Board to convene technology stakeholder group; Leader in Me contract will not be renewed

The Punxsutawney Area School District will launch a stakeholder technology group to develop a comprehensive plan for device and software use across the district, and the administration recommended non-renewal of the Leader in Me contract at the end of the school year.

Administration said the technology review will mirror the district's prior comprehensive-plan process, with stakeholder meetings (parents, community members, teachers and board members) and phased rollouts beginning as early as this summer to shape fall implementation. "We wanna be a blue ribbon school ... have a stakeholder group build that out and make sure that we hear from all of those who are using our technology," an administrator said.

On the Leader in Me program, the administration recommended not renewing the contract, proposing other ways to deliver leadership education such as weaving leadership into curriculum, creating an elective or sponsoring student clubs. The chair summarized the recommendation: the contract is up at the end of this year and the board is being asked to consider alternatives for delivering leadership programming.

Board members urged careful planning and noted federal-program funding constraints may affect how some time and activities are resourced; administration noted federal reporting and quarterly commitments when federal funds are used.