The Central Bucks Board Note

Welcome to Board Note, the monthly summary of news and information from the Central Bucks Board of School Directors. Through communications like this, our goal is to provide you with factual and timely updates that help you stay informed. We encourage you to read this newsletter and to click the links below to view or listen to the recordings of recent board and committee meetings.

In the past several weeks, there was a lot of focus on Policy 321, which passed at the January board meeting. Thank you to administration for holding Q&As with teachers and staff in various schools to help clarify what this policy is and is not, how it will work in our buildings, and answer any questions.

To reiterate, there is no ban on flags or classroom discussions. Policy 321 does not ban, for example, pride flags, pro-life flags, Biden flags, or Trump flags as is being alleged. Instead, it simply limits their use to when it is related to the day’s curricular lessons. This is no different than how our schools would permit flags of religions when teaching about comparative religion, but would obviously not permit a teacher to hang a religious flag on the wall year round.

As noted in the last paragraph of the policy:

This policy is not a prohibition on topics of speech. Rather, it is designed to promote education instead of indoctrination or endorsement of partisan, political or social policy matters. In an analogous context, the district has long educated students about world religions but cannot endorse a particular religion. When implementing and enforcing Policy 321, District employees, the Superintendent and principals may be guided by that existing and familiar non-endorsement principle.

Please click here to read Policy 321.

Please click here to read the district’s community statement.

Superintendent Dr. Abram M. Lucabaugh highlighted that January is National School Director Recognition Month. He thanked the members of the Central Bucks Board for their time and dedication year-round, noting that as volunteer, locally elected officials, “school boards are tasked with making key decisions that drive public education.”

To view the Superintendent’s Report, click here and go to minute 8:44.

This committee did not meet in January. The last meeting was November 16, 2022. You can listen to the meeting here and view the agenda here. The Curriculum Committee will reconvene on February 8, 2023.

Listen to the meeting. | View the agenda.

Highlights:

• Moved out of committee revised Policy 815: Acceptable Use of Electronic Resources. Given the importance of this topic due to ever-changing technologies and tools, this policy was reviewed and re-developed by the solicitor for technology integration, Wisler Pearlstine, based on best practices for school districts. (Discussion begins at minute 3:00 here.)
• There was a discussion about policies 218.2: Terroristic Threats and 218.3: Student Threats of Violence to review implementation protocols. Both policies were moved out of committee. (Discussion begins at minute 32:14 here.)
• Moved out of committee a recommendation to combine Finance and Operations committees into a Finance & Facilities Committee (Policy 005). (Discussion begins at minute 49:49 here.)

Listen to the meeting. | View the agenda.

Highlights:

• Moved out of committee a recommendation regarding the damaged chiller at CB East High School and the need for an additional three-month rental due to delays for replacement equipment; additional rental fee being worked through insurance. (Discussion begins at :15 here.)
• Moved out of committee the recommendation for leased partitions at Lenape Middle School for temporary classroom space in the auxiliary gym and library for 5-6 week phases through 2024 to complete the full classroom renovation schedule. (Discussion begins at minute 1:06 here.)
• Updates provided on playground renovation schedule. (Discussion begins at minute 18:12 here.)
• Welcome to the district’s new Capital Projects Coordinator Brian Garrahan.

Listen to the meeting. | View the agenda.

Highlights:

• Heard presentation on the 2021/2022 Financial Statement Audit. (Discussion begins at :48 here.)
• Moved out of committee a staffing contract with Aspire Educational Services to have the ability to contract outside of the district for psychologist and counseling services in the short term if open positions within the district are not able to be filled. (Discussion begins at 28:45 here.)

The members of the Central Bucks School District's Board of School Directors each represent one of nine regions in the district. Each region includes one or more municipalities. While each region elects one school director, members represent the interests of the district as a whole once elected.

Regular school board meetings are generally held on the second Tuesday of the month. Download a complete list of 2023 meetings, including regular meetings and meetings of the board's committees. Download meeting agendas.

Correspondence for the Board of School Directors should be sent to Stephanie Radcliffe, Secretary to the Board, at sradcliffe@cbsd.org.

The "Central Bucks Board Note," is an e-newsletter designed to provide Central Bucks School District constituents with an overview of the work of their Board of School Directors.

If you reached this newsletter online, but would prefer to receive it via email, please register your email address here.

Email: sradcliffe@cbsd.org
Website: www.cbsd.org
Location: 20 Welden Drive, Doylestown, PA, USA
Phone: 267-893-2000
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cbschools/
Twitter: @cbsdinfo