Dear North Schuylkill Families, Faculty, and Staff,
I am writing to share important information about a new Pennsylvania school safety law that takes effect soon and will impact how school districts communicate with families and employees.
Governor Josh Shapiro signed Act 44 of 2025, a new section of the Pennsylvania School Code titled “Parental and Employee Notification of Weapon Incidents.” Beginning January 6, 2026, schools are required to notify parents/guardians and school employees when an incident occurs involving the possession of a weapon on school property, on school transportation, or at a school-sponsored activity.
The law requires notification based on where the incident occurs. Because our buildings share a common campus, families and employees will be notified if an incident occurs in any building on the North Schuylkill campus. If an incident occurs at a school-sponsored activity or on school transportation, the District will notify the appropriate families and employees connected to that setting. Notification is not required when the incident is not directly related to the activity or to the students or staff involved.
Unless circumstances require otherwise, the District must issue the notification within 24 hours. North Schuylkill will use Finalsite services to deliver these required notices. This is the same system we use to communicate school cancellations.
To comply with confidentiality requirements, notifications will not include personally identifiable student information. Notices will include only basic details, such as the date and general location of the reported incident.
In the past, the District used professional discretion when responding to situations involving inadvertent possession of items not intended as weapons. Depending on the circumstances, this included look-alike items (such as toys) or everyday tools (for example, a small pocketknife or multi-tool accidentally left in a backpack or jacket). Act 44 may result in more frequent notifications, including situations that do not represent an active safety threat. An increase in notices should not be interpreted as decreased safety; it reflects a new legal requirement.
Families can help prevent accidental situations by checking backpacks, jackets, and sports bags and reminding students that prohibited items are not permitted on school grounds, buses, or at activities. Concerns can also be reported through Safe2Say Something at 1-844-723-2729.
Please know that the District will continue to work closely with our law enforcement partners, threat assessment teams, and safety/security personnel. The well-being of our students and staff will remain our highest priority. Thank you for your continued partnership in keeping North Schuylkill safe and supportive for all students and staff.
Sincerely,
Dr. Robert J. Ackell
Superintendent, North Schuylkill School District
You can view a PDF version of this document here: Act 44 of 2025 (PDF)
The North Schuylkill School District is proud to share the newly created Spartan Football Website. This site highlights the history of our football program, with records, season details, and important moments that have shaped Spartan Football over the years. It was designed to give alumni, students, and community members an easy way to explore and celebrate the tradition of our program.
You can visit the new site here: Spartan Football Website
We extend our appreciation to Adam Bernodin for his outstanding work in collecting and organizing all the historical information for the Spartan Football Website, as well as for updating and maintaining the site. Thank you, Adam, for your hard work and commitment!
We welcome you to North Schuylkill School District Food Service as our guest. Metz Culinary Management’s focus is on preparing fresh, homemade meals and reducing the amount of processed foods in our dining program. We use proven cooking methods to create great-tasting meals that kids really enjoy while improving nutrition at the same time.
Our breakfast and lunch options include a wide variety of fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grain breads, homemade entrées, and more great-tasting options that your child will love while providing them with a nutritious meal. Our snack menu includes a variety of fresh and dried fruits and reduced calorie sweet and savory snacks that provide the taste that kids enjoy, but are more nutritious for them and meet all wellness guidelines.
At Metz Culinary Management, we understand the importance of proper nutrition training to the health and well-being of school-age children, so we place special emphasis on nutrition education in every school we serve. We have created our Live Well program, a combination of educational programs that work in conjunction with our menu to help students develop healthy eating habits that will last a lifetime.
Live Well Wellness Friends focuses on making nutrition education and healthy eating an interesting experience through the use of age-appropriate educational programs and monthly promotions. Nutritious Friends introduces different fruits and vegetables each month in menu items and special promotions.
Nutritious Friendly Snacks are not only great tasting, but also great for you. The Nutritious Friendly Snack Program encourages healthy snack choices. Our team of dietitians follows stringent guidelines as they carefully select healthy snacks for the program.
Wellness Education Programs are designed by our registered dietitians and tailored to each age group. While younger children are taught the importance of MyPlate guidelines, teenagers are more interested in learning about the dangers of fad dieting.
We have something for everyone because we believe in the importance of good food and healthy dining options. Great nutrition helps you to perform better academically and fosters a good outlook on life. We do our best to serve quality food and a diverse menu daily.
To view our accessible menus by day, week, or month, and easily access their nutritional information, allergens, and more, please click on the SchoolCafe image. Detailed instructions on how to access the site and view the menus are available here.
The following district menus are not ADA accessible. Accessible breakfast and lunch menus are available at www.schoolcafe.com.
North Schuylkill School District cafeteria is meeting the strict federal nutrition standards for school meals and snacks, ensuring that they are healthy and well balanced and provide students all the nutrition they need to succeed at school. Now is a great time to encourage your child(ren) to choose school breakfast and lunch!
Through our Live Well Program, school meals offer students milk, fruits, vegetables, proteins, and grains, and they must meet strict limits on saturated fat and portion size. School lunches also meet additional standards requiring:
When possible and available, Metz Culinary Management is proud to utilize local produce in our program.
In accordance with Federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, the USDA, its Agencies, offices, and employees, and institutions participating in or administering USDA programs are prohibited from discriminating based on race, color, national origin, sex, religious creed, disability, age, political beliefs, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity in any program or activity conducted or funded by USDA.
Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication for program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language, etc.), should contact the Agency (State or local) where they applied for benefits. Individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing or have speech disabilities may contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339. Additionally, program information may be made available in languages other than English.
To file a program complaint of discrimination, complete the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form, (AD-3027) found online at: How to File a Complaint, and at any USDA office, or write a letter addressed to USDA and provide in the letter all of the information requested in the form. To request a copy of the complaint form, call (866) 632-9992. Submit your completed form or letter to USDA by:
This institution is an equal opportunity provider.
