(9/19/19) - From the Superintendent (Audit)

(9/19/19) - From the Superintendent (Audit)
Posted on 09/19/2019

Dear Cumberland Valley families:

The Cumberland Valley School District has learned that Pennsylvania Auditor General Eugene DePasquale announced today that his previously-scheduled audit of our District will include review of our anti-bullying policy. Please know that safety of our students and staff is of paramount priority and we welcome this review.

As you may be aware, news stories appeared throughout the month that focused on several community members who have expressed concerns of discrimination, harassment, and inappropriate social behaviors in our schools. We appreciate the willingness of these community members to share their concerns, and we want to ensure that our entire community knows we find it disheartening that such actions are still occurring in our schools and throughout society. We would like to assure you that these behaviors are unacceptable. At Cumberland Valley, we strive to maintain a safe and positive learning environment for all of our students and staff throughout the District.

The District has clear policies and procedures in place to address these incidents of inappropriate student behavior. The District’s anti-bullying policy was reviewed in the 2018-19 school year, was reviewed again this week by our Board Policy Committee, and will be reviewed by the full Board in October. In addition, the District reviewed and updated policies related to nondiscrimination of students in 2018. These policies provide clear guidelines for addressing all incidents of harassment, even those that do not meet the threshold for bullying behavior.

Additionally, at the Board of School Directors meeting on Monday, Sept. 16, I shared a presentation that I provided at our most recent Inclusion Advisory Committee meeting a week prior. That presentation, which outlined many of our action steps, is available for public viewing by clicking here.  The Inclusion Advisory Committee is made up of parents, instructional aides, teachers, administrators, and three board members. This committee is working together to address the concerns brought to us and to create a road map for ensuring that all of our students can be successful in a diverse and interconnected global society.  To support this work, the District continues to develop partnerships with organizations such as the Justice Department, the Anti-Defamation League, the Vereen Group, and the NAACP to provide comprehensive educational resources for our teachers and students.

We continue to be committed to providing a safe learning environment for all of our students.

Dr. David E. Christopher
Superintendent of Schools

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