(The following submission is part of a monthly series of editorials, courtesy of our partnership with the North Penn School District and the North Penn School Board.)
Dear Community,
My name is Al Roesch, and I am one of the newly elected school board directors sworn-in this past December. As I end my first school year as a director, I can say that a school closure due to a pandemic was not what I expected when I talked with over 2,000 of our neighbors last year asking for their support to represent the North Penn School District (NPSD). While we face an unprecedented situation in preparing for September, my desire to advocate for public education remains the same.
I am a grandparent with two grandchildren in the district. There are three criteria that NPSD offers that I consider to be essential, and they are a quality education, at a reasonable cost with community accountability.
The quality of education at NPSD has always been outstanding. Year after year, our students graduate and start their studies at some of the best universities in the world. This year was no exception. North Penn was once again recognized by the U.S. News & World Report and Niche for our considerable accomplishments. However, there is more to receiving a quality education than just grades or extracurricular activities.
NPSD is dedicated to serving the physical, emotional, behavioral and educational needs of all students in our schools. One of the goals set forth in the district’s Comprehensive Plan for 2019-2022 was to support an inclusive and culturally responsive environment for everyone. Another was to support the emotional, social and behavioral needs of our students and our staff.
During this time of closure due to a worldwide pandemic, the focus on emotional and mental health support for everyone has been especially important. And no matter what our model of delivery turns out to be this fall, whether it be in-person, virtual or a hybrid version of education, these supports will be critical in helping our students and staff navigate the effects of this pandemic successfully. I am proud to see NPSD leading the way in providing these services.
Our district provides this high-quality education at a very reasonable cost. We are one of 22 districts in Montgomery County and we have the fifth-lowest tax millage rate. We have managed to keep the millage rate low, despite the many unfunded/underfunded mandates required by the federal and state governments. The cost of these mandates is passed to us in the form of higher real estate taxes. Some examples of unfunded/underfunded mandates are Public School Employees' Retirement System (PSERs), special education and charter school funding.
The current state charter school funding formula requires school districts like NPSD to pay charter schools for their resident students who attend these schools. There is a flat rate that is paid for a regular education student and another flat rate that is paid for every special education student. It doesn't matter what that special education student's needs might be. So even if there is a student that only needs something relatively inexpensive like speech therapy, the charter school is still paid at a rate that is considerably higher.
Fortunately, North Penn has its own cyber option, called the North Penn Virtual Academy (NPVA). Instruction is asynchronous in nature and students are able to interact with their teachers during designated times on a daily basis. Enrollment, attendance, academic engagement and progress is monitored by North Penn guidance counselors. And unlike other charter schools, 100 percent of our teachers are certified. Best of all, NPVA students who successfully graduate through the program receive a North Penn High School (NPHS) diploma, while NPSD taxpayers save money because it is a NPSD program.
With regards to accountability, our board continuously advocates for community communication and transparency. Our administration held multiple public forums on school safety, infrastructure needs and cultural proficiency, and sought input from you. Seniors and their families voted on what graduation ceremonies should look like. Most recently, NPSD Superintendent Dr. Dietrich and Assistant Superintendents Dr. Rufo and Dr. Bauer held a forum on the status of reopening schools in September.
As you can imagine, the hurdles that have to be overcome are considerable. How do we enforce social distancing measures? Do we wear masks? What do we do if there is another outbreak? To gauge the feelings of our community, the district conducted a “Pulse Survey” this month to get feedback from students and parents. We thank you for your participation, the information provided will be extremely helpful as we move forward.
In conclusion, please send me an email at [email protected], or any other school board member, if you have an issue or concern. The full school board can be reached at [email protected]. We will make sure your issue is addressed and in a timely manner.
Sincerely,
Al Roesch
NPSD Board of School Directors
Term Expiration: 2021
See also:
Editorial: Reflecting On A Challenging School Year
Editorial: A Formative Moment In Our Children's Lives
Editorial: Safe2Say Something, Redistricting And Community Survey Results
Editorial: State Educational Mandates And Their Relationship With Property Taxes
Editorial: It’s Time To Discuss A Ninth Grade Center At North Penn High School
