Residents press Mount Union Area School Board over policy revisions, Mapleton Elementary and SRO hiring

Bruce Smith and Cheryl Barnes used the public-comment period at the Mount Union Area School Board meeting to press the district for more transparency on policy revisions, the future of Mapleton Elementary, a pending SRO grant and chronic teacher turnover.

Bruce Smith, who gave his address at the start of his remarks, said he reviewed the packet materials and questioned why the district had not updated many policies for seven years. “Staff communications must be submitted through the superintendent to notify the board of matters as the procedure dictates,” Smith said, arguing that the proposed wording could limit direct reporting of staff concerns and whistleblower situations and risk administrative bias in information reaching the board.

Cheryl Barnes later echoed concerns about transparency and finance. She asked for a clear update on Mapleton Elementary, noting earlier statements that an appraisal had been obtained and that there were interested parties. “Once the district puts the million dollars back in the capital reserve and pays back the 300,000 that was borrowed, approximately how much money will be in the general fund then?” Barnes asked, and she pressed the board for action and regular updates on teacher retention efforts.

In response, administration said the district is systematically revising policies using PSBA templates and will start at the beginning of the policy manual. On the SRO, administrators said a grant application had been submitted and the district expects to be notified in June; a board decision on how to proceed will be discussed at the May workshop. On Mapleton Elementary, an administrator identified three current interested parties and said the district has the appraisal and will advertise the building for bids.

The meeting record shows the board did not take formal action on any of the requests raised during public comment; several speakers asked that the board provide more frequent public updates and that policy 103.1 (staff communications) receive further review before final adoption. The board scheduled a workshop for May 8 and the next regular meeting for May 20, where members indicated remaining policy changes will receive a final reading.