Centennial School District — Transcript
Wednesday, May 14, 2025
Comprehensive Plan Update
Betty Planetarium Rejuvenation
Sixth Grade Ambassador Program ('Everyone Belongs')
Hosting the Bucks County Music Educators Association (BCMA) Festival
Two-Way Translation System Adoption (Parent Square)
Votes (5)
5.2 Comprehensive Plan Process Update
Dissent: None
Moved by Unknown [48:06] · Seconded by Mr. Ghart [48:07]
The update focused on the ongoing community survey, which closes on Monday the 19th. Results will be shared with the board, and a committee meeting is planned for June to advance the plan. Chad Evans is coordinating schedules for a communication to the committee by Friday.
5.3 Betty Planetarium Refresh Options
Dissent: None
Moved by Unknown [48:06] · Seconded by Mr. Ghart [48:07]
The discussion centered on a two-phase plan to rejuvenate the Betty Planetarium. Phase one involves a $86,000 capital fund approval and $7,000 for software to make it internally operational for students. Phase two, requiring additional funding ($300,000+), would upgrade projection and programming to enable external use, field trips for other districts, and community events. Board members questioned the initial investment's scope versus long-term revenue potential and the need for immediate action vs. securing grants first.
5.4 Sixth Grade Ambassador Program ('Everyone Belongs')
Dissent: None
Moved by Unknown [48:06] · Seconded by Mr. Ghart [48:07]
Mr. Golder presented an in-house program designed to welcome new sixth graders by pairing them with trained rising eighth-grade ambassadors during a summer orientation. The program aims to alleviate new student anxieties and foster leadership skills. Key costs include transportation, with lunch potentially covered by student council. The program would continue with mentorship and school climate initiatives throughout the school year. The board expressed general support, noting its low cost and potential for positive impact on student transition and academic performance.
Hosting Bucks County Music Educators Association (BCMA) Festival
Dissent: None
Moved by Unknown [48:06] · Seconded by Mr. Ghart [48:07]
Mrs. Lennox presented the district's turn to host the BCMA festival in March 2026, which occurs every eight years. This event brings 700 students from across Bucks County to use three district buildings for rehearsals and concerts. While BCMA covers core event expenses, the district is responsible for an estimated $6,000 in costs for after-hours security, nursing, and AV support for weekend concerts. The board inquired about public participation and medical protocols for visiting students, emphasizing the long-term benefit of hosting.
Parent Square Adoption (Replacing Reach 12)
Dissent: None
Moved by Unknown [48:06] · Seconded by Mr. Ghart [48:07]
Mr. Gabriel presented Parent Square as a replacement for the Reach 12 translation and messaging app, which had failed to integrate effectively. Parent Square is designed for seamless integration with the Skyward student information system and has been successfully adopted by other Skyward districts. The initial year's cost will be approximately $4,000 higher than Reach 12 due to a one-time implementation fee, but subsequent annual costs will be comparable. The new system will provide district-wide two-way translation and messaging capabilities.
Notable Quotes (16)
The survey is currently open and will close on Monday the 19th. Okay. But we'll share with the board after that the results. We'll get the committee together probably in June and then move forward from there.
Is there any way of finding corporates funding sponsorships that would help you know some of these expenses down the line because I thought it was a pretty sizeable amount, you know, in 26 27 in our plan.
In our plan, um is all we're asking for for year one is uh a capital fund approval of the 86,000 approval. But once we start, you know, obviously we're committed to the whole thing down the road.
No, we don't. Right. So So we don't have to go beyond just our own students, right? That's an option. So I think the ash is only the if you look the cover sheet in in the approval section of this is only asking to approve year one of this plan. That's it.
I mean, if we get it working, it's working, right? Anthony, you want to address that? I couldn't hear. So yeah, my question is if we spend the 86 and get it up and running and it's working for our students internally, working is working, right? So why do we need to spend the extra money to have outside agencies use it if if that upgrade gets it working and it's working?
Right now I have because they're not getting their money. Right. We have a third grade unit. Okay. Right. On oceanography. I can't bring the third grade over right now to show them a program because it's not running and I don't have a program to project on oceanography.
I'm really excited about what was presented uh uh to us to administration by um Mr. Goldberg and Mr. change the every day belong everyone belongs another word for is the sixth grade ambassador program so I've asked uh Mr. Golder uh to come today to the education committee. Go ahead and speak to it.
But what we wanted to try to do was to a build some capacity with our seventh going into eighth graders. So, our rising eighth graders where essentially they could be think of them as like camp counselors or leaders.
Middle school's the worst. you related that to some of the data collection national talking about we see county state and national so we don't know the how much right now so it's again it's for us I mean I I I honestly think that we the only thing that we would have to get you know uh assistance with would be transportation
The only thing that I could see, you know, would be to establish some sort of fee with it so that we could bring that cost down, you know, and not cost a dis anything. That might see because it's a club thing. I understand. But then you might not, you can know to make we already done. But it's a free and open, you know, it's not a mandatory thing. It's not mandatory. But somebody might not the opportunity to take the money.
Almost all the school districts in Bucks County participate in this association of music teachers. We provide a festival every March um where we have six different ensembles. We have two um three middle school ensembles and three high school ensembles uh in choir, band and orchestra.
Most of the uh financial um obligation is coming from DCMA in terms of providing um license to the guest conductors, purchasing music, providing food, all that kind of runs through um the the organization itself.
Is the stu is the nurse responsibility just to students and not adults. Yeah, it is open to the public. Right. Well, I just I just need to know that how is what is the um how how does the nurse that's going to be here? How is she going to connect with the area other schools to find out the health problems of these kids? Are do they so I'm sorry.
It was a two-way translation and messaging app that allows our teachers and families to connect both as the sender and the receiver in a language that is more comfortable for them, but then it translates into a language that's understandable.
The cost for the first year is $4,000 higher, just over $4,000 higher because there's a onetime implementation fee. Um, once we get beyond that, it's pretty much a wash. It's it's around the $22,000 a year or so.
This was unfortunately just a product we hadn't come across a year ago in our initial research, but we had always said, 'Oh, it' be really great if Skyward had an add-on that we could get that did this for us.' And lo and behold, here it is.
Ordinances & Resolutions (6)
District-wide strategic plan for future initiatives.
A multi-year plan for the rejuvenation and expansion of the Betty Planetarium, including initial capital funds and future fundraising.
A previously approved two-way translation and messaging app that experienced usability issues.
A proposed two-way translation and messaging app for better integration with the student information system.
The district's student information system that Parent Square integrates with.
A form required for students participating in the BCMA festival to inform nursing staff of medical needs.