Public Comment Allegations Regarding Election Interference

The second speaker at the public meeting was Andrew Dell, a candidate for the Pennsbury School Board. A regular attendee of Pennsbury Board meetings, Dell has consistently voiced concerns about declining academic performance, misplaced priorities on social issues, and financial mismanagement. During the most recent Board meeting, he again raised alarm over the estimated project costs for the planned PHS building, arguing that they are significantly understated. He also questioned the Board on why a referendum was not initiated.

Dell, after discussing key points about the PHS building project, shifted his focus to personal attacks against him on social media. These posts, originating from left-wing activist groups such as Indivisible Bucks County—a local chapter of the Indivisible Project—highlight the intensity of political discourse. While this organization has led protests nationwide, some demonstrations have reportedly escalated into violence, including incidents at Tesla dealerships. In the video below, Dell presents his public remarks and outlines his allegations of political interference in detail.

Who Is Michael Celec?

Michael Celec, a resident of Fairless Hills and the spouse of School Board Member Jeannine Delwiche, has become a frequent attendee of School Board meetings since Delwiche’s election. Celec manages a YouTube channel primarily dedicated to editing and posting videos that often portray private citizens attending Pennsbury public meetings. Many of these videos have been criticized publicly for being taken out of context. Additionally, the content includes footage from Pennsbury security cameras capturing incidents involving attendees who hold differing opinions from the Board, some of which Celec has personally been involved in as documented on his YouTube channel.

Based on publicly available property records, Celec and Delwiche became residents of Falls Township in 2017. Celec’s LinkedIn account shows that he is currently employed as a Library Assistant at Bucks County Community College since 2016. Celec also currently serves as the Executive Director of the Bucks County Audubon Society since January 2023. Form 990s were last filed with the IRS for the Bucks County Audubon Society on April 7, 2024 for Fiscal Year ending June 2023. Historically, the executive director received $85K in annual compensation with a substantial benefits package.

Celec, alongside his spouse Delwiche, have been very active members of Democratic-leaning political groups in Bucks Couty. Utilizing the Wayback Machine, Celec previously served as Deputy Chair of Communications for the Falls Township Democratic Party. Additionally, Delwiche and Celec were announced as new NAACP Bucks County Branch Executive Officers, a group that has routinely brought non-resident activists to Pennsbury School Board meeting.

Pennsbury Has History Political Misconduct

We saw first hand a few months ago the viciousness of some School Board members related to politics when Board Members was attacked over multiple meetings for daring to take a middle ground position around political symbols such as Gay Pride Flags in classrooms. This blog previously reported on the 2021 election misconduct that included cease and desist orders against Republican candidates, federal violations of civil rights during public meetings of community members and a SLAAP lawsuit against Republican candidates brought by Board Members Jeanine Delwiche, Linda Palsky and Joanne Steere after a direct mail campaign made unflattering correlations. SLAAP lawsuits have since become illegal in Pennsylvania due to the abuses by those that file them.

At the recent Pennsbury Board meeting, where Andrew Dell presented his allegations, a Falls Township resident who recognizes as “Watermelon Man” during public comment, revisited one of the community’s most controversial political moments from the 2021 election: the “Peace Vigil” held at the Garden of Reflection. At this event, Pennsbury School Board members and candidates alleged death threats whose severity were later disproven during a First Amendment injunction hearing. The Federal court ultimately determined that Pennsbury officials had violated the civil rights of four community members at the hearing.

In addition to revisiting the Gardens of Reflection event, “Watermelon Man” also exposed politically motivated attacks and false allegations against him after attending a recent committee meeting. Pennsbury is believed to have contacted Falls Township police related to a complaint based solely on hearsay, as Right to Know requests revealed that the district had no concrete evidence to support its claims. Important note, “Watermelon Man” is the spouse of Falls Township Supervisor candidate Jennifer Metzger. Both are frequent attendees of Pennsbury School Board meetings and have been vocal critics of the planned PHS building, which is set to be constructed just 30 to 40 yards from their home on Hood Boulevard.

The video of “Watermelon Man” providing public comment related to the false allegation against him and his recounting of the Gardens of Reflection political event can be viewed below.

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National Scores Continue To Decline Post Pandemic

In 2024, students in grades 4 and 8 demonstrated lower reading performance on the National Assessment of Educational Progress compared to 2022. While math scores showed no change among 8th graders and saw a modest improvement among 4th graders, both groups continued to score below pre-pandemic levels.

An in-depth look at reading scores highlights increasing concerns across the United States, as proficiency levels have stagnated or worsened, despite the allocation of billions in federal funding intended to address learning loss from school closures during the COVID-19 pandemic. The charts below illustrate the ongoing declines in reading performance among 4th and 8th-grade students.

In 2024, 31% of 4th-grade students and 30% of 8th-grade students achieved reading proficiency. By comparison, in 2015, proficiency levels were at 36% for 4th graders and 35% for 8th graders. This represents a ~14% decline in reading proficiency at both grade levels over the past decade, with no clear signs of recovery.

How Does Pennsbury Reading Score Compare To National Trends?

During the January School Board Meeting, Pennsbury presented its Annual Achievement Report to both the Board and the public. The administration’s presentation appeared to emphasize a more favorable narrative, glossing over the challenges currently facing classrooms. The charts, carefully curated by the administration, relied on post-COVID pandemic data, seemingly in an effort to obscure the full extent of the struggles. However, as demonstrated by national assessments, comparing post-pandemic data to pre-pandemic test scores is essential to accurately gauge the scope of learning loss.

Pennsbury’s 4th-grade reading proficiency has declined by 11% over the past decade, decreasing from 77.9% in 2015 to 69.3% in 2024. While this decline is less severe than the national average of a 13.9% drop since 2015, and may suggest slightly better performance relative to nationwide trends, it still reflects a troubling double-digit decrease in achievement. Any suggestion of this being “good news” is questionable, as such significant declines are far from encouraging.

The 8th grade reading proficiency scores highlight serious concerns about Pennsbury’s efforts in the aftermath of the pandemic. For context, the 4th graders who took the test in 2024 were in kindergarten during the 2020 school closures, while the current 8th graders were in 4th grade at the time—making them particularly reliant on the federal funding allocated to school districts for tutoring and other interventions to help students regain grade-level proficiency. Pennsbury’s reading proficiency scores have declined by 14.8%, dropping from 76.7% in 2015 to 65.3% in 2024. Notably, this decline surpasses the national average, which fell by 14.2% over the same period, indicating a faster rate of decline in Pennsbury’s performance. Deeper concerns present themselves when compared to PA State averages which show a decline of 10% compared to 14.8% decline over the past decade.

Although there is no national assessment for high school reading proficiency, Pennsylvania’s Keystone testing provides a crucial glimpse into the challenges facing Pennsbury. The data highlights a troubling trend of declining proficiency as students near graduation. Between 2015 and 2024, Pennsbury’s reading proficiency plummeted from 90.8% to 74.4%, reflecting a dramatic 18% decline. By contrast, state-level scores experienced a 13.2% decrease during the same period, underscoring that Pennsbury is falling behind other Pennsylvania districts in recovering from the impacts of the pandemic.

What Is Pennsbury’s Strategy For Reading Proficiency Turnaround?

The reality is, there seems to be a lack of attention or concern from the Pennsbury administration and School Board regarding these declining metrics. Federal funds have been squandered on overpriced Promethean Interactive TV Displays, which are primarily beneficial for Elementary and Special Education students but have been installed in every Pennsbury classroom. Additionally, the School Board approved a six-figure expenditure on state-of-the-art classroom video cameras intended to support virtual learning, yet these cameras are absent from most classrooms.

The Policy Committee, under Jeannine Delwiche’s leadership, has squandered significant human resources and taxpayer money pursuing Title IX changes they knew were unlikely to become law. Now, the same committee is expending substantial time and funds resisting updates to its DEI and Transgender policies, effectively playing a high-stakes game with the Federal government over $3.4 million in funding intended to enhance reading proficiency. Meanwhile, they advocate for a $270 million new high school building, claiming it will boost learning outcomes—despite academic research indicating that 4th-grade reading proficiency is the most critical factor in academic achievement.

The Pennsbury administration and School Board might take a page from Louisiana’s playbook, a state that has achieved remarkable progress in education. Since 2019, Louisiana has been the only state in the nation to see improvements in both reading and math proficiency, climbing from 50th to 16th place in reading proficiency rankings. What’s the secret behind Louisiana’s success? Hint: It’s not costly equipment, progressive political agendas, or brand-new facilities. The key lies in returning to the fundamentals—focusing on Reading, Writing, and Arithmetic.

The post Pennsbury Reading Proficiency Scores Plummet, Exceeding National and State Level Declines first appeared on Pennsbury411.

What Are Title I Funds?

Title I funds are federal financial assistance provided to schools and school districts with high numbers or high percentages of children from low-income families. These funds aim to close the achievement gap by supplying additional resources to schools that need them the most. Distribution of Title I funds is based on the number of low-income students in a school or district. Schools with at least 40% of students from low-income families are eligible for school-wide programs. Title I funds can be utilized for various purposes, including:

• Engaging parents and families in their children’s education
• Providing additional instructional support
• Hiring additional teachers and staff
• Implementing programs to improve academic achievement
• Supporting professional development for teachers
• Purchasing instructional materials and technology

What Are IDEA Funds?

IDEA funds are provided under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to support special education and related services for children with disabilities. These funds ensure that children with disabilities receive a free appropriate public education (FAPE) tailored to their individual needs. IDEA funds can be used for various purposes, including:

• Supporting transitional services after educational services are complete
• Providing individualized instruction for students with disabilities
• Offering related services such as occupational therapy and speech therapy
• Purchasing assistive technology
• Conducting professional development training
• Developing and implementing Individualized Education Programs (IEPs)

Where Is Pennsbury At With Compliance?

The answer is that we have no clue. Despite calls at committee meetings and action board by community members to come into compliance and revise its policies, Pennsbury administrators and the School Board have refused to respond to and address public concerns about complying with the Executive Orders. In contrast, when the Biden Administration proposed Title IX changes that were challenged in the courts, injunctions were issued to block those Federal guidelines from implementation, and those changes were eventually pulled by the Biden Administration prior to leaving office.

The Title IX changes were initiated by Biden on April 19, 2024, with the expectation that school districts would implement these changes by August 1, 2024. Discussion around these changes began at the very first Policy Committee meeting chaired by School Board member Jeannine Delwiche on May 9, 2024. Discussions around these Title IX changes begin at 5:50 of the May audio file below:

May Policy Committee Audio

The Policy Committee continued its discussions about implementing the new Title IX guidelines at the June Policy Committee meeting held on June 13, 2024. During this meeting, it was discussed that the Pennsylvania School Board Association (PSBA) would issue new guidelines to update Policies 103 and 104. Notably, on June 11, 2024, just two days prior to this Policy Committee meeting, it made nationwide news that the first court challenge to the Title IX changes by the Attorney General of Texas resulted in an injunction against the Biden Administration’s implementation in Texas. Discussions around these Title IX changes begin at 20:55 of the June audio file below:

June Policy Committee Audio

During the August 1, 2024, Policy Committee meeting, it was noted that they had received the update from PSBA and that a Solicitor review of the updates was in process. Committee Chair Jeannine Delwiche shared that the changes went into effect on the day of their meeting. However, Delwiche did not mention the injunctions by six district circuit courts that spanned across 22 states. On August 5, 2024, the injunctions expanded to a seventh district circuit court covering 26 states. Additionally, Delwiche failed to share that on July 2, 2024, Moms For Liberty had won an injunction that would have direct impacts on Pennsbury. Discussions around these Title IX changes begin at 5:00 of the August audio file below:

August Policy Committee Audio

The conversations around Title IX changes continued at the next Policy Committee held on September 12, 2024. On the Agenda, changes to Policy 103 and 104 were presented for a first read. Public comment centered around why the District was moving forward with making changes that had been repeatedly blocked across the country due to their unconstitutionality for sidestepping Congress. After the completion of Public Comment, Committee Chair Jeannine Delwiche invoked her desire to push forward with the Title IX changes while delivering a public statement that Pennsbury had the authority to move forward because “school districts follow local law”. Discussions around these Title IX changes begin at 18:00 with Delwiche’s statement at 26:30 that incorrectly states injunctions don’t apply to Pennsbury which can be heard in the September audio file below:

In the September Policy Committee meeting, a motion and vote were held to approve the First Reading of the policy changes, sending them to the full School Board for consideration. At the subsequent October meeting, the Committee again voted to approve the Second Reading of these changes to the full School Board for consideration. However, the November Policy Committee meeting was abruptly cancelled. During the November 21, 2024 Action Meeting, Donna Ahrens faced criticism for her centrist stance on Gay Pride Flags. Since then, the Title IX changes have not been revisited.

What Can The Community Do To Encourage Compliance

Educational institutions have responded differently to the Trump Administration’s Executive Orders. Some have confirmed their compliance, others their non-compliance, while some continue not being transparent about whether DEI will be effectively removed by March 21, 2025. Pennsbury falls into the “not being transparent” category, as they have not communicated their plans to their constituents. The lack of proactive efforts, as seen with Title IX, suggests that Pennsbury may not comply, potentially risking $3.4M in federal funds.

On March 1, 2025, the Federal Government launched a new portal on the Department of Education’s website. This portal allows concerned citizens to report violations of DEI elimination compliance to the Department of Education and the Office for Civil Rights, initiating investigations against educational institutions receiving federal funds. If you are concerned about DEI persisting in the classroom and want Pennsbury to comply with federal laws, you can submit your complaint at https://enddei.ed.gov
.

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Respect is often the first casualty in contentious settings like Pennsbury School Board meetings. The wisdom in sayings like “Respect is a two-way street,” “To gain respect, you must first give it,” “Respect is earned, not given,” and “Treat people how you want to be treated” seems to be forgotten. When one side controls the rules and applies them unevenly, it undermines community trust. This abuse of authority and misuse of taxpayer funds for retaliation can erode respect from both directions.

The Pennsbury School District has unfortunately become known for its legal entanglements here in Bucks County. Since COVID, the district has settled three EEOC lawsuits totaling around $1 million, a First Amendment lawsuit for $300,000, a settlement with the Director of Special Education for a cost of $100,000, and an LGBTQ discrimination lawsuit for an undisclosed amount. Additionally, there have been millions in Special Education settlements that have occurred under the Pennsbury School Board’s oversight that result in taxpayer funds being diverted to other schools. Despite these repeated losses in court, their aggressive tactics persist as a State Senate Committee Hearing commences to reviewing record retention activities of Pennsbury and other school districts.

RTKs Uncover Disturbing Issues

The recent increase in threats began in September 2024 when Tim Daly and Robert Abrams informed the Board members and its Solicitor about a complaint being filed with the Auditor General’s Office and our digging into workplace hostility issues. The Auditor General complaint stemmed from RTK findings related to questionable financial records activities and the workplace hostility inquiries delved into the departure of Regina Rausch. Emails obtained regarding Rausch’s departure indicated a lack of response from staff to email communications concerning IEP compliance, which subsequently led to the filing of an RTK request for Google Chat communications. On September 24, 2024, the Pennsbury School District responded via email after emails revealed the potential use of Chat Applications confirming destruction of records within 24 hours.

SAMPLE RECORDS RETENTION SCHEDULE

Pennsylvania Association of School Business Officials (PASBO), an education industry non-profit advisor, recommends that correspondences/email communications regarding school business must be retained for a minimum of three years. However, the law in PA has not caught up with “new technology” as to whether SMS texts and chat applications should be retained for the same period. These regulations were established before the widespread use of SMS texts and chat applications. Nonetheless, in the spirit of the law, it is evident per the guidance of PASBO on Records Retentions that SMS texts and chat applications are forms of correspondence. On March 24, 2025, the actions of the multiple School District will be under review by the PA Senate Intergovernmental Operations Committee.

First Attempt Made To Have Community Members Arrested

After a flurry of emails exchanged on September 23rd and 24th, Falls Township Police officer Christopher Iacono reached out to Tim Daly on the 25th regarding an open investigation initiated by Pennsbury School Board member Chip Taylor. While the specifics of Taylor’s allegations to the Falls Township Police remain unclear, the only interactions between Daly and Taylor were through email communications on Pennsbury servers, wherein Taylor repeatedly responded back and removed fellow Board Members from the thread in his retorts. As a result of these actions, the following cease and desist letter was sent to Pennsbury.

In the weeks that followed, more community members began attending Pennsbury meetings, raising questions about the costs and poor process surrounding the new Pennsbury High School building. On November 7, 2024, a tumultuous meeting took place where the public was invited to hear presentations from the Architectural Design firm and the Construction Management firm. Numerous community members, led by Jennifer Metzger, expressed outrage that Public Comment was improperly scheduled before the presentations, alleging that the community was being silenced. The video of the meeting, along with President Joanne Steere’s hasty adjournment after Board Member Donna Ahrens engaged with the public to address their concerns, can be viewed below. The dispute begins around 1:21:37 within the meeting and those interactions were with three female attendees.

Second Attempt Made To Have Community Members Arrested

On November 14, 2024, Pennsbury officials canceled the Policy and Finance Committee meetings, citing a security concern. They claimed that an investigation by Falls Township Police was ongoing. As a result, all attendees, including students invited to receive awards, were required to go through metal detector screening. To date, no arrests have been made, and Pennsbury has not provided any evidence to the public regarding the alleged threat of violence. Unfortunately, investigations are exempt from RTK. However, the following legal letter from Solicitor Erin Aronson of Eastburn & Gray sheds some light on their actions.

As noted in the second paragraph, Solicitor Aronson alleges that a conversation was “overheard” between Tim Daly and Jennifer Metzger, suggesting that Daly made a threat involving gun violence. It’s important to note that the Falls Township Police have never contacted Daly or Metzger regarding these allegations. Additionally, Tim Daly has publicly confirmed that he does not have a gun registered in his name, has no access to a gun, and has never handled or fired a gun in his life.

You will also see in the second-to-last paragraph that Aronson denies knowledge of the physical incident that occurred at the June 2023 meeting when an attempt to physically assault was made. At the very next meeting in July 2023, Falls Township Police were present in the lobby at the cost of $750 per meeting, and a security rope was placed between attendees and the Board. Yet, in her legal response, Aronson adamantly claims that nothing happened.

As a result of this legal notice from Aronson, PSD411 was created to ensure that the public is fully aware of the behavior not seen at Board Meetings and unreported in the news.

Legal Attacks Target More Community Members

Pressure has been mounting on the Pennsbury School District behind the scenes, and PSD411 will soon be revealing more details. These issues include whistleblowers reporting a hostile work environment, the discovery of multiple lawsuits at Superintendent Tom Smith’s previous employer, two Office of Civil Rights complaints recently filed against Pennsbury for discrimination against Special Education and LGBTQ students, an Auditor General’s complaint, and the upcoming State Senate hearing on March 24, 2025, focused on records destruction activities. Additionally, there has been a chorus of attendees at the January 2025 Board Meeting calling on the Board to comply with Federal executive orders to remove DEI and Transgender policies from the District.

During the February 6, 2025, Facilities meeting, Pennsbury violated multiple provisions of the Pennsylvania Sunshine Act, which mandates that the district post a final agenda with all attachments for community review within 24 hours of the meeting. Pennsbury failed to post the KCBA presentation until just a few hours before the meeting, and an agenda item related to YMS Soccer lacked sufficient details for public participation. Despite the objections at the November 7, 2024, Special Meeting and the subsequent “mea culpa” by Board President Joanne Steere, pledging to stop disrespecting the community by placing Public Comment before presentations and agenda items, both Abrams and Metzger objected to these actions, leading to a brief adjournment of the meeting. Below is a link to listen to the audio from the Facilities Committee meeting held on February 6, 2025. The dispute around the violation of PA Sunshine Law begins as 56:56 as Abrams and Metzger express complaints that no information was provided within the agenda for them to address during public comment.

On February 18, 2025, during the Policy Committee meeting which failed to address the repeal of DEI and Transgender policies mandated by law to be removed by March 21, 2025. Pennsbury residents and meeting attendees Robert Abrams and Jennifer Metzger received threatening letters from Solicitor Erin Aronson. Copies of these legal notices sent by Pennsbury can be viewed below.

Abrams Legal Notice

Metzger Legal Notice

For those who listen to the audio, it becomes evident that the objections and complaints were centered around violations of the Sunshine Law Act, which Pennsbury has repeatedly breached. Public records with timestamps substantiate these violations. By law, school districts are required to produce a final agenda within 24 hours of the meeting and must provide sufficient details to ensure public understanding of the issues being discussed. Under Section 710.1(c), community members are afforded the following civil rights:

At the time this article was published, Pennsbury may be in violation of the Pennsylvania Sunshine Law despite the objections by refusing to provide written public details about the YMS Partnership with Pennsbury. The only information available is an audio file, buried on the website, related to these legal notices detailing the YMS Partnership. Under PA law, it is the position of many legal experts, including Melissa Melewsky whom is staff counsel for the Pennsylvania NewsMedia Association, that the PA Sunshine Law is “clear and unambigous about the standard” and that denial of basic information “falls well short of the transparency required of the government”.

Community Members Serve Notice To Pennsbury

Through their legal counsel, Pennsbury community members have issued a response to Aronson’s meritless legal notices as of this publication. The letter advises Aronson on the workings of the Sunshine Law Act, reminds them of their obligations to respect Mr. Abrams’ physical disabilities that affect his ability to speak publicly, and informs the District that Daly and Abrams are tentatively scheduled to testify as witnesses at the upcoming State Senate Intergovernmental Operations Committee on March 24, 2025.

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For parents not on Pennsbury’s email list, a notice was sent out at 4:33 PM yesterday, announcing that the school had decided to shift from In-Person to Virtual learning. This decision was made unilaterally by the administration without any parental involvement or feedback. The reason given for the switch…wet grass! For those that have repeatedly attended Back To School Night at PHS, only a handful of cars park on the grass. further, we have had ran and snow on Back To School Night in years past, yet the show still went on.

Back To School Night being held in-person has been a contentious issue with Superintendent Dr. Tom Smith during School Board Action and Committee Meetings. There are allegations that he has tried to leverage COVID-era policies to diminish another aspect of parental involvement in our children’s education. The reality that Smith and the Board fail to recognize is that Virtual Back To School Night is as ineffective for parents as Virtual Schooling was for our children. Back To School Night provides the community with two valuable evenings a year where we can meet our children’s teachers, see their classroom environments, and evaluate the conditions of the facilities—not only as parents but also as taxpayers.

What Is The Purpose Behind Not Wanting To Be In-Person

Unfortunately, it seems unlikely that we will ever understand the true reasons behind the decision made by Smith and his administration. Under the Right To Know Law (RTKL), pre-decisional communications are exempt, and Pennsbury’s Solicitor, Erin Aronson, often earns her fees by blocking visibility into decision-making. Even if this weren’t the case, they would probably switch to Google Chat and intentionally destroy records—an issue that Pennsbury will face head-on at a State Senate Hearing on March 24, 2025.

Why was the switch to virtual learning made due to wet grass? We can only speculate. Regular attendees of School Board Meetings have noted an undertone suggesting that Pennsbury is opposed to parental involvement and has publicly claimed that the District is well-equipped to fill the parental void. In the past, contributors to PSD411 have used Back To School Night to verify the District’s claims about purchases, such as the ~$250K spent on video cameras for classrooms. These cameras were never utilized and were not found in any classrooms checked in PHS East and PHS West during those evenings or when public access was granted at the start of the new building project.

Last year, PSD411 contributors inspected the PHS West building to verify student access to restrooms. They confirmed student complaints about limited restroom access, which the District attributed to security concerns from past altercations. These closures violated the PA School Code, which mandates a specific number of toilets and sinks based on the number of students. Complaints were filed with the Bucks County Health Department in the summer of 2024, leading to the reopening of all restrooms in September 2024.

Given the past instances where community members have inspected buildings when they are open to the public, it’s possible that this history contributed to the decision to shift to virtual learning due to “wet grass.” Recent meetings have been tense, especially concerning the Federal Government’s executive orders requiring the removal of DEI from school buildings. Progressive School Board Members Delwiche, Petrecco, and Palsky have clashed with Donna Aherns, verbally accosting Ahrens for suggesting that any political symbolism be placed in a showcase cabinet for a desired constituency group rather than within the classroom setting.

While the Pennsbury School District preaches about how transparent they are with parents and the community, actions like these do nothing but create pause for concern that decisions being made are not in the best interest of the District but instead they are made on the personal whim Administrative staff and the inattentive School Board.

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Since 2019, considerations for a Pennsbury High School building project have primarily focused on renovating and expanding PHS West. The proposed $45M expansion of PHS West, completed nearly 20 years ago, aimed to preserve its existing structure while significantly renovating each end of the building and adding an expansion to the rear. However, in 2023, a major shift occurred. The project transitioned to a plan for a completely new build at the corner of Hood and Queen Anne, leading to new cost estimates. These estimates nearly doubled the previous renovation/expansion costs and showed that the new build would be nearly the same price.

Following the new projections that revealed similar costs, the School Board was convinced that constructing a brand new building was the best plan, despite not questioning why the renovation costs had doubled in just two and a half years. Pennsbury then enlisted its trusted bond partner, PFM, to produce multiple financing forecasts, which lowered the financing needs from $367M to $250M without providing any explanation for the reduced cost. Subsequently, Pennsbury significantly reduced the new building’s square footage to approximately 490,000 square feet, nearly a 20% reduction from the current combined square footage of the two buildings. According to Superintendent Tom Smith, as confirmed on public record, the current sketch plan and floor design will result in 25% of teachers not having a designated classroom and instead working from a mobile cart.

Pennsbury Officials Doth Protest Too Much

Over the past 18 months, Pennsbury administrators, School Board members and their vendors have maintained a unified front, consistently assuring the community on public record that the project will be completed at a cost that would not necessitate a referendum under Act 34, commonly known as the Taj Mahal Act. Below are some highlights of how they have communicated that everything is under control with the new Pennsbury High School build, despite the missteps that have led to the current Charles Boehm and PHS Stadium projects exceeding their original budget forecasts by nearly $20M, averaging out to $625 per Pennsbury taxpaying household.

D’Huy Engineering Confirms Act 34 Check Completed

KCBA During Final Presentation Stating Act 34 Compliance Is Doable

Play video starting at 1 hour, 46 minutes and 22 seconds

Joanne Steere’s Prepared Legal Statement On Referendums

The Smoking Gun Email

While Pennsbury and its vendors have repeatedly stated that Act 34 requirements will be met, different conversations were taking place behind the scenes. On April 3, 2023, the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) sent out an email confirming the 2023-24 School Year Per Pupil Cost Limits for Act 34. This included the dollar amount parameter used in the formula to determine the maximum allowable building cost to avoid a referendum. Within an hour of receiving these details from PDE, Pennsbury Business Manager Chris Berdnik sent an email to Jamie Lynch at D’Huy Engineering stating, “Looks like our high school will require a referendum.”

So the question on all of our minds is, why is Pennsbury discussing with their vendors behind the scenes that it’s not possible to build without a referendum, while presenting a different story to the Pennsbury taxpayers in front of the cameras?

The post EXCLUSIVE: Emails Emerge Confirming New Pennsbury HS Building Will Require Referendum first appeared on Pennsbury411.

Did The School District Misrepresent The Metrics Again?

In recent years, we’ve discovered that Pennsbury’s data analysis can be misleading, attempting to polish the reputation of a once highly respected school district. Instances include censoring a community member who tried to address incorrect data and being caught red-handed altering students’ ethnicity classifications. This has made it difficult to trust any numbers being presented. Does anyone genuinely believe that disciplinary incidents decreased by 65% in just one year? In that same presentation, Pennsbury also released the PSSA and Keystone scores.

As you review the PowerPoint presentation above, you’ll notice that Pennsbury’s performance appears on their face quite impressive. The district continues to outperform state averages, which include Philadelphia’s scores and thus drags down the overall metrics. However, the district’s baseline comparison only goes back to 2022, when PSSA scores were still significantly affected by COVID-19 and had not yet recovered. Although Pennsbury possesses pre-COVID data, they consciously chose not to use it as a baseline. Let’s delve into the reasons behind this decision by Superintendent Tom Smith and his Administrative staff.

Comparing Against Pre-Covid Data Tell Different Story

Our team at PSD411 meticulously investigated Pennsbury’s Board Docs to reveal the true numbers by downloading past Annual Achievement Report presentations. We accessed public record data going back to 2017 to evaluate Pennsbury students’ performance on standardized testing, specifically the PSSA test scores. When we examine these baselines across a longer date range, a very different narrative emerges.

PSSA English Test Scores

PSSA scores in English have significantly dropped since COVID-19 and have yet to recover. Previously, proficiency scores typically averaged in the mid-to-upper 70% range, but they have now fallen to the mid-to-upper 60% range. Even more concerning is that 2024 test scores declined in 5 out of 6 grade levels compared to 2023. In two grade levels, 6th and 8th grade, Pennsbury students recorded their lowest scores since 2017. Remarkably, Pennsbury students performed better in English during asynchronous virtual learning than they did in the classroom last school year.

PSSA Mathematics Test Scores

PSSA Math test scores have been one of the few bright spots at Pennsbury, though the District has historically lagged in Math compared to other subjects. Consequently, improving these scores was somewhat easier since the initial metrics were already low. While proficiency levels in English hover closer to 70%, Pennsbury middle school students have typically been below 50% proficiency annually in Math. During COVID, proficiency levels declined to the mid-20% range but have since rebounded to pre-pandemic norms. For 8th grade, students raised their proficiency score to 38%, but this still classifies Pennsbury at a “Below Basic” designation by the Department of Education.

PSSA Science Test Scores

PSSA Science test scores present a slightly different picture compared to the metrics for English and Math. The state only tests Science proficiency at the 4th and 8th grade levels. For 4th graders, proficiency scores remained steady during COVID and consistently exceeded 90%, earning Pennsbury an “Advanced” designation. The concerning aspect is the significant decline in scores from 4th to 8th grade. During COVID, 8th grade scores plummeted to the lower-50% range but have since rebounded to the lower-60% range in 2024. Pre-COVID, proficiency scores typically hovered in the upper-60% range. While these Science metrics are solid compared to state averages, the data reveals that Pennsbury students drop from an “Advanced” designation in 4th grade to a “Proficient” designation by 8th grade.

What Is The District Doing About The Poor Scores?

If you watched the January 16th Action Board Meeting, you’ll see that very little is being done. Instead of focusing on improving the learning environment for students, Board Members Jeannine Delwiche and Donna Petrecco defended their political attacks on fellow Board Member Donna Ahrens. Delwiche, with the support of her spouse, even tried to portray herself as the victim. After the presentation of standardized test scores and disciplinary data, the Board remained relatively quiet, not asking many questions or challenging the data. When elected representatives don’t show much concern about declining test scores, it sends a message to Pennsbury administrators that education doesn’t matter. It doesn’t seem that the Gay Pride Flags that Delwiche and Petrecco aggressively support in every classroom are doing much to improve educational testing scores.

Below is the YouTube stream from the meeting, click to play and it will take you directly to the Annual Achievement Report presentation at the meeting and how the Board questioned the Pennsbury administrators.

The post Pennsbury’s Standardized Testing Scores Continue Its Struggle To Rebound first appeared on Pennsbury411.

Which Executive Orders Impact Pennsbury?

In the past week, the Trump Administration issued over 200 Executive Orders aimed at reversing policies from the Biden Administration. These orders will significantly impact the American education system, requiring schools to adhere to new Federal mandates or risk losing their Federal funding. Even if schools forfeit their funds, they must still comply with all related Federal mandates. The following are three Executive Orders that conflict with Pennsbury policy that will need to be addressed to avoid forfeiting $3.4M in funding that will have to be recouped in local property tax increases.

Gender Ideology Reversal

Trump rescinded an executive order from former President Joe Biden that directed federal agencies to enforce the Supreme Court’s ruling in Bostock v. Clayton County, which applied to all laws prohibiting sex discrimination. In the 2020 case, a 6-3 ruling affirmed that discrimination against LGBTQ individuals is considered sex discrimination under Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act. The new Executive Order aligns with the Supreme Court ruling and existing Title VII language, stating that the U.S. government will only recognize a person’s sex assigned at birth, limit the definition of “male” or “female” to their reproductive cells, and potentially withhold federal funding from programs acknowledging transgender individuals or “gender ideology.”

The new Executive Order, titled “Defending Women From Gender Ideology Extremism And Restoring Biological Truth To The Federal Government” on the White House website, mandates the removal of any transgender policies enacted by school districts. Schools are instructed to reverse these policies within 120 days or risk losing federal funding.

Dismantling of DEI Programs

Last week, Trump issued an Executive Order to implement the language of the Dismantle DEI Act, which is expected to pass in Congress soon. This Order reverses Biden’s Executive Orders from his first day in office that expanded diversity training across the Federal government, created Diversity departments in all Federal agencies, and authorized significant grants for DEI and related social policies in school districts. A study by Parents Defending Education found over $1B in federal grants aimed at integrating DEI into the American education system.

The new Executive Order, titled “Ending Radical And Wasteful Government DEI Programs And Preferencing” on the White House website, mandates the removal of any transgender policies enacted by school districts. Schools are instructed to reverse these policies within 60 days or risk losing federal funding.

Assisting ICE in Illegal Immigrant Deportations

The Trump administration issued an Executive Order titled “Protecting The American People Against Invasion,” which focuses on the immediate deportation of illegal immigrants. The order mandates that the Federal government and any grantee receiving Federal funding must “faithfully execute the immigration laws against all inadmissible and removable aliens, particularly those aliens who threaten the safety or security of the American people.” Many interpret this to mean that even school districts must comply with the Executive Order and assist in enforcing immigration laws.

Administrators at Central Bucks School District in Doylestown, PA, have proactively started addressing their policies and informing the community about their obligations to comply with Federal law. Superintendent Steve Yanni has sent a communication to this effect. However, no such communication has been issued by Pennsbury, and there are no indications that Pennsbury is preparing any internal procedures to handle these Executive Orders, despite emails from PSD411 members to Pennsbury Solicitor Erin Aronson of Eastburn & Gray which have not received a response.

Will Pennsbury Comply Or Fight The Executive Orders?

Over the past two months, the actions of the Pennsbury “Mean Girls” and their attacks on Board Member Donna Ahrens for presenting a centrist viewpoint on Gay Pride Flags and other political symbols in the classroom have raised concerns about Pennsbury’s compliance. Board Members Jeannine Delwiche, Donna Petrecco, and Linda Palsky have clearly stated their political positions on Gender Ideology and DEI. At the December 2024 board meeting, the Bucks County NAACP showed strong support for a new contract for Dr. Cherrissa Gibson, which removed “Equity” from her job title but included “equity” in her job requirements and performance evaluation.

We will find out shortly if the Pennsbury School Board intends to comply with these new laws or forfeit the $3.4M in funding it receives annually from the Federal Government that is significantly earmarked to supporting Special Education.

The post Could Pennsbury Face $3.4M Federal Funds Forfeiture Due To White House Executive Orders? first appeared on Pennsbury411.

The atmosphere was thick with tension as the Pennsbury community voiced their concerns, accusing Liberal Board Members of misconduct and rallying behind Board Member Donna Ahrens, who advocated for a centrist approach to Gay Pride Flags in classrooms. Typically, Pennsbury School Board meetings see a sparse attendance of about 6 or 7 people once the Board and Administration’s use of children as pawns concludes. However, this meeting saw an unusual turnout, with around 30 people staying until the end. The public comment session was the longest since September 2021, during the lead-up to the First Amendment lawsuit.

What Led Up To Attacks On Ahrens?

For the past two months, the Liberal bloc members of the Pennsbury School Board have repeatedly targeted Donna Ahrens for her comments at the November 21st school board meeting. Ahrens questioned why Pennsbury allows political symbols in classrooms, which she believes violates Policy 321. She expressed concerns about any political symbols in the classroom, not just Gay Pride Flags. Ahrens also mentioned that employees felt pressured to display such symbols and that some constituents were worried that the presence of a Gay Pride Flag in a classroom might influence perceptions of a teacher’s character. She emphasized that the only flag that should be in a classroom is the American Flag. Instead of calling for the removal of the Gay Pride Flag, Ahrens proposed a middle ground solution, such as a display case for political symbols representing any club or group at Pennsbury.

RTKs revealed that Ahrens faced immediate backlash from her fellow Board Members following her public comments. She was accused of releasing confidential information, being insensitive to LGBTQ concerns, and lacking an understanding of children’s needs. Additionally, a Board Member’s spouse shamed her for receiving applause from community opponents of the School Board. This was followed by harsh prepared statements from Board Members Jeannine Delwiche, Donna Petrecco, and Linda Palsky, as well as criticism from known Liberal political activists outside the community, targeting Ahrens for not aligning with the Democratic Party’s stance on these issues.

Ahrens Unleashes On Her Fellow Board Members

Following a series of passionate public comments where speakers criticized the Liberal bloc of the School Board for various issues, including Gay Pride Flags, Identity Politics, and a lack of focus on children’s needs, the meeting transitioned to the voting segment. Several items were pulled after public concerns were raised about the Board’s rubber-stamping of items and lack of oversight. These included the approval of a new turf field at Walt Disney without a review of potential health concerns and funding for student registrations for a DECA competition for the Business Club. A video replay of Pennsbury School Board comment can be found in the YouTube video below:

Ahrens initiated the Board Discussion by reading her prepared statement, condemning the Liberal bloc of the School Board for what she perceived as personal attacks on her character. She first addressed Donna Petrecco, responding to her veiled assertions that Ahrens, not being a parent, lacked an understanding of children. Ahrens then turned to Delwiche, urging her to stop politicizing the Board and to respect the will of the people, citing polls that show the vast majority of Americans support removing political symbols from classrooms.

Ahrens then addressed Michael Celec, Delwiche’s husband, regarding his email that called for her censure and questioned her integrity for receiving applause from Delwiche’s opponents in the community, suggesting they were Ahrens’ “pet exception.” Ahrens reminded Celec that these individuals are her constituents and that she has a responsibility to listen to their concerns. Notably, Celec was the final public comment speaker, promoting his YouTube page, which features videos targeting Pennsbury School Board meetings and attacking private citizens for their perceived “unkind” communications with Pennsbury Board Members. It should also be noted that Celec had left the meeting room before Ahrens’ comments addressing his email communication.

Ahrens then turned her attention to Palsky, asserting that her comments misrepresented her stance on Gay Pride Flags. She firmly addressed Palsky, stating, “Don’t base your narrative on words that you put into my mouth.” Ahrens emphasized that such harmful narratives do not benefit the children in the Pennsbury School District.

Pennsbury “Mean Girls” Defend Their Misconduct

Despite Ahrens’ prepared statements, both Donna Petrecco and Jeannine Delwiche defended their actions. Petrecco claimed that her email and public comments were not intended to diminish Ahrens’ understanding of children due to her not being a parent. Delwiche shifted the focus to Pennsbury community members who opposed her policies, including tampon dispensers, transgender policies, the implementation of Title IX changes recently ruled unconstitutional, and her refusal to remove DEI policies. Delwiche also misrepresented her involvement with the Bucks County NAACP, suggesting she was merely a volunteer, despite LinkedIn references showing active membership by herself and her husband since her election to the Pennsbury School Board. She further claimed a physical incident against her husband during the meeting, although Falls Township Police, present in the room, took no action as the incident did not rise to such claims. Upon adjournment of the meeting, not captured on video, multiple members of the community asked for answers as to how Delwiche’s husband entered the Pennsbury Administration Building on January 9, 2025, despite heightened security measures implemented by the School Board in November 2024.

The post Ahrens Rebuffs Pennsbury “Mean Girls” Attacks, Calls For Non-Partisan Governance first appeared on Pennsbury411.

Efforts by Pennsbury School Board Liberal Bloc to silence those that disagree with their views has been a persistent problem within the district now for nearly a decade. From the “Save Gretzula” attack on Jacqui Redner to a First Amendment Lawsuit that led to an injunction and $300k and now the targeting of Board Member Donna Ahrens because she dared to speak with constituents and not toe the line. But one of the most serious abuse by the Pennsbury Liberals has often gone overlooked, the SLAPP lawsuit filed in 2021 to inhibit opponents from putting their message to the community forward

What Is A SLAPP Lawsuit?

A Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation (SLAPP) lawsuit is a legal tactic used by individuals or organizations to intimidate, silence, or punish those who engage in protected speech or activities, such as speaking out on public issues or participating in community activities. These lawsuits are often meritless and are designed to burden the defendant with legal costs and the stress of litigation, ultimately discouraging them from exercising their civile rights. SLAPP lawsuits can target journalists, activists, bloggers, or ordinary citizens who express opinions, report on matters of public interest, or protest against certain actions or policies.

The primary goal of a SLAPP lawsuit is not necessarily to win the case in court but to create a chilling effect on free speech and public participation. By dragging the defendant through a lengthy and costly legal process, the plaintiff hopes to deter others from speaking out or taking similar actions. This tactic is particularly effective when the plaintiff has greater financial resources and can afford prolonged litigation, while the defendant may struggle to cover legal expenses. In some cases, just the threat of a SLAPP lawsuit can be enough to silence critics or suppress dissenting voices.

Political Opponents Were Targeted in 2021

In early May 2021, the Lower Makefield and Falls Township Democrats grew anxious about the possibility of Republicans winning a few seats and disrupting the 9-0 Liberal-controlled Board. This concern arose due to the uproar in the community over Doug Marshall’s censored comments at the March Action Board meeting. On or around May 11, 2021, the Pennsbury School District issued cease and desist orders against Victoria Czechowski and Jennifer Spillane, accusing them of violating Policy 321. These accusations stemmed from a picture taken by Czechowski’s then 9-year-old daughter at the annual Food Truck fundraiser. RTKs confirmed, after a protracted fight at the Open Records Office, that Pennsbury taxpayer funds were used to send these cease and desist letters to intimidate the two candidates.

A week later, LevittownNow.com reported that a SLAPP injunction had been obtained against Timothy Watkins and Frank Cabanas. The actions of Jeannine Delwiche, Joanne Steere and Linda Palsky during the 2021 campaign received minimal news coverage, leaving most of the community unaware of their activities. This allowed their actions to go largely unnoticed. The injunction was sought over mailers featuring a Sample Ballot, a common Democratic tactic seen annually on voting day at the polls. Watkins and Cabanas had cross-filed as Democrats, which is legally permitted in Pennsylvania, and their ballot indicated “not recommended” for Delwiche, Steere and Palsky. In response to the SLAPP injunction, Palsky gleefully stated after she silenced her opponents, “I think it tells you a lot about the character of our opponents that we have to go to these lengths to get them to play by the rules. I find it truly disheartening to see lies and deception used in a local school board campaign”

And just a few days later in May 2021, Pennsbury Solicitor Peter Amuso silenced community members at public comment, leading to national headlines and the infamous Simon Campbell takedown video that received over 50M views and led to dozens of interviews that exposed the misconduct of the Pennsbury Liberals utilizing various tactics to silence members of their own community. Pennsbury and its Board was found to have violated Free Speech rights, had an injunction filed preventing them from silencing public meeting attendees and settled the case for $300,000.

But where the real controversy erupted over a mailer that the Liberals found offensive, which was related to concerns about a new attempt at a Morrisville-Pennsbury merger. The mailer brought back bad memories from a decade earlier when the school district redrew lines for bus routes, resulting in more African American students being bused to Makefield Elementary on a route that Pennsbury employees later referred to as the “Soul Train.” By filing the SLAPP lawsuit, the Pennsbury Liberal candidates drained Watkins and Cabanas’ campaign funds and effectively silenced their efforts to alert the community about the merger plans. The attempts to merge with Morrisville ultimately failed miserably, as the financial models were riddled with formula errors and unrealistic forecasts, leading to their demise at the Pennsylvania Department of Education.

Anti-SLAPP Legislation Now Protects Pennsylvania Citizens

In July 2024, the Pennsylvania legislature took action to protect citizens from the types of justice system abuses seen in the 2021 election involving Delwiche, Steere, and Palsky. The legislation, introduced by PA State Rep Ryan Bizarro (D-Erie) and signed into law by Governor Josh Shapiro, expanded the scope of Anti-SLAPP protections. Previously, these protections applied only to free speech related to environmental issues. The new legislation extends protections to all First Amendment expressions, allows defendants to file an anti-SLAPP motion early in the case, and mandates compensation for parties forced to fight frivolous suits. In a statement to PA Spotlight, Bizarro emphasized that “these SLAPP suits weaponize the system to penalize protest and silence free speech.”

In short, Delwiche, Steere, and Palsky’s past actions to silence their opponents have now been outlawed, unless they wish to drain their own campaign funds with frivolous legal actions. These new limitations will require them to shift their approach to silencing opponents, using new tactics to silence those that they don’t agree with. Perhaps attacking Donna Ahrens for daring to be a Moderate and engaging with all her constituents, regardless of their political affiliation is the start of a new campaign to silence objectors like they did so successfully in 2021.

The post Pennsbury “Mean Girls” Previously Silenced Opponents Using SLAPP Lawsuits first appeared on Pennsbury411.