East Penn Proposes Gang Control Policy

The East Penn School Board has proposed a policy to identify criminal gangs and prohibit their activity on school property and at school events.

 The policy, presented at Monday’s board meeting, would prohibit the wearing or display of clothing, symbols, tattoos, jewelry, manner of grooming and other items related to gang membership or affiliation. Gang-related speech, gestures, graffiti, insignias, solicitations and other actions would be prohibited.

The purpose of a gang policy is prevention, according to Board President Charles Ballard, and to be pro-active rather than surprised.

“Indications are all around us," he said. "We are not immune.”

Board member Alan Earnshaw expressed concern that the policy was too broad in its definition of gangs and activities, and that groups of students engaging in illegal activities or other actions that violate current school codes could mistakenly be considered a gang.

 Dr. Thomas Mirabella, director of Student Services, explained the proposed policy and said that it is similar to gang policies at other schools.

 The policy defines gangs as “three or more individuals with a common interest, bond or activity which are associated with criminal activities or whose purpose includes the commission of illegal acts; and who refer to themselves by a group name or designation.”

Ballard told the board that teachers and other school staff have received training to identify gang behavior and activity.

Ballard asked board members to suggest changes to the proposed policy at the next board meeting March 14.

A final policy will most likely be acted upon at the March 28 board meeting, he said.

In other business, district resident Otto Slozer told the board that it illegally discussed the proposed district budget in secret.

Slozer said a confidential budget memo that was made public referred to budget deliberations by the board in closed executive session. Slozer said the state “Sunshine Act” does not allow budget matters to be discussed in private.

He said the school board’s justification for the secret budget talks was incorrectly based on the state’s Open Records law that allows documents to be kept confidential before a decision is made. Budget documents before budget votes can be kept secret, Slozer said, but budget deliberations before voting must be in the open.

“You can do better,” he told the board.

The board did not reply to Slozer’s charges.

Resident Larry Kratzer asked the board if they had considered saving taxpayer’s money by replacing the district’s custodial employees with contract custodians. He said other schools and businesses have contracted out custodial duties to save money.

With benefits included, Kratzer said, the district is paying more than $60,000 per year per custodial employee.

Ballard said district staff would respond to Kratzer’s inquiry.

Director of Business Operations Lynn Glancy told the board that repairs are being made to the Lower Macungie Middle School library that was flooded this winter when a frozen fire sprinkler burst over a weekend.

The library, half of which is now re-opened, sustained $130,000 in damages which is covered by insurance, he said. The cause was improper insulation which allowed cold air to freeze the sprinkler head.