A map of the Pennridge School District’s current elementary school attendance zones. (Courtesy of the Pennridge School District)
The Pennridge School Board’s student services committee Tuesday, Feb. 3 reviewed an elementary school redistricting plan aimed at balancing enrollment.
The redistricting plan, the first in over 10 years, follows an enrollment study finding uneven enrollment changes across the district’s seven elementary schools, with increasing enrollment at Bedminster, Sellersville and Seylar and decreasing enrollment at Deibler, Grasse, Guth and West Rockhill.
The plan includes two redistricting options, with one balancing students by school capacity and the second balancing students by socioeconomic status.
The district will gather board and community feedback before submitting a final plan in March. Families will be informed of the changes in April, with the ability to apply for exemptions. Implementation is planned for the 2026-2027 school year, said school officials.
Elementary departmentalization
The curriculum committee heard a proposal to departmentalize grades 4 and 5, allowing educators to teach specific subjects to multiple classes rather than teaching all subjects to one class.
The proposal is designed to prioritize instructional depth over breadth, enhance teacher’s subject expertise and prepare students for PSSA testing. It would additionally result in $40,000 in savings in science classroom material expenses by significantly reducing the number of science teachers, said school officials.
The district plans to explore departmentalization models in area school districts over the next year before submitting a plan for the 2027-2028 school year.
STEM+M
The curriculum committee was informed of a planned replacement of the 7th grade STEM curriculum with a new STEM+M curriculum. The U.S. Navy-funded initiative focuses on expanding middle school STEM and manufacturing experiences with hands-on instruction and a fully-equipped instructional lab. Learning areas include engineering and design, manufacturing, robotics automation and electronics and material science and structural concepts.
The curriculum is almost entirely funded by a $1.5 million grant, with the district responsible for electrical upgrades. Implementation is planned for the 2026-2027 school year. If implemented, Pennridge would be one of just four STEM+M-participating school districts in Pennsylvania.\
“Phones, Focus and the Future”
The student services committee was informed of an upcoming event titled, “Phones, Focus and the Future – A Community Conversation.” The initiative follows regional and national discourse on the restriction of cell phone usage in schools.
The event will feature small group discussions as well as presentations by licensed professional counselor Lois Dodson, parent advocate Kirstin McGowan and youth advocate Lee Rush. It will be held at the Pennridge High School green gym on March 4 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
The next Pennridge School Board meeting is on February 23 at 6:30 p.m. For more information, visit pennridge.org
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