At last Thursday's Quakertown Community School board meeting, High School Principal Mattias van't Hoenderdaal introduced new Assistant Principal Michael Bolinsky. The newly appointed vice principal is a 20-year veteran in the educational system. He worked for 10 years teaching and another 10 years in administration.

            "Mr. Bolinsky is a family man, committed to the community and absolutely loves children," said Hoenderdaal.

            Bolinsky will start at a salary of $121,925.00. The effective date of his new role is to be decided.

            In other news, a motion was approved to make application for a Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency Grant. The School Safety and Security Grant Program is meant to improve the safety and well-being of Pennsylvania's students through investments in physical security, behavioral and mental health. Per the passage of Act 55 of 2022, the primary purpose of 2022-23 School Mental Health & Safety and Security is to provide grants to eligible school entities to support mental health and physical school security.

            The Quakertown Community School District is requesting $349,342 to support both mental health initiatives and physical school security. The application for PCCD grants for Physical Security and Mental Health is due by August 31. The Mental Health grant funding will primarily be used to contract for an additional social worker for the 2022-23 and 2023-24 school years.

            Quakertown Community School District will renew its transportation agreement with Plumstead Christian School for the 2022-23 school year with an increase due to maintaining its fleet and rising fuel prices. The cost per student per day would be $13.10 which is an increase of $2.16 per student. During the 2021-2022 school year, QCSD transported two students. The total dollar increase for 2022-2023 will be approximately $388.80.

            The board approved the school-wide plan for Quakertown Elementary School for the 2022-2023 school year.

The plan features a tiered system for instruction which will allow more students to receive differentiated instruction, which aims to increase academic competence.

            Progress will be monitored weekly or as needed. Staff will participate in data meetings to make decisions on instructional practices and adjust core instruction to improve literacy skills. In addition, changes in frequency, group size, and/or intervention skills will be based on progress monitoring data.

            The building administrator, superintendent, CEO, and president of the school board affirmed that the school level plan addresses all the required components of the Pennsylvania Department of Education, meets all Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) requirements, and reflects evidence-based strategies that meet the three highest levels of evidence outlined in ESSA.