[{"_1":2,"_88":-5,"_89":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6625265,"mediaKeyId","2762052-cf78af94b5e1f1b1227689d1b62f3c5f","parentId",2762052,"title","Pennridge board advances surveys policy after public and trustee debate over PACE survey (first reading)","audioSeconds",2276,"startMs",2364000,"endMs",4640000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2762052-cf78af94b5e1f1b1227689d1b62f3c5f&start=2364&end=4640","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2762052-cf78af94b5e1f1b1227689d1b62f3c5f/thumbnail_2364000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6625265/Pennsylvania/Pennridge-board-advances-surveys-policy-after-public-and-trustee-debate-over-PACE-survey-first-reading","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6625265-c02a1a66e0fcd126a99d691c39369208/orig.mp4?Expires=1771153315&Signature=MG8X73X3FLhBTC3lNzixWe43R6XHpHiLJMyb739eMB9niyOZkEh4qdH4jA2s6Z~7nuT68YDpyiqhlnGN-YuCzxAYj9R8TL3K7F~QV6dGI52SLsOgNMrDtdTmGjPcKPlEkFybDFbKS28WDV1IRdtj9d09-PPZw8LKgWdhsTlLynHmz0fBroVvF0R0sBoZoYKZgHLddzcq6P9~Jj9~s2CPhVIVAbXZM3VoODb4e3NMEvlinPsfACfR-wOLnThvlZZZVToWMStrOMnKBC~eBuGk-~CUxKe6ajfpi00Tc1HL4otCsvWlit0s7F5-aTUu-lakB6FZYkZa1gxktluOm0lnZA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Pennridge School District","date","2025-03-25T07:16:20.947Z","article","The Pennridge School District board approved a first reading of Policy 235.1, governing the use of third-party surveys in schools, after a lengthy public comment period and trustee discussion about parental consent and the district’s use of the PACE (PA Commission on Crime and Delinquency) student survey.

The motion for first reading of Policy 235.1 passed on a 6-3 vote. The measure moves the policy forward for further consideration; administrators said the policy language will include a year-start notice to parents and an advance notification at least 10 days before a survey is administered, and that parents may opt students out of particular surveys.

Public commenters urged stronger parental controls. Jonathan Russell (Hotel Township) argued that the district must “uphold parental inclusion in the education of our children” and asked the board to retain active, opt-in parental consent rather than an opt-out approach. He read sample PACE questions to illustrate the personal nature of some items and said parents should give “active consent” before students are surveyed.

Kim Bedellian (Perkasy Barrow) also addressed the PACE survey specifically and described items she called intrusive, including questions that refer to inhalant use and self-harm. Bedellian stated on the record that PACE is administered by the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency and suggested the agency could collect similar data through community outreach rather than during instructional time in schools.

Trustees and administrators debated the trade-offs. Several trustees expressed concern about introducing sensitive topics to younger students and asked for clearer opt-in language; other trustees and administrators defended the PACE survey as a community-level, anonymous instrument that yields data used to target resources and programming, including mental-health and prevention services. Administrators noted that PACE is voluntary, confidential, and that students are not required to answer every question.

Policy committee members said the proposed process will notify parents at the beginning of the school year that third-party surveys may be used, provide no-less-than-10-day advance notice before an actual survey, and allow parents to request a copy of the survey in advance. The administration said it is exploring posting survey instruments on the district website where feasible.

While some trustees said they would not support the policy as written during the first reading, the board approved the first reading 6-3. Trustees emphasized that the policy will return for additional review and that the policy committee will provide follow-up details on opt-in/opt-out mechanics and notification procedures.

Key clarifications recorded in the meeting
- PACE (administered by the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency) is administered in Pennridge to specified grades; administrators said participation is voluntary and students may skip questions they do not wish to answer.
- The administration said parents will receive a notice at the beginning of the school year that third-party surveys may be used, and parents will receive at least 10 days' notice before a specific survey is given; parents may opt students out.
- Trustees and public speakers raised concerns about specific PACE items (references on the record to inhalant use, self-harm, and family-dynamics questions).

Quotes from the record
- Jonathan Russell: “Keep the policy language in place that ensures that active, not merely passive consent, must be first obtained before a parent's child can be subjected to random surveys about personal beliefs and family behaviors during valuable instructional time.”
- Kim Bedellian: “The pay [PACE] survey also introduces students, especially younger students, to things they may not have been aware of previously… feeling so depressed about the future that you consider suicide, or harming yourself by cutting, scraping, or burning your body as a way to relieve difficult feelings? And that's a question directly from the survey.”

The policy will return for continued discussion at the next policy committee meeting; trustees asked administration to provide more detail on the opt-out process and to make survey instruments available to parents when possible.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","March 24th, 2025 - Pennridge School Board Meeting","oneSentenceSummary","The board approved a first reading of Policy 235.1 (surveys) after public commenters and trustees debated privacy, parental consent and the value of the PACE student survey. The measure passed 6-3 as a first reading; administration said parents will be notified and may opt out prior to survey administration.","taxTitle","Pennridge SD, School Districts, Pennsylvania","taxId",51485,"location","Pennsylvania","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6625268,"Pennridge board approves comprehensive plan, hires and multiple budget and facilities items in March meeting",868,2892000,3760000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2762052-cf78af94b5e1f1b1227689d1b62f3c5f&start=2892&end=3760","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2762052-cf78af94b5e1f1b1227689d1b62f3c5f/thumbnail_2892000.jpg","/articles/6625268/Pennsylvania/Pennridge-board-approves-comprehensive-plan-hires-and-multiple-budget-and-facilities-items-in-March-meeting","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6625268-efeb4090ed476b3820e7aa13b67cf02f/orig.mp4?Expires=1771153315&Signature=bf2yeIV9UKNdR1lemeslu4llhjI4YUdro2168KbR7cL0N5e7XXwlJNLP75RyndfTAmi22TOC9rG~TetWu7BzdugGF9CQNwr~u4yCmfC2pGRerIlJCmomaO4zjRnLm-F9AterYUFol3Yfqej5MIBvmJMaIOHR2KHE4mKmivK6ToPk70xNVtmUyo-TqzxwNEVrBI1I9cGZTeG1shOjCLCPXmIIj2O02rUkdvHyOIY~e0iBZGM-mUijBYBoCRnYqV2C-SqE5s8kr4l2W1d4kzbMRGgbUc0U2UzHA9OU84ZA50I7baYE8jW9GHVNgGXOReeuW7rFzPlWvqbtQweDd70O3g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Pennridge School board approved its 2025 comprehensive plan and a range of routine agenda items at its March meeting, including personnel appointments, summer facilities projects, the Upper Bucks County Technical School budget and multiple contract approvals.

The board voted 9-0 to adopt the 2025 comprehensive plan, accompanied by an induction plan, a professional development plan and a gifted-education plan. The same 9-0 margin approved a slate of obsolete textbooks and several facilities and summer-project authorizations, including environmental controls, a high-school dust-collection system and access-control work at North Middle School.

The unanimous votes extended to finance and personnel items. The board approved the Upper Bucks County Technical School budget for 2025–26, authorized a set of contracts listed on the agenda, and approved a new high-school student activity club. On personnel matters, the board confirmed several hires and appointments by 9-0 votes: Henry Hunt as director of athletics and activities (effective 07/01/2025, salary noted on the record), Abe Hughes as principal of Central Middle School (effective 07/01/2025, salary stated on the record), and the promotion of Chris Bogan to assistant director of operations. The board also approved two memorandums of understanding with the Pennridge Educational Support Association — one on overtime and one to eliminate a reduced probationary salary rate — and granted tenure to Victoria Schmidt, each by unanimous vote.

During public comment, a resident raised concerns about a personnel item on the consent calendar and asked the board to review that staff member's personnel file before a vote. The board proceeded with the consent calendar motion; the consent calendar motion was moved and seconded on the record and approved by the full board.

Board members and administrators reiterated several operational and budget pressures discussed earlier in the meeting. In the president's report, the board noted rising special-education costs—reported on the record as exceeding $25,000,000 annually—and continued payments to private cyber schools that the speaker said total approximately $800,000 per year. The district’s debt restructuring was described as saving roughly $6,000,000 a year in interest payments and—per remarks on the record—positioning the district to be debt-free by 2028. The president also said the board is addressing stale extra-duty stipends (EDR) that have not been updated in a decade and discussed plans to deploy portable air-conditioning units in elementary classrooms on very hot days.

Votes at a glance
- Consent calendar (items a–i): motion moved and seconded; outcome: passed 9-0.
- 2025 Comprehensive Plan (and associated induction, professional development, gifted plans): motion moved; second by Miss Sereno; outcome: passed 9-0.
- Obsolete books (items listed from Sellers Hill Elementary, North Middle School, and the high school): motion moved and seconded; outcome: passed 9-0.
- Facilities authorizations (environmental control systems, summer projects, dust-collection system, access control): motion moved and seconded; outcome: passed 9-0.
- Upper Bucks County Technical School budget for 2025–26: motion moved and seconded; outcome: passed 9-0.
- Contracts (items a–i listed on the agenda): motion moved and seconded; outcome: passed 9-0.
- New student activity club at Pennridge High School: motion moved and seconded; outcome: passed 9-0.
- Henry Hunt — appointment as director of athletics and activities, salary and start date noted on record: motion moved and seconded; outcome: passed 9-0.
- Abe Hughes — appointment as Central Middle School principal, salary and start date noted on record: motion moved and seconded; outcome: passed 9-0.
- Chris Bogan — introduction and promotion to assistant director of operations (introduction prior to vote listed on the record): motion moved and seconded; outcome: passed 9-0.
- Two MOUs with the Pennridge Educational Support Association (overtime; eliminate the 90% probationary salary): motion moved and seconded (taken together); outcome: passed 9-0.
- Tenure recommendation for Victoria Schmidt: motion moved and seconded; outcome: passed 9-0.

The meeting included routine committee reports from curriculum, facilities, finance, personnel and others; committee chairs noted next meeting dates and summarized items that had been discussed in committee prior to tonight's votes. The board also publicly recognized student achievements and community events during the superintendent’s remarks.

The board scheduled follow-up committee meetings (curriculum, facilities, finance, personnel and policy) in April and noted that some agenda items and proposals discussed tonight will return for additional review. No action was taken on a draft resolution the board member proposed urging federal representatives to defend the U.S. Department of Education; the board member asked staff to draft a resolution for consideration at the April meeting.

Sources: Board motion and roll-call votes recorded on the meeting agenda and public comment recorded on the transcript.","At its March meeting the Pennridge School District board approved a multi-year comprehensive plan and a slate of routine and personnel items, including hires and budget approvals. Several facilities, finance and contract actions passed unanimously; a public commenter raised concerns about a personnel placement before the consent vote.","actionData","errors"]

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Pennridge board advances surveys policy after public and trustee debate over PACE survey (first reading)

Pennridge board approves comprehensive plan, hires and multiple budget and facilities items in March meeting