Credit: Souderton Area School District
Federal funding concerns, new charter school legislation also discussed
The Souderton Area School Board Thursday, March 27 approved the district’s 2025-2028 comprehensive plan, setting goals to enhance professional development in the area of mental health, improving communication and enhancing language instruction.
Mandated by state law, comprehensive plans outline a school district’s priorities, goals and action plans on a three-year basis to help promote student achievement. Plans are established by a steering committee of stakeholders, including school board members, administrators, staff members, parents, community members and students.
SASD’s new comprehensive plan lists three main priorities: fostering belonging, strengthening mental health supports and services, and enhancing growth, opportunities and achievement.
Action plans include enhancing communication strategies to ensure accessible information, designing and implementing professional development opportunities addressing mental health issues for both students and staff members and enhancing language instruction
Other plans mentioned are implementing the new K-8 English Language Arts curriculum, writing a new K-12 Math curriculum and providing additional opportunities for internships, guest speakers, and business partnerships.
One highlight of the plan is the replacement of the high school Foundations of Algebra course with a Finite Math course, with units including geometry in the real world, algebraic concepts, trigonometry, data analysis, statistics and probability, and financial literacy. The new course will be available to students at the beginning of the 2025-2026 school year. Students who enrolled in the old Foundations of Algebra will be rolled into the new course.
Federal funding concerns
Superintendent Frank Gallagher discussed the implications of President Donald Trump’s recent executive order to abolish the Department of Education (DOE). If approved by Congress, the order would channel DOE funding through the Department of Health and Human Services, said Gallagher. He stressed that the order does not affect the next fiscal year and that funding for the 2025-2026 school year is secured.
Gallagher noted that the district receives $2 million in federal funding, a small fraction of the district’s total budget. The money includes Title I, II, III and IV funds as well as Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) funds, which cover Montgomery County Intermediate Unit (IU) services for learners with additional needs.
“We have to play this by ear,” said Gallagher. “But we will have our funding in place [for next year].”
New charter school legislation
Board member Janet Flisak reported on some newly-introduced state legislation concerning charter schools. One bill is Senate Bill 27, which would impose a moratorium on new cyber charter schools. The bill follows a report by Education Voters PA revealing that Commonwealth Cyber Academy, Pennsylvania’s largest online charter school, spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on dining, entertainment, retail purchases and vehicles.
Another bill, Senate Bill 354, would prohibit public school payments to charter schools that exceed the maximum cost of providing an education. Charter schools would be required to document their education costs and provide the documentation to the Pennsylvania Department of Education.
The board discussed some upcoming district events, including a Young Woman Rising event on April 2, featuring over 13 professional female speakers from a variety of organizations and industries, and a Harlem Wizards event fundraiser for the Indian Valley Education Foundation on April 4. Tickets are available at ivef.com.
The board also took time to recognize the High School Boys Basketball team for winning the 2025 Suburban One League Colonial Division Championship.
The next SASD school board meeting is on April 24 at 7 p.m. For more information, visit soudertonsd.org
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