State College school board is divided over how to conduct an external review. Here’s why

The State College Area school board voted unanimously Monday night to postpone a proposed contract for an external review of the district’s response to the death by suicide of Park Forest Middle School student Abby Smith , with board members divided over the process.

Fourteen-year-old Abby was an eighth-grade student, avid crafter, Girl Scout and a member of her school band. In the months since her death on May 12, amid bullying allegations, her family has called for an external review of the district and increased transparency in regards to student well-being.

During the nearly 90-minute discussion, the board reviewed the proposed contract with Terri Erbacher, a certified school psychologist and licensed psychologist who authored “Suicide in Schools: A Practitioner’s Guide.” Under the contract, Erbacher would remotely review written policies and conduct interviews with district administrators, parents, staff and, if needed, students.

According to the proposed contract, the review would focus on the district’s “response to a student’s death by suicide and an evaluation of the district’s mental health services.”

Bullying will not be included in the scope of Erbacher’s review. Superintendent Curtis Johnson said he had been in touch with Roy Rakszawski, the Bellefonte Area School District superintendent, about finding someone to conduct a different districtwide evaluation of bullying. Before moving to Bellefonte Area, Rakszawski was a superintendent in New Jersey, which has the nation’s strictest anti-bullying legislation . Teachers and administrators must complete reports within 24 hours and investigations must be started immediately and completed within 10 days.

Erbacher was one of 11 candidates contacted by district administration and one of four interviewed by Johnson and assistant superintendent Jonathan Bucher.

At the start of the meeting, board member Gretchen Brandt asked that the external review, which was on the agenda as a voting item, be moved to a discussion item. The motion failed 6-2, with Brandt and Peter Buck voting to move the item to discussion.

Prior to the vote, Brandt said she believed the board had requested a review in two parts — one focused on the events leading up to Abby’s death and one on the district’s response afterward — unlike the contract presented.

With the administration seeking out and interviewing consultants, Brandt said the board cannot be sure what questions were asked or omitted during the process. The most effective way to ensure a review is conducted correctly and transparently is through a request for proposal, which would include board and Citizen Advisory Council input on selection and budget, she said.

“The process thus far has been SCASD the administration selecting a consultant to review itself,” Brandt said. “A review chosen by the entity that is being reviewed will lead to a biased and or incomplete review.”

However, a formal RFP could take several weeks at the very least, further delaying the review. Board member Anne Demo said she feared going through a lengthy process only to find Erbacher as the most qualified candidate at the end.

“We all at this table are deeply committed to protecting kids,” Demo said. “And so there is an argument for transparency, for sure. I do feel like there is also an argument for timeliness.”

Board member Deborah Anderson said she felt an RFP was unnecessary in this case and wanted to make sure the community has clear expectations on what they will see at the end of the review process.

“I do think the community needs to be prepared to know that you’re not going to get all of the results of whatever gets done no matter how we do this process,” Anderson said. “Some of the information may not be able to be shared because it may involve personnel, and that has to remain confidential.”

Transparency remained a key concern for both board members and community members throughout the night, with several people speaking up during public comment periods about how Erbacher was chosen to conduct the review. Since August, Abby’s mother Jennifer Black has attended each school board meeting, surrounded by dozens of family and friends.

Black reaffirmed her previous trust in the school district, something that has been shaken by the district’s response in the wake of her daughter’s death.

“I would like to know more about why they didn’t choose one of the other groups,” Black told the CDT. “I’d like to know more information about why we’re not looking at bullying ... I just want it to be as transparent as possible.”

Other board members brought up concerns about the proposed contract limitations concerning the budget. Erbacher’s contract with the district has a $15,000 cap, giving her a 75-hour limit at the contracted rate of $200 an hour. Board member Dan Kolbe suggested the cost ceiling be doubled so Erbacher could conduct a review without time constraints.

Johnson said the $15,000 was just a starting point and could be adjusted in the future and no timeline had been set for how long the review would take to conduct.

The board requested an amended contract with an increased budget and for Erbacher to attend the Sept. 30 meeting to answer questions.