The North Penn School District convened a committee meeting to address the aftermath of a violent incident at Pennbrook Middle School that resulted in a student being hospitalized.
During a virtual Safe Schools meeting held on Monday night, school officials tackled issues surrounding the disciplinary actions against the student involved in the attack.
Superintendent Todd Bauer emphasized the constraints imposed by state and federal guidelines, limiting the details that can be disclosed regarding student discipline. He underscored the importance of upholding due process for all students, as concerns about student discipline may come before the school board.
A significant point of contention discussed during the meeting was the discrepancy between the reported duration of the attack and the time students were instructed to remain in place. Some parents raised concerns about the disparities between the timelines provided by school officials and those reported by students.
Bauer clarified that the attack itself was swiftly intervened by staff and security within 6 seconds. However, a hold protocol, lasting approximately 8 minutes, was implemented to ensure student safety.
This hold extended to about 28 minutes for students in the cafeteria, where the initial call to lift the hold was not heard, necessitating additional time for clearance by staff and emergency responders.
Addressing parental criticism of the initial communication sent out after the incident, Bauer acknowledged shortcomings in the letter’s content and format. He explained that the letter, signed by the Pennbrook principal, was a template designed for rapid dissemination of information following an incident.
While agreeing with the criticism, Bauer assured that the district would review and revise templates and procedures to provide more comprehensive and timely updates to families in the future.
Furthermore, the school officials announced plans to commission a third-party investigation into the incident, with a decision expected in the coming week. This investigation aims to examine the circumstances of the incident, including the district’s response and areas for improvement.
Bauer also highlighted immediate enhancements implemented by the district, including heightened security measures, increased police presence, and reinforcement of reporting mechanisms like Safe2Say.
To engage with the community and address concerns directly, a community forum is scheduled for May 14th at North Penn High School. The forum will feature presentations on school safety followed by a Q&A session.