The East Penn Board of School Directors gratefully approved the donation of $15,000 from the East Penn School District Education Foundation Aug. 9 to fund the district’s therapy dog program.

Lancaster-based Dog Sense, LLC was selected to provide therapy dog services for the 2021-2022 school year. These include the selection and training of three facility dogs and training of district staff as caretakers and handlers.

Emotions ran high as several from the large audience addressed the board concerning the district’s recently-passed health and safety plan.

An Emmaus Borough police officer was on hand to maintain order. Wescosville student Scarlett Santiago brought along a “Good Vibes Only” sign in an effort to help keep things calm while each speaker spoke for three minutes.

Opposing any future mask mandates were Macungie resident Ella Doster with the help of her mother, Michelle; district employee and mom Jennifer Henry, of Upper Milford, Troy Wildasin, of Emmaus, Rachael Vermeulen, of Macungie, Franco Mazzetti, of Macungie and Wescosville resident Sharee Sesok, a grandmother of six East Penn students.

Jason Jenkins, of Macungie, referred to COVID-19 precautions as “propaganda.”

Those who encouraged the use of masks to deter COVID-19 spread included Allentown mom Win Schucker and Dr. Emily Cisek, a physician from Emmaus. Cisek cited increased infection data and described seeing children struggling with the Delta variant in the intensive care unit. Emmaus resident Mariska van Aalst agreed “COVID-19 is a dangerous virus” and voiced support for the board’s handling of the crisis.

She segued to racism, calling it another “contagious virus that spreads quickly ...” Referring to a December 2020 meeting where race relations within the district was discussed, van Aalst inquired about progress on staff training to help eradicate systemic racism.

Two others spoke about racial equity.

Shonta Ford, of Wescosville, whose daughter graduated from Emmaus High School, asked about the results of an equity survey and if the data will be shared with the public. She requested the board “engage parents of color in the district,” in addressing racial equity. She was shouted down by some members of the audience when she said, “I would wear a mask for any of you if it kept you alive.” One of the hecklers left ahead of being expelled from the meeting.

2008 Emmaus graduate Jess Penke spoke up in support of van Aalst and Ford and requested district curriculum include “critical conversations about race.”

Macungie resident and “concerned taxpayer” Anthony Cusumano expressed interest in the social studies curriculum and requested he be able to “peruse those documents.”

A Communities in Schools informational update was presented by Director of Special Education Linda M. Pekarik with the assistance of Director of Student Services Thomas Mirabella. Migdalia Garcia and Wendy Seiffert from CIS reported on progress made during the last two years with the partnership funded by a Challenge Schools Grant.

CIS works with the high school and each middle school. They coordinate with various partners to work with case-managed students and their families on academic, attendance and behavioral issues. The community resources include Caron Foundation, Valley Youth House, Center for Humanistic Change, Project Silk, Lehigh Valley Health Network, Crime Victims Council, ArtsQuest, K&S Truancy and Helping Harvest/Feeding America, among others.

There are three tiers of services based on student needs. The first two feature group sessions, while the third tier is for students requiring individual support.

Updated goals for 2020-2021, the final year of the grant, were discussed.

In her district update, School Superintendent Kristen Campbell announced to applause, the district continues keeping face coverings optional. She mentioned Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines now call for universal mask wearing, but noted decisions are to be made based on local transmission and vaccination data.

She encouraged East Penn families to register their children before Aug. 30, the first day of school. She announced in-person orientations are scheduled for next week.

Campbell congratulated the EHS baseball team for achieving a league and district title.

The directors unanimously tabled a resolution to “request” Lower Macungie Township grant the district the authority to assume the hiring and oversight of school crossing guards for Willow Lane Elementary School. This was in response to the township’s sudden decision to stop providing crossing guards for the school and, according to President Ken Bacher, pressure the district to make a hasty decision on assuming all responsibility.

Board members condemned Lower Macungie Township for dropping this matter on them just before school is set to open.

Alisa Bowman volunteered to work as a crossing guard at Willow Elementary School while the board works with the township.

In personnel matters, the directors acknowledged the resignation of Eyer Middle School Principal Michael Kelly in September and the retirement of Alburtis Head Custodian Wayne Palmer effective in August.

Tricia Gutman was approved for the new position of supervisor of curriculum and instruction. She was also personally congratulated at the meeting.

Julia Wallace was approved as music teacher at EHS to replace recently retired Rita Cortez. Both appointments are effective this month.

Other new hires include kindergarten teacher Brittney Force at Macungie Elementary School, social studies teacher Virginia Hanna and math teacher Courtney Hunsberger at Lower Macungie Middle School, special education teacher Colleen Klepeis and family consumer science teacher Nicole Yaghi for EHS and 11 full-time substitutes.

Assistant Superintendent Douglas Povilaitis assured the board there had been no further changes made to updates to board policies addressing electronic signatures and records discussed previously.

Povilaitis then provided a first reading overview on “Employment of District Staff” policies to lessen restrictions on hiring family members to be in alignment with Pennsylvania School Boards Association guidelines. Tweaking wording to maintain a barrier against nepotism was discussed.

Bacher announced the evening’s session was a test on livestreaming on YouTube as he pointed out the new equipment to the packed audience. He said an executive session was held before the public forum on legal issues.

The next regular, in-person school board meeting is scheduled 7:30 p.m. Aug. 23 in the administration building, 800 Pine St., Emmaus. The public can access documents through BoardDocs via a link on the district website.