Responding to a recent report about alleged bullying problems in the school district, West York Superintendent Todd M. Davies sent a letter to parents and guardians assuring them that the district takes bullying seriously and outlining additional preventive measures the district has taken to deter any further incidents.
The letter reads:
Dear Parents and Guardians:
The local media recently reported on allegations of misconduct and student-on-student bullying at
West York Area School District. The District assures you that bullying is treated very seriously, that any reported
incidents are addressed promptly, and that we recently implemented additional preventive measures to deter
further bullying.1. The District prohibits student bullying. We offer school programs to prevent this type of behavior, and we
have School Board Policies that identify consequences for engaging in such misconduct.2. If your child is bullied, you should immediately report such behavior directly to your child’s building
principal. The District cannot respond to allegations of student misconduct if we do not hear about
such incidents.3. The District’s primary goals are to stop bullying incidents from occurring in the first place, and in the
event such misconduct happens, to take effective steps to prevent it from occurring again. Verified
incidents result in student discipline.4. The District and Reliance Student Transportation have new bus management procedures that include a
mandate for bus drivers to report, in writing, all student misconduct occurring on the school bus they
operate. This report is to be made immediately to the building principal, and the principal will respond
to each report promptly. To monitor implementation and enforcement of these new procedures, the
District will hold regular monthly meetings with Reliance to review bus conduct concerns to ensure the
safety and well-being of the students continues to be the priority.5. The District recently shared with parents and guardians new guidelines that outline the expectation
regarding student behavior on buses and the potential disciplinary consequences that could result if
students engage in bullying or other improper conduct.The District and School Board are committed to taking appropriate measures to prevent bullying in its
schools and on the buses. We ask for your assistance by encouraging your child to refrain from such behavior.
If your child experiences or observes bullying behavior while on the bus, or at any time throughout the school
day, we ask that you report it to the building principal as soon as possible. By working together constructively,
we can help to protect the safety and well-being of our students.Sincerely,
WEST YORK AREA SCHOOL DISTRICT
Todd M. Davies, Ed.D.
Superintendent
