Each January, Bethlehem school district takes time to acknowledge each of its school directors and high school student representatives. At the Jan. 27 regular meeting, Assistant Superintendent Maureen Leeson and Liberty HS Principal (and the newly-appointed Wilson School District superintendent) Dr. Harrison Bailey lauded and thanked the directors for their selfless contributions to education.

In Pennsylvania, 4,500 school directors serve on nine-member boards for all of Pennsylvania’s 500 public school districts.

Other board business included approval of the agreement with state approved assessor Michelle Kern, who is part of the Center for Safe Schools, Central Susquehanna IU, to conduct school Physical Safety and Security Assessments. Fifteen schools within the district were selected for these assessments: Broughal, Calypso, Donegan, East Hills (will also have a Behavioral Health/Climate Report completed), Freedom, Governor Wolf, Hanover, James Buchanan, Liberty, Lincoln, Nitschmann, Northeast, Spring Garden, Thomas Jefferson, and William Penn.

Costs for the assessments will be covered by a PCCD grant.

The Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency recommends that school districts engage state-qualified assessors to conduct Physical and Behavioral Health/Climate assessments of each of their schools using criteria adopted by PCCD’s School Safety and Security Committee.

The board also approved an agreement with Intermediate Unit 1 for paid externships (experiential learning opportunities), master’s level students to serve as speech-language pathologist externs for the 2024-25 school year.

BASD has received approval for the Pennsylvania Department of Education’s Bureau of Special Education Grant: 2024-25 Master’s Level Speech-Language Pathologist Stipend for School-Based Placements. This grant provides $5,000 per graduate student for the 2024-25 school year.

In response to the federal government’s dramatic turn against diversity, board President Michael Faccinetto read a prepared statement on behalf of the board. He said simply, “The board will stay committed to its policies regarding diversity, equity and inclusion. Our schools will stay safe and welcoming.”

This was supported by Superintendent Dr. Jack Silva and was met with applause from the audience.

The next regular meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. Feb. 24 at East Hills MS.