William Penn School District personnel committee reviews hiring fair, retirements and HR policy updates

At a May 27 personnel committee meeting, the William Penn School District heard updates on a Pennsylvania Department of Education job training and educational access grant, a May 13 hiring fair, multiple staff retirements and new human‑resources procedures that district leaders said will affect hiring and placement for the 2026‑27 school year.

Miss Gardner, a personnel committee member who led the meeting, outlined the agenda items and congratulated “the 16 teachers who completed induction for the 2025‑26 school year,” noting that today was their last meeting with mentors. Chief Dean gave a brief update on the state grant and said the committee will table any further actions on the grant until the district’s June business meeting; Chief Dean said the operations department had worked with the high school to develop a health‑and‑fitness program for students.

Miss Gardner reported that the district’s May 13 hiring fair drew 33 attendees. Two instructional assistants were recommended for hire on the spot at Evans Elementary School, and standout teacher candidates were invited back to meet principals and hiring teams; Principal Pretlow hosted the event at Penwood Middle School.

The committee heard a list of retirements effective June 2026. Miss Gardner named six staffers who are leaving after long service: Melissa Washburn (34 years), Geeta Chopra (30 years), Margaret Imbrogno (25 years), Denise Schuler (23 years), Diane Walton (19 years) and Patricia Miller (13 years), and she thanked them on behalf of the district.

Miss Gardner also described open vacancies for 2026‑27: two assistant principal positions at Ninth Grade Academy and Cowan Elementary, eight academic interventionist roles across elementary schools, and one instructional facilitator assigned to each elementary school. She said application windows for most positions closed May 21 and that the candidate‑pool window for instructional facilitators closed May 12; final assignments will be made in consultation with principals and the office of the chief of schools.

On operational policy, Miss Gardner said that beginning July 1 new teacher candidates must submit written verification of prior service from a former employer so employees are placed on the correct salary step. She added that new professional employees will acknowledge in writing a 60‑day resignation requirement and reminded the committee that tenure teachers are already required to submit 60‑day notice “in accordance with the Pennsylvania School Code.”

The district is building a ParentSquare and email database of parents and staff interested in serving on interview panels for administrative positions; panelists will be chosen at random, interviews may be held in the evening, and virtual panelists must use an enabled webcam and be in a quiet space during the interview. Open enrollment for employee benefits opened May 25 and closes June 5; employees who make no changes may self‑enroll online, while those making changes should speak with benefits counselors available 9 a.m.–8 p.m., Monday–Friday.

During questions, Committee member Miss Tax asked whether the district would consider offering Act 48 professional development hours as compensation for teachers volunteering on evening interview panels because the requirement can place additional strain on teachers’ time. Miss Gardner said, “We’ll look into it.”

The committee did not take formal votes on any agenda items at the personnel meeting; Chief Dean said staff will bring further actions on the Pennsylvania Department of Education grant to the June business meeting for board consideration. Vice President Miss Aubrey closed the meeting; Miss Gardner said the next personnel committee meeting is scheduled for September 2026.