Safe & Secure Schools

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School Safety and Security Coordinators

MCIU 23 is dedicated to assisting school administrators navigate through the challenging world of safety and security. Our goal is to help you understand how to solve your safety and security issues so you can stay focused on providing excellent education to your students. We facilitate countywide School Safety and Security Job Alike group meetings once a month or more as needed, to provide trainings and to share best practices and legal requirements with members from each of our Montgomery County School Districts as well as our Career and Technical Centers. This group allows district representatives to come together and discuss current challenges, obstacles and solutions in our ever-changing world of safety and security. In addition, we provide support and guidance to all non-public schools throughout Montgomery County.

Southeastern PA Regional Task Force

MCIU is part of the Southeastern Pennsylvania Regional Task Force (SEPARTF) that is comprised of Montgomery County and its four neighboring counties: Bucks, Chester, Delaware and Philadelphia. This Task Force offers regional five county conferences and trainings at least once per year. In conjunction with the US Department of Homeland Security, the SEPARTF has been in place for the last 23 years serving the local communities helping to prevent, prepare for, response to, and recover from all types of emergencies and disasters.

County Collaboration

MCIU works alongside the Montgomery County Office Public Safety and their local school safety specialists. We offer Building Assessments as well as assistance and guidance during any type of emergency or fire drills as requested for any school building in Montgomery County. We provide a full analysis with recommendations to help keep your building up to safety standards and regulations.

BJA Grant: Our Commitment to School Safety

This proposal from Montgomery County Intermediate Unit (MCIU) outlines a project to enhance school safety and emergency preparedness, focusing on inclusive planning for students with disabilities and expanding threat assessment training for building-level support staff.

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Expanding Emergency Planning

MCIU will staff this project with specialists in school safety and disability to provide comprehensive support.
The team will develop procedures and training to help schools enhance safety plans, with specific focus on students’ emotional needs and accommodations for disabilities.
Training for law enforcement and school staff will begin in 2024, with additional sessions scheduled annually to expand reach.
MCIU will support local schools in updating emergency plans and monitor implementation to refine guidance.
Resources and training for parents of students with disabilities will be created to support emergency preparedness both at home and in school settings.

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Expansion of Threat Assessment Training

Situational Awareness and Threat Assessment for Building Level Staff: The MCIU is providing training to building level staff to ensure everyone plays a role in enhancing school safety.
Speaker Series: The MCIU has partnered with nationally recognized leaders in their field to bring specialized training to our school districts to keep our schools and students safe.
1. MAX SCHACHTER-TURNING PAIN INTO PURPOSE: A Father’s Journey to Make Schools Safer in the Aftermath of the Parkland School Shooting
2. STOP THE BLEED: Norristown Police Officer Matthew Walsh Provides Training on How to Respond to and Treat Possible Life-Threatening Injuries
3. HIDDEN, HIGH, AND HAMMERED: Dr. Beth Sanborn provides training to parents to help develop the skills needed to identify a child approaching a crisis.
4. INCLUDING ALL STUDENTS IN YOUR EMERGENCY OPERATING PROCEDURES: Action planning to remove the barriers while aiding in the design of emergency plans to ensure students with disabilities receive equitable treatment during times of crisis.

Resources

ACT 44 of 2018

MCIU Health and Safety Plan

PDE Safe Schools

PA School Safety and Security Committee

SEPARTF Homeland Security

United States Secret Service Averting Targeted School Violence

ACT 67 of 2019

Safe2Say Something

Approved Training providers:
NASRO
Cardinal Point

Contact:
Alfred Howard
Director of Facilities and Operations
610-755-9404
ahoward@mciu.org

Board Agendas & Minutes

Effective July 1, 2026, the Montgomery County Intermediate Unit will be utilizing the Keystone Agenda platform for meeting management. Keystone Agenda is a paperless-meeting software designed to house documents for Board agendas, meetings and minutes. Visit the Keystone Agenda website to view the MCIU Board Meeting agendas, meetings and minutes. To view past agendas and minutes, please use the buttons below:

Upcoming Agendas

Assistive Technology

Assistive Technology focuses on a variety of tools to support students including:

Augmentative Communication Devices
Writing Tools
Computer Access Technology
Switches and Environmental Controls
Assistive Listening Equipment for the Hearing Impaired
Access Technology for the Visually Impaired

We offer services directly to school districts in Montgomery County.

Schools/Districts

Student Referral Form

SETT Meeting Forms

PA Media & Design Competition Regional Event at MCIU

2021 competition will once again be held virtually

The PA Media and Design Competition (formerly the PA Computer Fair) is an annual event, typically held in March or April, that highlights Pennsylvania school students’ application skills and computer knowledge. Students are able to unleash their creativity, learn how to convey information more dynamically, and enhance the learning process. This competition is open to all students in grades 6-12, in public or private schools as well as state-approved home-school programs.

The Middle School and High School Competitions are two separate events operating under the same rules but held the same day at the same place under a common schedule.

Be sure to follow the regulations posted at the website: PA Media and Design Competition.

Middle and High School Categories:

Registration Opens: December 7, 2020 and closes March 12, 2021 at 4:00 PM. Deadline for Projects to be uploaded is March 26, 2021 at 4:00 PM. Judging Takes Place the week of April 5, 2021. Awards Announced: April 13, 2021. Open to all Montgomery County Middle and High School students

Regional Competition Information

Please note: Projects are limited to three per category per school.

Please be sure to follow instructions on PA Media and Design Competition for uploading your projects and all associated information.

For additional information contact: Jackie Krail at 610-755-9352 or via email to jkrail@mciu.org

Registration & Information

Business Office Support Services

The Office of Business Services provides a variety of back-office school business support services, including, but not limited to: Accounting support, Business Management, Payroll Processing, and Purchasing Support. Services are provided both short and long term and are customized to meet the needs of the school entity.

For more information on MCIU’s Business Office Administrative Support Services, please contact:

Sandra Edling
CFO/Director of Business Services
610-755-9410
sedling@mciu.org

Financial Wellness for Educators

The Office of Business Services provides an ongoing NO cost 10-week Financial Wellness for Educators Program for adults working in Montgomery County Public Schools. This program is made possible through a grant received from the National Association of State Treasurers.

Class sizes are limited and cover topics, such as: Money Values, Developing a Spending Plan, Understanding Banking Products, Credit Reports, Debt Management, Financial Disasters, and Preparing for Retirement.

To register for this opportunity, please visit the MCIU’s professional learning registration system and select the Financial Wellness course that best meets your schedule.

For more information, please contact:

Sandra Edling
CFO/Director of Business Services
610-755-9410
sedling@mciu.org

Southeastern PA Schools Trust

The MCIU’s Office of Business Services provides the Trust Management Services for the Southeastern PA Schools Trust (SEPaST). SEPaST is a consortium of seventeen (17) school entities in southeastern PA that work together to pool resources for the purpose of self-insuring medical, prescription drug, and other employee benefits.

www.sepast.org

For more information on joining SEPaST, please contact:

Sandra Edling
CFO/Director of Business Services
610-755-9410
sedling@mciu.org

2021 Federal Poverty Guidelines

Download

BrainSTEPS

The BrainSTEPS Program was created to build a bridge connecting the medical, rehabilitation, education sectors and families following student (K-12) acquired brain injury (ABI). ABIs can cause cognitive, physical, socio-emotional, and behavioral impairments that impact classroom performance and learning. In 2007, the Pennsylvania Department of Health established the BrainSTEPS Program to address this issue. BrainSTEPS consulting teams support school teams in the development and implementation of educational plans following student ABI.

The original BrainSTEPS model in PA is currently funded by the PA Department of Health and the PA Department of Education, Bureau of Special Education, and is implemented by the Brain Injury Association of Pennsylvania. In 2017, BrainSTEPS was recognized by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) as a national model for educational consultation supporting students and school teams in the development and implementation of educational supports and services following an acquired brain injury.

The Montgomery County Intermediate Unit BrainSTEPS team seeks to support both public and non-public school students as they re-enter school following acquired brain injury. They provide information to families and schools, links to resources, and provide training to school staff to learn more about the impacts and effects of concussion and other acquired brain injuries.

Student Referral Form

Head Start Policy Council - Minutes

The Head Start Policy Council meets monthly on Mondays. Please see our calendar for upcoming meeting dates.

Washington A Conference Room
2 W. Lafayette Street
Norristown, PA 19401

*Council meetings are currently being held virtually due to COVID-19.

HEAD START – FINANCIALS

The Office of Business Services is responsible for all of the internal fiscal operations of the Montgomery County Intermediate Unit. The Office annually prepares the operating budgets, annual financial reports, and coordinates the efforts for both the State and Local audits of our fiscal documents.

Equitable Participation

Equitable Participation (EP) Services are available to students identified as eligible for special education who are unilaterally placed by parents in private schools. In Pennsylvania, the IU is the agency responsible for the implementation of the federal requirement for EP Services.

Forms for Nonpublic School Use:

Professional Development Request Form

Materials Request Form

Consultation Request Form

• BrainSTEPs Form

• Consent for Observation

• Consultation Requests -Teacher Input

• Hearing Consult-Parent Input

• Hearing Consult-Primary SIFTER

• Hearing Consult-Secondary SIFTER

• Vision Consult-Parent Input

• Vision Consult-Teacher Input