|
We reviewed the upcoming agenda for Morrisville Borough SD and found 5 items with policy significance ahead of the vote.
| PRIORITY (LEVEL 9) |
|
Policy May Authorize Reporting Parents for Refusing Health Exams
A first reading of proposed Policy 209, ‘Health Examinations/Screenings,’ would authorize the school nurse to determine whether a parent’s refusal to permit a health examination should be reported to the PA Department of Health or other authorities. This provision could allow school staff to initiate state-level intervention against parents exercising their rights regarding their child’s healthcare. The policy also adds a parental right to request an exemption from height and weight measurements.
Policy Use
TRACK AND DOCUMENT: This is a first reading under Item 2.1. Secure the full draft of Policy 209 and prepare testimony for the state team on how this language undermines parental authority. Calendar the second reading for potential action.
Policy Lever: Parental Notification
|
| PRIORITY (LEVEL 9) |
|
Policy Allows Delaying Parental Notification in Bullying Cases
The proposed new Policy 249 on ‘Bullying/Cyberbullying’ includes a provision allowing the district to delay notifying parents about a bullying report involving their child. The delay is permitted if staff believe notification could place the student ‘at risk of abuse, neglect or other imminent harm,’ creating a mechanism for school officials to withhold information from parents based on subjective assessments.
Policy Use
BRIEF STATE AFFAIRS: The language in the first reading of Policy 249 (Item 2.1) creates a parental notification carve-out. Flag this text for the state policy team as a model of local policy that circumvents parental involvement. Track for second reading and final vote.
Policy Lever: Parental Notification
|
| PRIORITY (LEVEL 8) |
|
New Policy Mandates ‘Wellness Checks’ for Virtual Students
The district is considering a new ‘Virtual Attendance and Wellness Checks’ policy (204.1) that would require weekly wellness checks for students in the district’s full-time virtual program. The policy mandates that a district employee must ensure each student is ‘visibly seen and communicated with in real time’ either in person or electronically. This raises significant student privacy and parental rights concerns by creating a visual inspection requirement for students, potentially in their homes.
Policy Use
TRACK AND DOCUMENT: Item 2.1 introduces Policy 204.1 for a first read. Obtain the full policy text and monitor its progression, as it establishes a precedent for district monitoring of students in a home-learning environment. Prepare a brief on the privacy implications.
Policy Lever: Student Privacy
|
| WATCH (LEVEL 6) |
|
District to Add Social Media and Finance to Academic Standards
Under a first reading of Policy 102, ‘Academic Standards,’ the district plans to add ‘Personal Finance’ as a required content area and incorporate ‘education on social media literacy’ into the curriculum. The social media instruction will cover potential health and academic impacts, as well as safety and security concerns. This introduces new, potentially contested, subject matter into the district’s core curriculum.
Policy Use
WATCH: Item 2.1 introduces changes to Policy 102. Request any associated curriculum materials for the new ‘social media literacy’ program to assess for ideological content. Re-evaluate when operative curriculum language appears.
Policy Lever: Curriculum Adoption
|
|
✅ Models to Replicate
Local actions worth capturing as model policy.
|
| Model Policy (LEVEL 7) |
|
District to Mandate Full-Time School Security Personnel
A proposed revision to Policy 805.2, ‘School Security Personnel,’ would require the district to employ or contract for at least one full-time school security personnel to be on duty during the school day. The policy also formalizes the role of a ‘School Safety and Security Coordinator’ with expanded responsibilities for training, facility tours with law enforcement, and annual reporting to the board. This represents a significant step toward hardening school security.
How to Capture It
CAPTURE THE MODEL: The first reading of Policy 805.2 under Item 2.1 provides strong model language for mandating on-site security. Secure the final adopted text and add it to the model policy file for school safety in Pennsylvania.
✅ Why It Matters: School Security
|
|
|
“America First, Always.”
AFPI exists to advance policies that put the American people first. Our guiding principles are liberty, free enterprise, national excellence, American military superiority, foreign-policy engagement in the American interest, and the primacy of American workers, families, and communities in all we do.
America First Policy Institute |