Centennial SD mourns teacher Deborah Castiglia; district readies counselors and supports

The Centennial School District opened its Committee of the Whole meeting on Jan. 27 with a moment of silence for Deborah Castiglia, a teacher the superintendent said had worked in the district for 26 years. "This is Deborah Castiglia, was a teacher here in our district for 26 years," Dr. Lukoupal said, calling the event "a very tragic event."

Dr. Lukoupal told the board the district met with faculty at William Tennant High School and Klinger Middle School and that counselors would be deployed at both sites the following day to support students and staff. He thanked the Bucks County Intermediate Unit and district counseling teams, and noted his appreciation for the work of Dr. Caracappa and his counseling team as well as Mr. Hayes and counselors at Klinger. "We will have counselors on hand for our adults, counselors on hand for our students," he said.

The superintendent described a range of emotional responses the district expects and said staff are prepared to address them: "shock, anger, fear, confusion, grief. But we are at the ready to prepare for all of that."

Board members also recognized facilities and operations staff for work preparing school buildings after a significant snow event; Dr. Lukoupal singled out the facilities crew led by Mr. Wortman for clearing sites and ensuring safe, regular starts. The meeting proceeded with the board confirming counseling support and community wraparound services as immediate priorities following the teacher's death.

The district did not announce additional personnel actions related to the death during the meeting. The board scheduled a budget workshop for Thursday evening and said it would continue coordinating supports with partner agencies.