Minutes of the June Board Meetings – Personnel – Permits for Use of Buildings and Grounds – Awards of Contracts – YMCA Pool Lease Agreement – Lease Agreement with Montgomery County Intermediate Unit – BusPatrol America, LLC Agreement – Project ACCESS – District-wide Assessments – Services for Abington School District's Special Education Program – School Emergency Operations Plan – Second Reading of Board Policy – Confidential Student Matters

Please note: Meeting materials are available on BoardDocs

• Dr. Jeffrey Fecher announced that there will be a special Board meeting to celebrate the academic achievements of students in grades K-12 on Tuesday, June 3, 2025, in the auditorium of Abington Senior High School. More information will be shared in the spring.
• Dr. Fecher also shared that on Monday, Aug. 19 and Monday, Aug. 26, from 1:30-3:30 p.m., the Abington School District Human Resources Department will host a job fair in the Board Room of the Administration Building. Attendees will have an opportunity to learn about open positions and participate in onsite interviews.
• Additionally, Dr. Fecher provided an update regarding student usage of cellphones in secondary buildings for the 2024-2025 school year. Principals, Mr. Daniel File and Dr. Alice Swift, have been asked to develop plans on how to limit cellphone usage in instructional spaces to help reduce distractions and improve student social and emotional wellbeing. More information will be communicated to Middle School and High School families before the first day of school.

School Climate Survey Results and Next Steps – Dr. Robert Rosenthal, Director of Pupil Services, and Mr. Joseph Tagliaferro, Supervisor of Student Services, shared the results of survey data from surveys administered to students, staff, and parents/guardians during the 2023-2024 school year. The orientation included next steps and how the District plans to use this climate data to drive school improvement initiatives.

The Board approved the retirement of Ms. Dawn Green, Administrative Assistant at McKinley Elementary School, who has served the District for 25 years.

The Board awarded contracts to:

• T. Schiefer Contractors, Inc., for milling and resurfacing of the Grounds shop area located at the Senior High School
• Verizon and Connected Solution Group, LLC, for Emergency Communication POTS (Plain Old Telephone Service) telephone lines
  
• GoTo Communications, Inc., for telephone and communication services
  

The Board authorized the Administration to:

• Execute a two-year lease agreement with the Abington YMCA for the use of the Abington Senior High School pool during the 2024-2025 school year.
  
• Enter into an agreement with the Montgomery County Intermediate Unit (MCIU) for the operation of an Early Intervention program at the Rydal West building during the 2024-2025 school year.
  
• Enter into an agreement with BusPatrol America, LLC, for the installation of stop arm cameras on District school buses. The Board also authorized an intergovernmental agreement with Abington Township for the implementation of BusPatrol to provide a stop arm signal enforcement system on each bus. For any violations captured by the BusPatrol System that occurs within the boundaries of Abington Township, the Abington Township Police Department will have primary authority/jurisdiction to enforce the violation.
  
• Enter into an agreement with the SivicSolution Group (SSG) for the processing of School-Based ACCESS Program claims for reimbursement in the amounts of $.29 per claim for Direct Services, and $.16 per claim for transportation services, that are provided to eligible students who participate in the District's special education program for the period of July 1, 2024 - June 30, 2025.

• The Board approved authorization for the Administration to contract with the following organizations for Abington School District’s Special Education program during the 2024-2025 school year:
• Pediatric Therapeutic Services (PTS) for the provision of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) Services, Occupational Therapy (OT), Physical Therapy (PT), and Speech and Language Services
• Children’s Therapy Consultants for the provision of Occupational Therapy and Physical Therapy
• Additionally, the Board approved payments to the MCIU for Age of Beginner students for the 2024-2025 school year for costs associated with Early Intervention services.

Further, the Board approved:

• The district-wide assessment program for the 2024-2025 school year. Parents/guardians will be advised in writing that such assessments will be administered throughout the school year, and to which grade levels, along with the purpose of the assessment.
• The adoption of instructional materials to be used in the new secondary reading courses for the 2024-2025 school year.
• Revisions to the Abington School District School Emergency Operations Plan to provide clarity regarding "lock down," "lock out," and "stay put." The latter term has been added to the Plan to indicate actions to be taken when it is necessary to secure an area where unrest is taking place, such as a medical event or altercation, and restrict access to the area by other students and staff.
  
• The second reading of the Board Policy entitled "Members and Terms of Office Policy".