School Board Notes

New School Board Director

On March 15, 2022, the Board approved the appointment of Ken Rookstool to the Methacton Board of School Directors after a 7-1 vote. He will serve the remainder of a four-year term that expires in December 2023.

Mr. Rookstool is a dedicated education professional with more than 17 years of experience in K-12 and university operations. He began his career by managing multiple K-12 tutoring centers in southern California. After moving back home to the suburbs of Philadelphia, Mr. Rookstool continued his career in education and has worked in the Offices of the Registrar, Student Affairs, and Clinical Operations for three universities. He currently serves as a Curriculum Director for Drexel University’s College of Medicine.

Mr. Rookstool holds a bachelor’s degree in history from Penn State University. He resides in Audubon with his wife and two young daughters, who are just beginning their educational journey in Methacton schools.

Mr. Rookstool believes in a team-based approach to education. He is thrilled for the opportunity to work, collaborate and communicate with all members of the Methacton community and will focus on helping students and staff achieve their educational goals.

School Board Director Resignation

This month, the Board also approved the resignation of Kim Aubrey-Larcinese. Ms. Aubrey-Larcinese served as a School Board Director since December of 2015. We thank her for her service to the students, staff, parents and community of the Methacton School District.

Arcola Planetarium Recommendation

Mr. Adam Chantry, Planetarium Director, presented a preliminary recommendation to the Board on improvements needed at the Mallon Planetarium at Arcola. The Mallon Planetarium has seen growth in student use and community use over the last several years. Mr. Chantry shared that over 3,600 students come through the planetarium annually. Over the past several years, the planetarium has evolved to incorporate not only new and exciting scientific topics, but includes cross-curricular instruction in English, Math, and Social Studies -- to name a few.

This effort, branded as “The Horizon Project”, will expand the learning laboratory for students for the next 20 plus years. It will include a high-resolution computer and lighting system along with expanded seating, dome replacement, and separate HVAC system. More so, this will allow for increased participation and the expansion of scientific exploration and renewed engagement of students from a number of disciplines. This project is included in the district’s strategic plan to be presented in May 2022.

Woodland Elementary School first grade teacher, Krista Wagner, is Methacton’s Award of Excellence honoree for March 2022. Woodland's principal, Dr. Deb Euker, shared a video presentation of Ms. Wagner’s career at Methacton that also featured heartfelt messages from her current and former students. Award of Excellence recipients are valuable team members who support our students, staff and community. We are pleased to share with everyone how much we appreciate Ms. Wagner’s commitment to the Methacton School District.

A very special thank you to Rohita Prathap and Vinchi Stehr for representing Woodland Elementary School as Junior Board Representatives for March 2022. Rohita led the meeting by reciting the Pledge of Allegiance. Vinchi delivered a statement on what makes Woodland such a great school.

Backpack Program Donations

The Board approved two donations for the Methacton Backpack program -- one for $25.90 from a community member and another for $4,696.61 from GIANT Food Stores. The Backpack program supports students in need with weekend meals. To learn more about the Methacton Backpack Program and ways to donate, visit: www.methacton.org/methactonbackpack.

Eagleville and Arrowhead Construction Updates

Fidevia provided the Board with an update on the construction projects at Arrowhead Elementary School and Eagleville Elementary School. Click here to read the March progress report for both projects.

You can also keep up with the latest on the Arrowhead construction project by visiting https://www.methacton.org/ArrowheadConstruction and the Eagleville renovation project by visiting https://www.methacton.org/EaglevilleConstruction.

All other items listed in the March 22, 2022 agenda were approved.

The Methacton School District's Board of School Directors meets each month. School board work session meetings are generally held on the third Tuesday of the month, followed by the regular meeting on the fourth Tuesday (except during the month of December). Regular Board and Work Session meetings typically take place in the Arcola Auditorium, and all residents are invited to attend. Committee meetings take place in the MHS LGI. Meeting agendas are posted to Agenda Manager, and start times and locations are posted on the District's website. Please confirm meeting time and location before attending. Download the meeting calendar here. Watch the meeting video online.

Email: information@methacton.org
Website: www.methacton.org
Phone: 610-489-5000