Stephanie Barnett Jamison, president of Souderton Area for All, reads some of school director Bill Formica’s objectionable social media posts. Photo by John Worthington | The Reporter.
Session focuses on upcoming school events
A plethora of school district events were spotlighted Thursday, Nov. 21 at the Souderton Area School Board meeting, as the district prepares for its Thanksgiving break.
There was no mention at the public meeting of the lawsuit filed against the district a day earlier, alleging violation of free speech and due process in the ongoing controversy surrounding board member Bill Formica and social media posts during the summer.
The American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania and the law firm Ramsingh Legal, PLLC on Wednesday filed a federal lawsuit against the district, claiming that two parents and one former student had been unjustly banned from school property after they criticized Formica for posting lewd comments about Vice President Kamala Harris on social media. The lawsuit further claims that the district prohibited members of the community group Souderton Area for All from holding demonstrations on school property and required individuals to show photo identification to be admitted to school board meetings, in violation of the First Amendment.
The district issued a statement Wednesday calling the allegations “misconceptions.”
In contrast to recent crowded meetings and protests, Thursday’s session focused solely on student and district events.
Student representative Amelia Messina kicked off the meeting by reporting on some recent events, such as the October 29 blood drive that collected 41 pints of blood for up to 123 patients, the October 29 National Honor Society induction night featuring 108 inductees and the October 30 college instant decision day event, in which several students received college acceptance letters and full scholarships.
Other events included the SAVE club’s November 2 recycling event, which collected over 1,000 pounds of recycling material, the Support Our Troops’ and Interact Club’s November 2 Veterans Day brunch featuring over 70+ local veterans and the Athletic Leadership Council’s November 13 Leadership Conference, with over 80 student athlete leaders representing 29 different sports from over 13 Pennsylvania school districts.
Student representative Niahraika Inampundi then listed some upcoming events, including Thanksgiving break from November 25 to 30, parent-teacher conferences on November 26, a Key Club babysitting event on December 7, a FAFSA completion night on December 18 and the Souderton Area Tech Department’s winter workshop from December 17-19, in which first graders will visit the high school to participate in technology-related events. She also detailed the music department’s upcoming winter concert season, with an orchestra concert on December 3, a band concert on December 6, a jazz band concert on December 13 and a choir concert on December 19.
In her report on the Montgomery County Intermediate Unit (MCIU), board member Janet Flisak announced that the MCIU will attend the Pennsylvania Department of Education’s annual data summit in May. The three-day summit is designed to improve the quality of data reporting by the state through local education agencies.
Flisak also informed the board that the E-Rate program, which provides funding to public institutions for telecommunications equipment, is set to expire, and called on attendees to encourage their legislators to renew the funding. She additionally announced that the MCIU’s annual legislative breakfast will be held in April 2025.
Other meeting highlights included a video about the district’s new service dog, Wheeler, a trained goldendoodle that assists students with self-regulation and coping strategies throughout the school day. The board also recognized the high school golf team for winning the Suburban One League Championship and the high school football team for winning the Suburban One League Continental Conference Championship.
School board president Ken Keith closed the meeting by encouraging the community to reflect on all the positive happenings in the school district during the holiday break.
“There’s plenty to be thankful for,” said Keith. “Please take some time to enjoy the holiday and give thanks for all we have in Souderton.”
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