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Heads up! We have scanned the upcoming agenda for Manheim Township SD. We found 6 items that need your immediate attention before the vote.
| HIGH CONCERN (LEVEL 9) |
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“Wellness Checks” for Virtual Students Could Lead to Home Visits
Under the guise of ‘wellness,’ new Policy 204.1 for virtual students mandates weekly real-time visual checks. If a student misses a check and a follow-up conference, the policy requires the district to ‘conduct an in-person wellness check within twenty-four (24) hours… even if this time period falls on a weekend or holiday.’ This policy creates a mechanism for district staff to show up at your front door.
Recommended Action Plan
PACK THE ROOM: This is a massive overreach. Attend the November 19th meeting and demand the Board vote NO on Policy 204.1. Email the Board: ‘I oppose Item 2.B, Policy 204.1. The district has no right to mandate in-person ‘wellness checks’ at a student’s home. This is a dangerous violation of parental rights and family privacy.’
💰 Impact: Government at Your Doorstep
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| HIGH CONCERN (LEVEL 8) |
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New Policy Expands School Authority to Off-Campus Speech
The proposed update to Policy 249 on Bullying/Cyberbullying would give the district power to investigate and punish students for conduct that happens ‘away from school grounds, outside school hours, or through personally owned devices.’ If an off-campus social media post or text is deemed to ‘substantially disrupt the orderly operation of the school,’ your child could face school discipline. This is a major expansion of school surveillance into your family’s private life.
Recommended Action Plan
DEMAND CLARITY: Email the School Board regarding Item 2.A, Policy 249. Ask: ‘What specific, objective criteria will be used to determine if a student’s private, off-campus speech ‘substantially disrupts the orderly operation of the school’? Parents need clear boundaries to protect students’ rights outside of school.’
💰 Impact: Your Child’s Private Speech
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| NEEDS REVIEW (LEVEL 6) |
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Field Trip Plans Reveal District’s Transgender Housing Policy
Buried in the details for several overnight field trips (Item 2.E) is a statement revealing the district’s policy for housing students: ‘Transgender students are given a single room.’ This confirms the district has a procedure for identifying and accommodating students based on gender identity, separate from their biological sex. This raises serious questions about parental notification and consent regarding how and when a student is identified as ‘transgender’ by the school.
Recommended Action Plan
DEMAND TRANSPARENCY: Email the School Board about Item 2.E. Ask: ‘The field trip documents mention a policy of giving transgender students a single room. What is the district’s full policy on this matter? At what point are parents notified and their consent obtained before the school officially recognizes and accommodates a child’s new gender identity?’
💰 Impact: Secret Social Transition
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| MONITOR (LEVEL 5) |
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“School Wellness” Policy Opens Door to “Whole Child” Agenda
The district is introducing a new ‘School Wellness’ policy (Policy 246). While it focuses on nutrition and exercise, the ‘wellness’ framework is often used as a Trojan horse for Social Emotional Learning (SEL) and mental health initiatives that can bypass parents. The policy also establishes a ‘Wellness Committee,’ creating a new channel for these programs to enter our schools.
Recommended Action Plan
ASK FIRST: Email the School Board before the November 19th vote on Item 2.A. Ask: ‘Regarding Policy 246, what is the scope of the Wellness Committee? Will this committee’s work be limited to nutrition and physical activity, or will it expand into Social Emotional Learning and mental health programming for students?’
💰 Impact: Mission Creep into SEL
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| ALERT (LEVEL 4) |
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District Approving $18,000+ Broadway Trip for Students
The Board is set to approve a one-day field trip to New York City for 101 students with a total cost of over $18,000 (Item 2.E, Trip #15). While mostly funded by families at about $164 per student, the district is still contributing over $1,600 in taxpayer money for substitutes and a nurse. This raises questions about the financial burden placed on families for curriculum-related activities in honors and AP classes.
Recommended Action Plan
ASK FOR JUSTIFICATION: Email the Board regarding the Broadway trip in Item 2.E. Ask: ‘What is the educational justification for an $18,000, one-day trip? How does the district ensure that high-cost, curriculum-related trips do not create financial barriers for students in advanced courses?’
💰 Impact: $164 Per Student
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✅ Wins to Defend
Good moves worth showing up to support so they stick.
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| Major Win (LEVEL 8) |
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District Affirms Parental Right to Opt-Out of Instruction
The Board is giving final approval to Policy 105.2, which explicitly protects a parent’s right to excuse their child from any specific instruction that conflicts with their ‘sincerely held religious and/or moral beliefs.’ This policy solidifies your right to shield your child from classroom content that violates your family’s values.
How to Lock It In
SECURE THIS WIN: Email the School Board to thank them for passing Policy 105.2 and putting parental rights into writing. A public ‘thank you’ makes it harder for this protection to be weakened or reversed later. Urge them to ‘continue prioritizing parental authority in all district policies.’
✅ Why It Matters: Strengthened Parental Rights
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“We do not co-parent with the government.”
Moms for Liberty is the nation’s largest grassroots organization fighting for parental rights. Through national members and local chapters, our work ensures parents, not the government or radical activists, make the decisions concerning the upbringing and education of their children.
JOIN THE FIGHT |