During the public‑comment portion of the meeting, multiple speakers urged the Board to commission an independent audit of the district’s special education and literacy services.

Carrie Bauerly, a parent and resident of Washington Crossing, asked the Board to engage an external expert to conduct a comprehensive audit of special education and literacy programs and the new structured‑literacy work. Bauerly referenced a Philadelphia Inquirer article that reported confidential settlements the district has paid to families of students with disabilities and said parents and teachers have raised concerns about transparency, training and progress monitoring.

“I see bright, capable students who fail, not because they can’t understand the material, but because they can’t manage the emotional challenges,” Bauerly said, urging the Board not to “delay this decision any longer.” She asked that the audit examine whether programs align with evidence‑based practices and whether staff received appropriate training.

Board members said discussion of an audit is appropriate; Mr. Roosevelt noted the Education Committee will place the topic on its agenda and that administrators should clarify the audit’s scope and objectives. Administrators said the district has conducted program reviews in some areas (for example, an EL review by the Bucks County Intermediate Unit) and recommended starting the conversation in committee to determine precisely what an external review should cover.

Why it matters: Public calls for an external audit follow allegations in local reporting about settlement payments and teacher concerns about professional development. An independent review could deliver an objective assessment of program alignment, teacher training, and progress monitoring for students with disabilities and struggling readers.

What’s next: The Board and administration said they will discuss the scope of an audit at the Education Committee; no contract or vendor was selected at this meeting.