The East Penn School District Board of School Directors gratefully accepted a $10,000 donation from the Lehigh Valley Educators Credit Union at the Jan. 13 regular board meeting.

The LVECU donation is to provide financial support toward the improvement of student education.

“Welcome back everyone!” Dr. Kristen Campbell said as she kicked off her district update for the first time in 2025. She gave a shout out to the school board members as January is School Board Member Appreciation Month supported through the Pennsylvania School Boards Association. Each board member received a gift bag with greetings from Marisa Ziegler’s kindergarten students at Willow Lane Elementary School.

Among the upcoming events she listed is the Eighth Grade Family Welcome Night, hosted at Emmaus High School 6 p.m. Jan. 15 and the community education classes for district senior citizens for which registration is open.

She recognized student athletes and scholars with their recent achievements.

Campbell encouraged shoppers to round up to the nearest dollar at the Giant checkout now through March 31. Matching donations from Giant will benefit the East Penn School District.

A preliminary overview of the district’s 2025-2028 Comprehensive Plan was presented to the board. Campbell explained that to be in compliance with state regulations, Pennsylvania school districts must provide updated comprehensive plans to the Pennsylvania Department of Education every three years.

Led by Mike Mihalik, the other supervisors from the office of teaching and learning included Tricia Gutman, Erin Murphy and Jess Thacher.

Supporting them in the presentation were steering committee members: Director of Technology Michael Billman, Lincoln Elementary School Principal Becca Champion, Lower Macungie Middle School ASA and parent Evie Gruber, EHS Principal Beth Guarriello, Elementary Supervisor of Special Education Taylor Mattocks, LMMS Principal Sallie Yencho and Assistant Principal Tabitha Rodriguez, as well as Wescosville Elementary School Instructional Specialist Alyssa Shortall.

Each took turns providing data on student proficiency and growth from 2023-2024. The numbers came from two sources: Future Ready PA Index and Pennsylvania Value-Added Assessment System.

The Future Ready state assessments rates the progress individual schools have made in reaching the state’s interim goals to eventually reach 2033 targets for proficiency and growth. While there is room for improvement in some categories, district schools did rank well with “meets” or “exceeds” expectations in ELA, math and science.

Alburtis Elementary School scored 75.3, with Jefferson Elementary School at 74.5, Lincoln Elementary School at 78.9, Macungie Elementary School at 83.1, Shoemaker Elementary School at 89.2, Wescosville Elementary School at 78.4, Willow Lane Elementary School at 84.8, Lower Macungie Middle School at 78.9 and Eyer Middle School at 78.6. EHS rated an 80.9 in algebra, biology and literature for the Class of 2025.

PVAAS growth scores were encouraging.

Using what they learned from the data, the team working on the 2025-2028 Comprehensive Plan set goals in two main categories:

• Instruction and Intervention focuses on “Equitable Practices,” “Equitable Grading and Assessment” and “Evidence-based Instruction” to “see an overall increase in state testing data proficiency (PSSA/Keystones) and/or overall growth (PVAAS).”

• Culture for Learning includes building “Trauma Informed Supports,” “Social Emotional Learning,” “Attendance Improvement” and “Community Engagement” to create “safe, engaging learning spaces.”

Guarriello also mentioned the high school is looking to make sure field trips are more aligned with curriculum and scheduled better as to not take the students and their teacher chaperones away from the classroom for extended periods of time.

In personnel matters, the board accepted the retirements effective mid-late June 2025 of EHS Family and Consumer Science Teacher Heather Day, Macungie Elementary School Grade 3 Teacher Karen Caiati, Alburtis Elementary School Grade 2 Teacher Susan Sterkenburg and Lincoln Elementary School Special Education Teacher Debra Kaplan.

The retirements of Eyer Middle School Special Education Teacher Jason Palmer and EHS Staff Assistant Andrea Bray were accepted for Jan. 20.

Campbell noted their combined total of 138 years of service with the district and expressed gratitude for their “amazing commitment and dedication to our students.”

The board acknowledged the resignation of EHS Business Teacher Kimberly Flueso effective Jan. 23.

Campbell introduced recently-promoted Kyle Fields to the directors. The district maintenance garage electrician will soon be serving as assistant director of facilities, filling a position left vacant by retirement.

The administrative compensation plan 2024- 2027 was approved unanimously for Act 93 members effective July 1, 2024 through June 30, 2027.

The directors approved sending several administrators and faculty to the 2025 PDE Making a Difference: Educational Practices That Work! conference being held at Hershey Lodge & Convention Center. Campbell explained this “learning opportunity” will help the district implement its K-8 realignment plans.

Updates to existing policies regarding Eligibility of Nonresident Students, Educational Opportunity for Military Children, Discipline of Students with Disabilities, Behavior Support, Threat Assessment, School Security Personnel, along with Opening Exercises/Moment of Silence/Flag Displays were adopted.

Lehigh Career & Technical Institute Joint Operating Committee member Adam Smith reported on a recently acquired digital human body called “Anatomage Bodies” for the school’s health care program. The company specializes in digitizing real human bodies with 3D medical visualization technology. These are interactive and fully functional digital models. He mentioned an upcoming SkillsUSA competition.

Carbon Lehigh Intermediate Unit Board member Dr. William Whitney spoke about the unit’s operating budget and the addition of five new speech therapist positions with three of them to help handle a backlog of 60 early intervention students on a waitlist.

The CLIU Special Needs Children’s Foundation’s holiday raffle raised around $4,700.

There were no requests to address the board.

Levinson mentioned an executive session was held before the public forum at 6:30 p.m. on “litigation and other confidential matters.”

School board President Joshua Levinson announced the district will be closed Jan. 20 for Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

The next regular school board meeting is scheduled 7:30 p.m. Jan. 27. 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.