NPE PTO

We know, we know - the school year hasn't even finished yet and we're already talking about the fall ... but we want to make things easy for you and help check one thing off your list ahead of next year. We are offering all families the opportunity to purchase a school supply kit for your NPE student(s) for the 2026-2027 school year. The lists are already loaded and delivery is handled - so there’s no need to head to the store.

Please note - the supply kits do NOT include headphones.

Orders must be placed by Friday, June 19.

To place your order, go to: https://www.shopttkits.com/ and enter the NPE school account code 92090.

Support an SHMS Outdoor Classroom through Delco Gives!

Please consider supporting the SHMS Outdoor Classroom through Delco Gives May 6–7, and help bring this exciting new learning space to life! The team hopes to meet their goal by the end of the school year so next year's middle school students can enjoy hands‑on, outdoor learning beginning in the fall. A gift of any size increases the chance of earning additional bonus dollars, so your participation truly makes a difference.

For more information about the Outdoor Classroom project for the middle school, please visit: https://www.delcogives.org/organization/Foundation-For-Wallingford-Swarthmore-Schools

🌷🌷Flowers on Friday!🌷🌷

Come out and join us tonight!

Elementary Swim / Aquatics Clinics (Grades 4 - 5 only)
When: Wednesday April 15th (flyers and sign ups have times)
Wednesday May 6th (flyers and sign ups have times)
Elementary School in the Pool Sign Up Grades 4 - 5 for April 15th
Elementary School in the Pool Sign Up Grades 4 - 5 for May 6th

For our incoming kindergarten class!

We are looking for volunteers for our executive board for the upcoming school year! If you are interested, want to ask questions, or learn more - please join us at our next General Assembly Meeting on Tuesday, April 14 at 7 PM in the NPE Library.

Transportation email sent today:

Dear WSSD Families,

As part of our ongoing commitment to student safety and the operation of our transportation system, the district is reviewing updates to our transportation policy for the 2026–2027 school year. We know that any change to transportation routines can have an impact on families, and it is important to us that you understand why this proposal is being considered and what it would mean for students.

To provide clarity and answer common questions, we have prepared the Q&A below. I hope you find it helpful as we continue this important conversation about how to best support the safety and well‑being of all students in our care.

Best regards,

Russell Johnston, PhD

What is the district’s current transportation practice?

Currently, the district allows students to be transported to multiple different locations throughout the week. These may include the student’s home, a caregiver’s home, a licensed after-school program, and unlicensed after-school or enrichment programs. Families may choose different locations on different days of the week. While not common, a student could have as many as four different pickup or drop-off locations within a single school week.

Approximately 150 students use more than one transportation location during the week. This practice of allowing variable locations grew over time and was never codified in policy. The administration and the board are considering changes to the existing transportation policy that will clarify allowable transportation locations.

What change is being proposed?

We are proposing that each student have one consistent pick-up location in the morning and one consistent drop-off location in the afternoon, used five days per week. Per state requirements, these locations must be the student’s home (or both homes in shared custody arrangements where both guardians live within the school district) or an in-district state licensed before- or after-school program. We will also provide this consistent transportation to all in-district kindergarten complement programs. These changes would go into effect at the start of next school year.

This change does not prevent elementary students from participating in special after-school events such as Chess Club or Reading Olympics. Students would simply not take the bus on those days. Families who use district transportation will always retain the option to pick up or drop off their child themselves, as needed. Please note that the proposed policy changes would not affect any walking school buses to enrichment after-school activities.

Why is this change being recommended?

The primary reason for this revision is student safety. We have experienced repeated confusion and near-miss situations when students have alternating daily schedules, especially at the elementary level. Examples include students being accidentally placed on the wrong bus, students forgetting they were supposed to go home instead of to an enrichment program (or vice versa), last-minute clarification needed during the dismissal window, increased radio calls, variability in daily bus rosters, and confusion during high-volume dismissal periods.

A school bus system relies on stable and consistent rosters. With even a small number of students changing buses each day, drivers do not have the chance to reliably track their roster of students. This issue is exacerbated when we have substitute drivers.

While we have not had a serious incident, these recurring near-misses represent an unacceptable operational risk. This change is proactive and should be made before a serious incident occurs.

Do other districts allow students to be transported to multiple locations during the week?

No. This is not a practice other districts follow. A review of the transportation policies of all other districts in Delaware County shows none allow students to be transported to different locations on different days of the week.

What flexibilities are being added to this proposal that do not commonly exist in other districts’ policies?

This proposal includes two flexibilities that exceed what many districts offer:

• Transportation anywhere in the district to kindergarten complement and state-licensed before- and after-school programs. (Districts frequently restrict students to programs that are within the boundaries of the school they attend.)

• Allowing families to designate one pick-up location and a different drop-off location. (Districts frequently require the same pick-up and drop-off location. Our proposal would allow, for example, a student to receive transportation to school from a before-school program and then home at the end of the school day.)

For safety purposes, these locations must remain consistent five days per week.

Have other safety measures been explored that would allow multiple locations throughout the week?

Yes. We are familiar with additional low-tech and high-tech safety tools. However, these measures support a stable system; they cannot compensate for daily variability, which creates risks that no additional layers of safety measures can eliminate.

Have you considered continuing to provide transportation to unlicensed enrichment programs in the district?

Unlicensed after-school enrichment programs offer excellent opportunities to our students and play an important role in our community. We value these programs and the experiences they provide. However, many students attend these programs only one or two days per week. This inconsistency conflicts with our goal of providing transportation to one consistent after-school location, five days per week, which is essential for improving safety for all students.

We also have concerns about formally committing in policy to transport students to unlicensed programs. In addition, these programs do not commonly follow the same calendar as the school district. If we were to transport students to these programs five days per week, we would need to reroute students whenever the program’s calendar differs from the district calendar. These ongoing adjustments would contribute to fluctuating bus rosters, the core safety concern prompting this policy clarification.

We recognize that this represents a change, and we are mindful of the impact on these organizations. Superintendent Johnston met with directors of licensed and unlicensed afterschool programs in the fall to hear their perspectives and gather input as part of this review.

If this is so concerning, why wait until next year to implement the policy?

We are aware that some families rely on our current practice to access after-school care from a variety of providers during the week. We know that finding adequate childcare can be a challenge, so we want to give our families time to make alternative arrangements.

What is next?

Dr. Johnston will review the proposed transportation policy changes during the next board meeting on March 23. If approved during that meeting, the policy would go into effect next school year. Please send any feedback you have on this proposed change to [email protected] and/or [email protected].

Conclusion

We recognize that a change like this presents challenges, and we are aware of the implications this may have on parents who rely on our current system because their children go to different locations during the week to access after-school care and on unlicensed enrichment programs. However, our primary responsibility is to ensure safe and secure transportation for all students.

Our transportation team is exceptional, but they must be allowed to focus on the core responsibility of safely transporting students every day. Inconsistent schedules create confusion, last-minute changes, and increased radio traffic, elevating the risk of student misrouting or other harmful outcomes.

For these reasons, the administration strongly recommends implementing this change for the next school year. It is important that we take this action now to strengthen safety protocols before a more serious incident occurs.

General Assembly meeting tonight!

Such a fun night for everyone!