TUESDAY

JUNE 16, 2009

/ BOARD DIGEST
BUCKS COUTY INTERMEDIATE UNIT
Special Education

“2009 Special Education Graduations/Recognition Events”

Programs & Services / It is hard to believe, but the 2008-2009 school year is almost history! Excitement reigns in the schools as students’ thoughts turn to leisure activities, summer jobs, camps, and having fun outdoors. For some students there is a short break before the Extended School Year Program begins. This is also the season for proms, socials and graduations, not just for our local school districts, but for the Intermediate Unit programs as well. Students enrolled in our programs receive diplomas from their home school districts based upon the fulfillment of district graduation requirements or upon fulfillment of the goals of their I.E.P.s at age 21 years. In addition, the Intermediate Unit sponsors several graduation and recognition events to celebrate the particular and very special accomplishments of our students.
Multiple Disabilities Support Program - May 28, 2009 - The Multiple Disabilities Program Graduation Ceremony was held at the Intermediate Unit on Thursday evening, May 28th with more than 100 family members and care givers gathered to celebrate the accomplishments of our very special young men and women. To the strains of “Pomp and Circumstance,” staff members escorted members of the Class of 2009 to the cheers of parents, family members, friends, agency caregivers and nurses, and Intermediate Unit staff members who have worked with the students over many years. The graduates were introduced by their teachers: Cynthia Sheidy, Jennifer Wilde, Rebecca Pettineo, Bonnie Myers, and Sheryl Gordon.
The accomplishments of the 8 graduates: Danielle, Emily, Stephen, Christina, Brittany, Brandon, Mary, and Michael were featured on a celebratory DVD that depicted scenes from classroom activities and work site tasks. Supervisors Gail McQuown and Ted Feldstein expressed their appreciation to staff and families for their contributions to the students’ accomplishments and offered words of congratulations to both students and staff for a job well done! Following the ceremony, participants enjoyed delicious refreshments catered by the IU Life Skills WOW Program as they celebrated with family and friends and expressed appreciation to the Intermediate Unit staff.
Life Skills/Autistic Support Commencement and Dance - June 9, 2009 - Twenty young men and women, representing nine of the school districts in Bucks County, assembled on the stage of the library auditorium at the Bucks County Community College on Tuesday evening, June 9th. The Pledge of Allegiance was led by Douglas Focht and followed by congratulatory comments by Dr. Barry Galasso, Executive Director of the BCIU and Mrs. Patricia Sexton, President of the IU Board of School Directors. Student speakers from the programs at Truman High School, Middle Bucks Institute of Technology, Upper Bucks Area Technical School and the SAIL House Program in Council Rock School District shared their reflections of the past and their plans for the future.
Since 1973, the IU has effectively administered a number of federal, state, and grant-funded programs that benefit students in nonpublic schools. Enrollment in nonpublic schools in Bucks County was at its height in the mid-to late-80s, and currently there are 14,227 PA-resident students across 134 K-12 nonprofit nonpublic schools. The programs that the IU provides to nonpublic schools include PA Act 89 and federal Title I Neglected and Delinquent, Title IIA, Title IID, and Title IV. Nine districts in the county also contract their required Title I services to nonpublic schools through the IU, we administer grant programs for both public nonpublic schools in prevention programs through a grant with the Bucks County Drug Alcohol Commission. Combined funds in all these programs in 2008-2009 totaled nearly $5.9 million.
The federally-funded Title I Neglected and Delinquent programs provide for intensive reading and mathematics instruction, GED (General Equivalency Diploma) preparation, and counseling. These programs are conducted at the Bucks County Youth Center, Community Service Foundation, New Life/Pyramid in Quakertown, St. Francis Home in New Britain, and TODAY, Inc. in Langhorne.
Title IIA is a federally funded program for professional development in nonpublic schools; Dr. Jack McGovern and Lindsey Sides administer it. This year alone, more than 437 teachers in nonpublic schools have participated in 37 workshops from this project. Under the Nonpublic Office, the BCIU also received a $10,000 grant from PDE this year to provide a series of three trainings to new public school district coordinators of federal programs.
Ron Rolon coordinates prevention programs under Title IV (SDFS) and the BCDAC grant. With his colleague, Marci Kelly, they provide student and staff programs in nonpublic schools in alcohol, tobacco, drugs, and violence prevention; they also sponsor staff training for Student Assistance Programs (SAPs) in secondary schools. Every year, schools are surveyed to assess needs and identify social trends. As it has been for the past several years, bullying prevention continues to be a priority. The programs complement the Safe and Drug Free Schools topics listed previously, and they also address school safety issues and the countywide Youth Suicide Prevention Task Force. The prevention specialist provides suicide prevention trainings to numerous schools and county agencies that work directly with youth.
In collaboration between the Prevention Office and the Special Education Division, the BCIU received a $10,000 grant from the PA Department of Education to increase its capacity to assist Bucks County schools with emergency response and crisis management. The BCIU contracted with the Association of School Psychologists of Pennsylvania to provide a 2-day workshop on the PREPARE Curriculum in school crisis prevention and intervention strategies. As trends and social concerns continue to change, the department continues to closely monitor data to address issues that may create barriers to student learning and achievement.
The BCIU maintains its excellent communication and relationships with nonpublic schools through several means, including group meetings of administrators, site visits, and an annual online needs assessment. Feedback from all sources reflects a very high satisfaction rate with the nonpublic services of the BCIU. In fact, in the previously mentioned survey of administrators, the overall rating of responsiveness of the BCIU nonpublic office and field staff and Catapult office and field staff was 4.9 out of a possible five. In all of our endeavors, the staff members of the nonpublic programs strive to embody the BCIU mission to deliver exemplary leadership, teaching, and learning.

BOARD ACTION ITEMS:

ü  Approved the minutes of the Intermediate Unit Board meeting held on May 28, 2009.

ü  Approved the Treasurer’s Report, for the period of July 1, 2008 to May 31, 2009 subject to audit.

ü  Approved the appointment of Intermediate Unit Officers – Board President, Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer.

ü  Approved the bills for payment for May 2009, subject to audit.

ü  Approved the General Fund and Special Revenue Fund Transfers for the period of April 2009 in the amount of $12,981.00.

ü  Approved the Title I Service to Homeless Students budget for the period of July 1, 208 through June 30, 2009 in the amount of $7,740.00.

ü  Approved the 2009-2010 Intermediate Unit Comprehensive Annual budget in the amount of $134,136,000.00.

ü  Approved the authorization for the Bucks County Schools Intermediate Unit No. 22 to continue to use the established banks and financial institutions for depositories and investment purposes until further notice.

ü  Approved the year-end budget transfers for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2009 in accordance with the current School Code, Department of Education and Auditor General’s requirements for the period of July 1, 2009 to June 30, 2010.

ü  Approved the appointment of Intermediate Unit Solicitor of Sweet, Stevens, Katz & Williams for the 2009-2010 school year.

ü  Approved the continuation of rental of classroom space (Room 216) agreement with Dublin TEC Center for the period of July 1, 2009 through June 30, 2010 and month-to-month thereafter until terminated by either party at an estimated amount of $876 per month.

ü  Approved the June 2009 Private Provider Contracts and Additional Services in the amount of $246,000.00 for the period of July 1, 2008 through June 30, 2009.

ü  Approved the July 2009 Private Provider Contracts in the amount of $4,300.00 for the period of July 1, 2009 through June 30, 2010.

ü  Approved the Special Education Service Contracts with Bucks County School Districts and Charter Schools in the amount of $5,932,809.90 for the period of July 1, 2009 through June 30, 2009.

ü  Approved the June 2009 Contracts and Purchases in the amount of $36,361.00.

ü  Approved the Memorandum of Understanding between the Bucks County Schools Intermediate Unit No. 22 and Wilkes University as related to offering academic programs in the amount of 25% of the remaining tuition for the period of September 1, 2009 through August 30, 2010 (this term may be renewed upon mutual agreement).

ü  Approved the Grant Writing Services in accordance with the provisions of said contract for Dr. Charles Miller for the period of July 1, 2009 through June 30, 2010.

ü  Approved the Grant Writing Services in accordance with the provisions of said contract for Ms. Helena Kosoff-Sullivan for the period of July 1, 2009 through June 30, 2010.

ü  Approved the Legislative Services of John Brady Associates in accordance with said contract for the period of August 1, 2009 through July 31, 2010.

ü  Approved the lease of office space for Executive Director of the Delaware Valley Leadership Center, Inc. in the amount of $24,000.00 for the period of July 1, 2009 through June 30, 2010.

ü  Approved the lease of four (4) Ricoh copiers in the amount of $27,545.76 for the period of August, 2009 through June, 2012.

ü  Approved the participation in various cooperative state-wide bids for the 2009-2010 school year.

ü  Approved the renewal agreement for use of off site storage units with Extra Space Storage of Doylestown in the amount of $1,858.00 per month for the period of July 1, 2009 through June 30, 2010.

ü  Awarded the Bucks County Schools Cooperative Bid # 09-910 for Groceries, to the recommended vendors in the amount of $1,853,028.44 for the period of July 1, 2009 through June 30, 2010.

ü  Awarded the Bucks County Schools Cooperative Bid # 09-912 for Mulch, Chip and Soil, to the recommended vendors in the amount of $139,361.50 for the period of July 1, 2009 through June 30, 2010.

ü  Approved the accepted agreement signed with Provident Energy Consulting, LLC for natural gas per board motion dated April 21, 2009 effective dates of July 1, 2010 through June 30, 2011.

ü  Approved the prepayment of AESOP Automated Substitute Teacher Service provided by Frontline Placement Technologies, Inc. in the amount of $55,654.69 for the period of August 1, 2009 through June 30, 2010.

ü  Approved the various human resource items (a through e).

ü  Approved the 120-day contract with SystemsNet Computer Services, to provide technical support and computer repair services for BCIU office staff, field staff, itinerant staff, and network operations center in the amount of $3,880.00 per month plus parts and any additional contracted support per terms of the contract.

NEXT MEETING:

The next regularly scheduled meeting of the Bucks County Intermediate Unit Board of Directors is:

Tuesday, July 21, 2009, at 7:00 p.m.