Two weeks ago, the US Department of Education notified school districts they have 14 days to remove all DEI programming in all public schools. Institutions which fail to comply may face a loss of federal funding. Well, time’s up. Yesterday, the US Department of Education announced an “End DEI” portal. … the U.S. Department of […]
NE School Board Meeting Runs 3 Hours in Long and Often Contentious Session
You should have been there. The school board meeting Thursday evening, 2-20-25, covered a wide range of topics and ran over three hours in length. Anyone interested in recent issues and controversies would have found the discussion and comments from the administration, the board and the public enlightening, frustrating and concerning. Hmm … where to […]
Is NESD Building an Entrance Archway Without School Board Approval or Funding?
At the last school board meeting, there was an interesting item on the agenda, an entrance archway to be constructed on Gold Drive. Some members of the school board were surprised by this project. There seemed to be some confusion because the project appears to be already under way even though the board had not […]
Should the NE School Board and School Administration Respond to Questions?
The following is a letter to the editor submitted by a reader. It does not necessarily reflect the editorial opinion of North East PA Online. This is our first “Letter to the editor” submission. If you wish to comment on an issue you believe would be of interest to readers of this site, you may […]
When Will North East Schools Remove DEI?
Did you know the North East School District promotes DEI, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion? The highlighted text above comes from the school district’s comprehensive plan, right up front on page 2. DEI programs are being struck down all across the country in organizations of all kinds, including the Department of Education and for good reason. […]
A Simple Suggestion for More Productive School Board Meetings
School board meetings in North East are held twice monthly and begin at 6:30PM. Once per month, or every other meeting, the superintendent passes out a number of student awards for various reasons at the beginning of the meeting, a process that can easily consume 20 or 30 minutes. When members of the public come […]
Warren County School District Facing Enrollment Decline Considers School Closings
As noted here last month, the North East School District is facing an enrollment decline and needs to make adjustments. Also, as noted, falling enrollment is happening to school districts everywhere. In nearby Warren County, a board meeting tonight will be considering the closure of the high school portion, grades 9 through 12, of two […]
Dept of Education Withdraws Proposed Title IX Changes NESD was Planning to Adopt
Last September, the North East School District scheduled a vote to adopt Title IX changes proposed by the Biden Administration. Those changes would have allowed biological males to use female restrooms and changing facilities. Residents of North East were quick to respond and attended the school board meetings in large numbers voicing their opposition to […]
NE School District Enrollment Decline Requires All of Our Attention
At the last NESD board meeting on December 19th, I noticed one data point I had not yet seen, the enrollment in the district for the 2024-2025 school year, which is 1435 students. The chart above is an updated version of the one I’ve been using here with the addition of the data for the […]
Refocus School Board Meetings on School Board Business Not Award Ceremonies
The North East School District has made it a practice to have an impromptu award ceremony near the beginning of every other board meeting. These award ceremonies are due to the superintendent’s desire to recognize students for all sorts of different reasons. This month’s awards are for “conflict resolution and self-control.” All of the students […]