education, divided among school district property owners and taxpayers. Property owners and tax payers may file tax assessment appeals in upcoming tax years.

Policy 628 authorizes the business manager and superintendent, with the advice and assistance of the school district solicitor or a retained professional appraiser or other real estate professional, to look into all tax assessment matters.

Also during the education/student activities meeting, the board reviewed a field trip request from Michael Yadush, Ski Club adviser, for the club to travel to Killington Mountain Resort in Vermont Jan. 6-8, 2023. Forty students will travel on a chartered bus, the trip will cost $400 per student, and no days of school will be missed. Several teachers will be chaperoning.

During the finance meeting, members discussed Pennsylvania School Boards Association officer elections. Positions including president, vice president, a two-year adviser and two members of the insurance trust are to be voted on at the next meeting.

The only order of business during the operations/transportation meeting was the administration’s recommendation for the new kindergarten and first-grade elementary school to keep the name Clarence M. Gockley Elementary School.

The old elementary school will become the new administration building, and Steckel said the plan is to maximize its use. The school facilities plan program schedule and potential name for the administration building will be recommended at a later date.

The next school board meeting will be 7 p.m. Sept. 26.