ASD Highlights & Happenings

Dear Abington School District Community,

While I am always grateful to be part of such a deeply rooted school community, among my seven years as Superintendent, this fall was notably special.

From our districtwide food drive, which was organized to respond to the needs of families in our area, to our first-ever Industry Partner Breakfast to thank the local businesses and professionals, many of whom are alumni, for forging connections and opportunities for our high school students as part of the Pathways Program, it was evident how important this sense of community is for our students and their personal and academic growth.

Our Abington Senior High School ACTIVE Academy and STRIVE transition programs for students 18-21 helped serve as inspiration for our Pathways Program, demonstrating how hands-on jobs experiences in the community are beneficial for not just student learning, but also interpersonal skills.

Another great example of how deeply rooted our schools are across Abington Township and the Borough of Rockledge is the response we received to the state championship won by our Abington Senior High School Boys Varsity Soccer Team. From students and staff lining the sidewalks of our elementary schools to cheer for the players as their police-escorted buses drove by their buildings, to the fire companies who sounded their sirens to welcome them home, to the countless teachers and alumni who celebrated with us either on the field out in Manchester, PA, or back in the parking lot at the high school after their win, the joy and positivity was palpable.

A week later, we even extended this reach by sending our athletes on a victory tour of our elementary schools and Middle School to ensure every student had the opportunity to revel in the moment — a moment made even more special by the fact that the team's head coach and assistant coach were both Abington graduates themselves (1971 and 2012, respectively), truly embodying the full circle connections of what it means to be part of this community.

It is my hope in the year ahead that we can all bottle up that positivity and sense of community, and replicate it in everything we do here in our schools.

In the meantime, I invite you to read more below about academic achievement at our elementary schools, middle school and high school, as well as, additional information about our ASD Reads! literacy initiatives aimed at building a community of readers from K-12.

Regards,

Dr. Jeffrey S. Fecher

Superintendent of Schools

Following the approval of a referendum in May 2025 from voters in Abington Township and the Borough of Rockledge, the project to build a new Abington Middle School is well underway, with the Abington School District currently in the process of planning and design.

A contract for an environmental assessment was awarded at the December 9, 2025, meeting of the Board of School Directors, and later that same week, the District launched an online community survey as a continuation of ongoing efforts to engage stakeholders in identifying the needs and priorities for students, staff and the community as a whole.

The online survey is open now through 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, January 4, 2026. Additional information about the project and ongoing updates are available on the dedicated website, www.OneASDOneFuture.org.

Parents and guardians of students in grades 3-12 are invited to complete the parent version of the Pennsylvania School Climate survey provided by The Pennsylvania Department of Education. The survey will be available for parents and guardians through January 31, 2026.

The survey asks questions pertaining to Social/Emotional Learning, Student Support, High Expectations/Academic Rigor and Challenge, and Safe and Respectful School Climate. It is intended to provide our schools with valuable climate data for use with our needs assessments, program development, and short- and long-term improvement planning. More information is available on the PDE website.

At the December 9, 2025, meeting of the Board of School Directors, Dr. Stephanie Viola, Director of Elementary Teaching and Learning, and Ms. Laura Enama, Director of Secondary Teaching and Learning, provided an orientation on the Future Ready PA Index. Student achievement information is released by the Pennsylvania Department of Education on an annual basis, and the presentation included the achievement data for the 2024-2025 school year, based upon the Pennsylvania System of School Assessment (PSSA) and the Keystone Examinations. These assessments take place in Grades 3 through 8 for PSSA, and as an end-of-course assessment for the Keystone Examinations in Algebra 1, Biology, and English Literature.

Overall, when compared to the state average, Abington School District students outperformed their peers in both mathematics and English Language Arts (ELA); when compared to the Montgomery County average, Abington School District students were on pace with their peers in mathematics, and outperformed their peers in ELA.

Other takeaways include:

• In ELA, Highland, Overlook, Roslyn, and Rydal elementary schools achieved an academic growth score of 100, indicating strong year-over-year progress, though eight schools saw a decrease in overall proficiency when compared to the year prior, and seven schools did not meet the state's Interim Target for academic performance.
• In mathematics, seven schools saw an increase in overall proficiency when compared to the year prior, with the Senior High, Middle School, and Overlook, Roslyn and Rydal elementary schools each achieving an academic growth score of 100, which indicates strong year-over-year progress.
• Challenges in this area, however, included six schools not reaching the Interim Target for 2024-2025.

Additional areas of note in regard to attendance, English language attainment and college and career readiness include the following:

• English Language Attainment increased at Abington Middle School and Rydal Elementary School.
• Regular attendance has improved at Abington Senior High, Abington Middle School, and Roslyn and Willow Hill elementary schools.
• Abington’s commitment to rigorous academics exceeds state norms, with 26 AP course offerings and seven dual-credit partnerships available to high school students.
• In spring 2025, ASHS students took 1,781 AP exams, with 84% scoring 3 or higher on at least 1 exam, demonstrating strong college readiness.

The full presentation, including data and action steps, is available on BoardDocs.

Thanks to a grant awarded to the Abington School District by the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE), grades K-5 students across the District’s seven elementary schools now have new items available for check-out at their school libraries, including 232 new titles and 21 brand-new Literacy Backpacks compiled by the Teaching and Learning Department.

Abington School District was among just 13 recipients across Pennsylvania – and one of only two school districts – to have been awarded a $5,000 Excellent and Equitable Youth Services Local Library Grant from PDE’s Office of Commonwealth Libraries (OCL) last year to help libraries serve their youngest learners through the purchase of fiction and non-fiction books for children and youth.

The grants, which were awarded in September 2024, are federally funded through the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services and administered by PDE, and aim to help libraries build inclusive collections for children.

In ASD, the grant supports a districtwide effort to enhance inclusivity, accessibility, and cultural responsiveness in elementary library collections. Through a collaborative process involving librarians, reading specialists, families, and cultural organizations, the Teaching and Learning Department identified gaps and selected hundreds of new titles targeted for grades K-5 that reflect the diverse identities, languages, and experiences of the District’s 8,000 students.

Additionally, to support early literacy among kindergarteners through second-grade students, the Teaching and Learning Department used the grant to purchase and compile structured literacy backpacks organized into seven focus areas, including decodable texts, financial literacy, social-emotional learning, and nonfiction, which can be checked out of school libraries and brought to students’ homes. The contents of each backpack also vary by reading level and skill focus, ensuring that resources align with a broad range of student needs and interests.

There are 21 backpacks in total – three for each of the District’s seven elementary schools – with 122 practice readers across the span, designed to strengthen foundational skills and promote home reading. The backpacks also include a community journal for reflection and engagement.

Beyond having them available for take-home purposes, schools will also utilize the backpacks during their family literacy nights and other school events, helping to foster equitable access, multilingual literacy, and a strong sense of community belonging.

This fall, Abington Middle School introduced a new Welcome Library for English-learners, thanks to a different grant from PDE. A portion of the grant – which aimed to enhance ASD’s capacity to support the academic performance and successful integration of refugee students – was used to purchase multicultural and multilingual books for all students to enjoy, and to build literacy and cultural understanding among the student body.

In November, student athletes competed in the annual Elementary Track Meet at Schwarzman Stadium. This event serves as another opportunity for 4th and 5th graders to gather with their peers from the other elementary schools before they transition to the Middle School, all while engaging in a day of friendly competition.

Earlier this month, the Board approved a gift agreement between the Abington Educational Foundation and Abington School District for the donation of funds to design, construct, and oversee the creation and maintenance of a courtyard at Abington Senior High School, to be named for Dr. Ashton B. Carter, former Secretary of Defense and alumnus of the Class of 1972. Funds for the Ash Carter Courtyard were raised by the Friends of Ash, a group of his Abington alumni classmates. To learn more, visit the dedicated page on the AEF website.

Special thanks to ASHS students, Tim Butler and Nolan Hopping, for creating this video to help raise funds.

At the reorganization meeting of the Board of School Directors, one new member, Ms. Adrienne Fletcher, and three incumbent members — Mr. Brian Allen, Ms. Angelique Frazier and Mr. Yaasiyn Muhammad — took oaths of office to serve four-year terms on the Board. Additionally, the Board elected Dr. Melissa Mowry to serve as President, and Mr. Yaasiyn Muhammad to serve as Vice President.

Kitchen Conversations with Board President, Dr. Melissa Mowry, and School Director, Mrs. Shameeka Browne.

• Tuesday, December 23 - All Schools Early Dismissal (ASHS - 11 a.m., AMS - 11:30 a.m., Elementary Schools - 12:20 p.m.)
• Wednesday, December 24 - Sunday, January 4 - Winter Recess
• Wednesday, January 7 - Abington Senior High College Information Night, 6-7 p.m., Virtual
• Tuesday, January 13 - Board Meeting, 7:30 p.m.
• Monday, January 19 - Schools Closed (Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day)
• Tuesday, January 27 - Board Meeting, 7:30 p.m.
• Wednesday, January 28 - Second Marking Period Ends (Secondary)