Central Bucks School Board meeting brief: June 18, 2025
Dear CBSD Community,
I invite you to read the Board Meeting Brief for Wednesday’s meeting below. I also wish to share the following statement from the board and district:
“At the June 18 school board meeting, the Board of School Directors of the Central Bucks School District voted to take decisive personnel actions following the end of the investigation phase of the Central Bucks School District’s response to allegations of child abuse in an autistic support classroom at Jamison Elementary School. These actions affect operations across the district. Due to legal considerations and the due process rights of the employees involved, the district will not provide further comment or release any legal documents that led to these actions.
As School Board President Susan Gibson said at the very beginning of the June 18 meeting, the district let down these students and their families. The district, directed by the school board, is committed to making things right to ensure this never happens again, and to re-earning lost trust. We will use the summer break to develop meaningful policy reforms and a comprehensive training plan for all teachers and staff to be in place for the 2025-26 school year.
The failures addressed at the June 18 meeting are not reflective of the vast majority of the district’s employees. We are fortunate to have dedicated, caring professionals who show up every day to educate, nurture, and protect children and young adults. They are the reason our schools continue to be places of learning and safety, even in challenging times. We are committed to meeting this moment and building a stronger Central Bucks School District.”
There is much to do this summer, from construction projects to professional development to the continuation of longer-term projects that depend on the summer months for progress. We are dedicated to completing these tasks and to making continuous improvements for the benefit of our students, staff, families, and the community.
Sincerely,
Charles Malone, Ed.D.
Substitute Superintendent
Board Meeting Brief: June 18, 2025 (view agenda; watch video)
Superintendent’s Report
Tamanend Rising Ninth Grader Recognized as Winner of June Lockscreen Contest
Congratulations to the final Portrait of a Graduate Lockscreen Contest winner of the year: Madeline DiFulvio, a rising ninth grader at Tamanend Middle School! Madeline hit a home run with her depiction of a Phillies game in action at Citizens Bank Park. Watch a video of Madeline talking about her work.
Cold Spring Raises More Than $10,000 for Eagles Autism Foundation
We were happy to recognize Cold Spring Elementary School for raising $10,000 for the Eagles Autism Foundation as part of the new Swoops’ School Program. Cold Spring special education teachers Amanda Lawn and Liz Rafferty, who co-led the initiative, joined us. Through a variety of student-led and community-driven initiatives over the course of four months, Cold Spring became just the second school to raise this level of funds as part of the program. For its effort, the school was visited by the Eagles’ mascot, Swoop, for a celebratory assembly on May 28. Congratulations!
Agenda Items (in order of appearance)
Approval of Four-Year 0% APR Lease-to-Own Agreement for 2,600 Apple iPads
To ensure our first and second grade students are set up for success, the board approved a four-year 0% APR lease-to-own agreement for 2,600 iPads, which these grades will receive to replace the fifth and sixth generation iPads currently in use. The total cost for the iPads is $842,400 and payments will be distributed over four years. At the end of the four years, the district will own the devices for possible sale and/or other uses.
CBSD Real Estate Tax Rebate Program Now Available to Qualifying Residents
Following approval on Wednesday, the district and board are happy to provide some property tax relief for the district’s senior citizens, low-income homeowners and renters, and residents with disabilities through a new CB Property Tax Relief Program. The program is modeled after the state’s existing program and similar initiatives in neighboring districts. It offers a rebate by the district of 50% of the rebate provided by the state, up to $750. To qualify, applicants must have a household income of $46,250 or less per year (counting only half of Social Security) and be either 65 or older, a widow or widower age 50 or older, or permanently disabled and at least 18 years old. Applications will be accepted from July 1, 2025 to June 30, 2026, and will soon be available on our website.
I encourage everyone who qualifies to apply. I also ask community members to share this opportunity with eligible family members, friends, and neighbors!
Approval of Fiscal Year 2025-26 Final Budget
The final budget for the 2025-26 fiscal year was approved at the meeting. The budget is $432.7 million with a 5.95 percent tax increase. This year’s Act 1 Index is 4 percent. The district qualified for a special education exception, which allowed us to go above the index. The exception was granted because our special education expenses have increased significantly compared to previous years.
Economic conditions have also changed in recent years. Rising costs are affecting school districts regionally, causing tax increases and many districts to operate with a deficit despite these increases. For historical background, there were no tax increases in Central Bucks from 2015 through 2021, and the district maintains one of the lowest tax rates in Bucks County, ranking fourth-lowest of the county’s districts.
Approval of Contractual, Resolutions, and Operational Agreements
Various agreements were approved to keep the district running during the summer months and position us well for the start of the 2025-26 school year.
Approval of Memo of Understanding with BCDAC
A memorandum of understanding was approved to establish an agreement with the Bucks County Drug and Alcohol Commission (BCDAC) for the expansion of the Second Step program in CB for grades K to eight. Second Step is a research-based social-emotional learning program designed to help children build skills in areas like emotional regulation; empathy and compassion; problem-solving; and responsible decision-making. The agreement includes $50,000 from BCDAC for a three-year license at up to 20 K-8 sites, and up to $45,000 for the Devereux Center for Effective Schools to support implementation, fidelity, and evaluation of the program.
Approval of Course of Study: High School Collaborative Music
The board officially approved the High School Collaborative Music course following a successful pilot at CB East. This innovative elective fosters inclusive learning by bringing together students from general and special education programs to create, perform, and reflect on music collaboratively, not only cultivating musical skills but promoting leadership, empathy, and community building. The initiative reflects the district’s commitment to inclusive education and aligns with our broader vision of equity and opportunity for all learners.
Next Board Meeting
The next Board Meeting is scheduled for Thursday, August 21.
