The East Penn School District directors reviewed a data presentation on Pennsylvania School Progress Measures by Assistant Superintendent Dr. Douglas Povilaitis and Assistant Superintendent Dr. Laura Witman at its Feb. 12 meeting. Povilaitis and Witman took turns discussing demographics, building level data for the 2023-2024 school year and mitigation plans for any performance deficits.

According to Pennsylvania State Assessments for Proficient or Advanced, most of the district’s elementary schools had growth scores within the low to high 70s range with Alburtis at 76.7, Jefferson at 73.1, Lincoln at 77.2, Macungie at 75.4, Shoemaker at 85.9, Wescosville at 78.3 and Willow Lane at 80.4. It varied from building where their strengths and weaknesses were.

Lower Macungie Middle School had a growth score of 77.9 and Eyer Middle School garnered 67.4.

Emmaus High School was graded a growth score of 74.1. Typical of the other district buildings, the high school met interim improvement goals in some subjects, exceeded goals in some and failed to meet goals in others.

The assistant directors laid out action steps and measures to improve assessment scores. Some of these are to be presented in more detail at future board meetings.

The school board gratefully accepted a $10,000 donation from Lehigh Valley Educators Credit Union to provide financial support toward the improvement of student education.

In personnel matters, the board accepted the retirements of Eyer Middle School counselor Marc Dobbs effective June 17; Shoemaker Elementary School Grade 4 teacher Dineen McGlone effective June 10; Macungie Elementary School head custodian Delvin Waylen effective March 5 and Donna M. Smith, an administrative assistant at LMMS effective June 18.

School Superintendent Dr. Kristen Campbell noted Dobbs’ 33 years in education with 31 in East Penn, McGlone’s 31 years as a teacher with 18 at East Penn, Waylen’s 37 years with the district and Smith’s 37 years serving East Penn.

The directors acknowledged the resignations of EHS health room nurse Rosanna Lopez effective Feb. 16; Krista Robertson, school psychologist at EHS and Alburtis Elementary School effective Jan. 31; Lincoln Elementary School third grade teacher Lisa McGinty Feb. 7 and LMMS reading seminar teacher Bonnie Raub effective Feb. 2.

Approved new hire Annie Aguilar begins work as school psychologist at Willow Lane Elementary School around April 15.

In her district update, Campbell spoke on “highlights and celebrations” as she listed various district school’s sports and academic achievements.

She announced kindergarten registration begins online March 1.

New policies and updates of current policies were adopted after a third reading. These include board meeting policies; Internet, computers and network resources and suicide awareness, prevention and response. Other adopted policies involved “students experiencing homelessness, foster care and other educational instability.”

After delivering his Carbon Lehigh Intermediate Unit report, Dr. William Whitney was appointed to serve another 3-year term on the CLIU board beginning July 1 through June 30, 2027.

Lehigh Career & Technical Institute Joint Operating Committee member Jeffrey Jankowski read Adam Smith’s report on what’s happening at LCTI.

There were two requests to address the board. EHS senior Sarvesh Senguttuvan and EHS junior William Zheng politely asked the administration to grant permission for the Emmaus Academic Team to compete in the Quiz Bowl National Competition in New Orleans scheduled for May.

The next regular school board meeting is scheduled 7:30 p.m. Feb. 26. The public can access documents through BoardDocs via a link on the district website. Livestreaming of meetings is available on the district’s YouTube channel.