Based on a growing body of research on adolescent sleep patterns and the impacts to student achievement, the DTSD Board of School Directors voted at its May 26, 2020 business meeting to revamp the districtโs school day starting with the 2021-2022 school year. Consistent with a constituent steering committee recommendation, the board adopted an 8 a.m. to 2:40 p.m. school day for elementary students and an 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. school day for secondary (middle school and high school) students.
At its May 26, 2020 business meeting, the DTSD Board of School Directors voted to advertise for public comment a proposed $65.8 million budget for the 2020-2021 school year that freezes property taxes. If adopted in final form at the June 22, 2020 school board meeting, the proposed 2020-2021 Budget will continue the financial support for all current educational and co-curricular/athletics programs
Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf has ordered all K-12 school buildings closed for the remainder of the 2019-2020 academic year in response to the coronavirus pandemic. During this time, DTSD is offering distance learning for all students. Click the headline link for the latest updates and additional details.
School closures, of course, are just one part of the larger overall effects of the current coronavirus pandemic to our community. In order to guide district families that may need some additional assistance as a result of COVID-19โs impacts, the DTSD Student Services staff and the Pennsylvania Association of School Social Work Personnel have compiled a useful list of resources. Click the headline for more details.
During the current period of school closure for all K-12 schools in Pennsylvania, Derry Township School District is committed to helping ensure students in need of food assistance do not experience meal interruption while they are not in school. We are working collaboratively through our community partnership with Cocoa Packs, which will be facilitating the delivery of these meals in conjunction with the additional food assistance they normally provide for students. Click the headline for more details.
Although Pennsylvania schools are closed for the remainder of the 2019-2020 academic year due to the coronavirus pandemic, Derry Township School District continues to accept new student enrollments โ including 2020-2021 kindergarten registrations โ and student withdraws. For information about procedures during this time, please click the headline link.
The COCOA Principles embody a district-wide culture where students and staff demonstrate DTSD's core beliefs ofACADEMICS: Second Marking Period Honor Rolls
Second Marking Period Honor Rolls for the 2019-2020 school year have been released for Hershey Middle School and Hershey High School.
ACADEMICS: HMS Student Wins Geography Bee
Congratulations to Ben Fredrickson; the 7th Grader bested fellow competitors Rian Kelly (8th Grade, 2nd place), Brady Keller (7th Grade, 3rd place) and 30 other contestants to win the Hershey Middle School Geography Bee. The contest featured all manner of questions related to the study of the physical features of the earth.
CITIZENSHIP: School Bus Driver Recognized
At the February 10 school board business meeting, Superintendent Joe McFarland and the DTSD Board of School Directors recognized school bus driver Joe Godino. While transporting students home earlier this winter, Godino encountered a vehicle which had left the roadway, flipping on an embankment with its motor running and wheels spinning. He took immediate action to ensure the safety of the students on his bus while also notifying emergency responders and helping the driver and two passengers escape their overturned vehicle.
All schools in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, including Derry Township School District, have adopted use of the “Safe2Say Something” anonymous tip line as a means of improving campus safety and improving school climate. The tip line is operated and monitored 24/7 by the Office of the Attorney General where tips are reviewed, classified, and forwarded to the appropriate school district. Tips that are found to contain information that may indicate a "life safety" issue are prioritized and immediately forwarded to the appropriate county emergency dispatch center.
Students, parents, and community members can submit tips via three methods:
