School board opts out of state risk behavior survey
Milford. The board also celebrated recent Spelling Bee winners.
Milford /
| 25 Feb 2025 | 04:59
School board members Carl Will and Jack Fisher with three of the Spelling Bee winners: second grader Logan Yearwood, fifth grader Aria Gonzalez, and seventh grader Mattias Itjen grade 7. (
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The Delaware Valley School Board voted unanimously against participation in the 2025 Pennsylvania Youth Risk Behavior Survey. At the February 20 meeting, each board member was given the opportunity to speak regarding the survey. They described the questions as off-putting, unacceptable, and with no educational value. According to the state, the survey “is part of the National Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System created and managed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to monitor health-related behaviors and experiences of the nation’s high school students.” Survey questions involve sex, substance use, and parental monitoring.
Cyber academy
A discussion was held regarding the Delaware Valley Cyber Academy available through the Delaware Valley School District. Student participation numbers change throughout the school year as there is the opportunity to sign up for the academy or return to the classroom at the start of each new semester. Prior to the COVID pandemic, 107 students were enrolled in the Delaware Valley Cyber Academy. It then went from 229 as a post pandemic high, down to a low of 56, then increased to the current number of 76. There are 120 students in other cyber learning programs. Standard cyber education through the school district is $4,250, versus $16,863 for outside programs. Special cyber education through the school district is $4,225, versus $32,250 for outside programs.
Vacancies
There were 21 resignations listed in the meeting agenda, which was reported as being high for this time of year. Some of the vacancies are in hard to fill areas such as secondary math, special education and reading specialist. College job fairs will be utilized to recruit new staff members.
Spelling Bee
Spelling bee winners were acknowledged at the meeting. Students, holding plaques from their schools, posed with and were congratulated by members of the school board. The winners in each grade will have their names engraved and added to the plaques. Five of the six spelling champions will be advancing to the next level of competition in Wilkes-Barre.