Tulpe Board OKs Gay-Straight Alliance, two other clubs

A Gay-Straight Alliance was one of three student clubs approved Tuesday by the Tulpehocken School Board.

The issue was introduced at a January board meeting, where students who identify as lesbian and bisexual spoke in favor of starting the club.

According to the American Civil Liberties Union, Gay-Straight Alliances aim to create a safe, welcoming, and accepting school environment for all youth, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity. The ACLU says the clubs help make schools safer for all students by providing support, educating others about LGBT issues and engaging in awareness activities such as the National Day of Silence.

Two other clubs were approved Tuesday as part of the 7-2 joint vote, an Aevidum club—which aims to prevent suicide by “creating authentic cultures of care and advocacy”—and a Bible club.

Board members Harry Fox and Carl Kauffman voted no.

“If anybody feels like they’re lost and needs guidance, that’s what we have churches in the community for,” Kauffman said.

Fox said he voted no because the clubs on the list didn’t involve education and therefore didn’t need to be in school.

“That was all the clubs on the list, it wasn’t pertaining to just one,” Fox said.

Another board member, Kristen Rissmiller, said she voted yes, “after a lot of consideration and under duress, realizing I’m a representative of our taxpayers.”

Following the vote, resident Melanie Farrel thanked the board for approving the clubs.

“Whatever your personal opinions are, I do agree you represent all of the kids, not just some,” Farrel said, “these are kids that exist in our society, whether you accept them or not.”

Resident Cathleen Palm said the club vote — along with Tuesday’s approval of the resignation of school psychologist Lauren Solazzo — made her wonder about the status of the school’s counseling and support services.

“That seemed to be a lot of what was generating board members’ and parents’ anxiety about these clubs, to what degree they would step in and have a counseling role,” Palm said.

Superintendent Andrew Netznik said the school is looking to fill the role of the resigning psychologist and has another psychologist.

Other student counseling services include a home school visitor and social worker, access to the Berks Counseling Center and Caron Foundation, two high school counselors and a trauma-informed classroom, Netznik said.

In other business, resident Tom Morehead asked the board to clarify its position on livestreaming meetings.

Morehead said he broached the topic at previous meetings and was unsatisfied with the board’s answers.

“The consensus among the board is that we are not interested,” board President Kyle Batz said, “we are all in the same opinion.”

Morehead said board members had spoken previously about trying to get more parents involved with the district and suggested livestreaming meetings might enable that.

“I feel if you can come out, and its important to you, you’ll be here,” board member April Klopp said. “Some people can say other schools do it, well other schools teach critical race theory. We don’t.”

Morehead said parents struggling with busy schedules and raising kids might not have time to attend meetings.

Board member Matthew Lytle said he understood Morehead’s point but noted he had five kids and made it a point to run for the school board and serve the district.

“We need more parents willing to come out here and sit in these seats,” Lytle said.

Several board members suggested that parents who can’t make meetings form groups and keep in touch with parents who attend.

Palm said that as a parent who is busy, it doesn’t seem to her that the board really wants engagement.

“It is very hard to follow this board’s actions and be informed unless you can be in this building every meeting,” Palm said.

Klopp disagreed and said the board encourages parent involvement.

“There’s meetings where we’ve sat here for an hour and gotten feedback from parents,” Klopp said.

Batz concurred with Klopp and said interested parents could easily get information from the school via email.

“You don’t have to be here to communicate,” Batz said, “and believe me, we’re not hiding anything here.”