Lisa Pison, a computer programming teacher, was one of 20 teachers from around the country participating in the first Cyber Security Boot Camp at the university, the news release says.

Teachers had to apply to be selected. They received stipends from a U.S. Department of Defense grant to attend.

Each day’s lesson focused on a different aspect of security and participants received hands-on training, Hossain Heydari, a professor of computer science who is helping lead the boot camp, said in the news release. They learned techniques and materials for teaching and received information they can share with students about jobs in the cyber security field, the release says.

The school partnered with the Eat Play Breathe Transportation Task Force to apply for the grants, awarded by Penn State Hershey PRO Wellness Center and the Pennsylvania Department of Health, the release says.

Lorenzo Paul, a Logos Academy student, helps clean up at the groundbreaking for the Hope Street Garden in York. A grant will help create safe walking routes to and from the garden. (Submitted photo)

For a Safe Routes to School mini-grant, the school and Eat Play Breathe have partnered on bike-friendly activities in the past and surveyed students and parents in April and May to gather data on their most frequent mode of transportation. They will continue a focus on bike safety with students over the summer, the release says.

Safe Routes to School grants go toward efforts to encourage students to walk or bike to school.

For a Capacity Building mini-grant, the school and task force partnered with Hope Street Garden and Learning Lab to create safe walking routes for schools participating in that project. The groups are working with a transportation engineer to enhance crosswalks used to get to and from the garden, and temporary way-finding signs will be installed along the route, the release says.

The Capacity Building grants are aimed at encouraging healthy behaviors related to nutrition and physical activity, the release says.

Lincoln Charter School also completed the CDC’s School Health Index, a tool schools can use to help improve their health and safety policies and programs.

*This post was updated to reflect the correct amount of the grants.

The Associated Press reports that the case “lays bare the difficult decisions facing school administrators.”

The story says that when Nicole Maines was a fifth-grader, she was told to use the staff bathroom after there was a complaint about her using the girls’ restroom. Her family and the Maine Human Rights Commission sued.

Transgender issues recently drew attention in York County, after transgender student Issak Wolfe raised issues about prom court and graduation.

The board unanimously appointed Glenn Medice, a teacher in the West York Area School District, and Michael Breeland, who previously served eight years on the board. They were the only applicants for the seats.

Glenn Medice

Medice was a regular attendee at the district’s financial recovery meetings. He said he heard the emphasis placed on drawing students back from charter schools, and thought that some leaders didn’t set a good example by walking away.

“As an educator, I believe … this district hasn’t seen its best days,” he said.

He said he didn’t want to lay blame, but rather get involved and “see what we can do together.”

Breeland, a former board member who served for eight years, said “it hurts my heart” to see what’s happened in the district.

He said he’s heard the district’s “failure is not an option” motto.

“Quitting isn’t an option either. We can’t quit on our children in the city,” Breeland said.

Breeland said that with the district’s educators and administrators, “we can make some changes.” It’s about everyone working together, he said.

“I’m tired of hearing about all these divided camps,” he said.

Medice and Breeland will serve until December.

The numbers reflect what is proposed in House Bill 1437, a state budget proposal crafted by House Republicans. You can see those funding levels here.

Senate Democrats have their own state budget proposal. You can see their proposed school funding numbers for districts around the state here, under classroom education funding plan.

It’s important to note – you can’t directly compare these numbers without knows exactly what’s included in their totals. (I see a description in the Republicans’ news release, but I’m not clear on what’s in the Democrats’ numbers.)

In many ways, the report reiterates what we already know: school districts are facing increased costs, decreased revenues and left with largely two options to deal with that – program cuts or tax increases.

But it’s a good way to look at what’s happening around the state, and the survey shows that districts around the state are struggling with the same issues those in York County are.

Here are some highlights from the survey:

• 75 percent of districts responding said they plan to reduce instructional programs in 2013-14
• 47 percent plan to increase class size next year (after 51 percent did so last year, and 70 percent did the year before)
• 23 percent plan to delay textbook purchases in 2013-14 (following 40 percent that did so in 12-13)
• 20 percent plan to reduce or eliminate extra-curricular activities, including sports, or to establish or increase fees for participation in those.
• Eight percent plan to close school buildings

On a good note for some taxpayers – 34 percent of districts reported they would not be raising taxes for next year, and only 19 percent said they will raise taxes above their Act 1 tax limit.

The report says about half of districts responding believed their financial condition would be worse next year. Four districts – one is York City – have been placed in “financial recovery” status by the state, and “additional school districts that are teetering on the edge of fiscal distress are expected to fall into financial recovery status in 2013-14,” the report says.

The organizations say 187 of Pennsylvania’s 500 districts responded to the survey.

Related stories: Red Lion approves budget with no tax increase

Proposed York City budget includes no tax increase

Northeastern budget passes, with tax increase

Spring Grove budget includes 2.1 percent tax increase

Southern budget includes cuts, tax increase

West York budget includes tax increase

The group works on issues such as food and resource self-sufficiency, reducing reliance on fossil fuels and building stronger relationships with each other and nature, according to a brochure.

Francie Delaney, with Transition York, said the group aims to help where it’s needed, not overlap where work’s already being done.

There’s no other community effort for a permaculture-style garden — a style that aims to work with the earth and cause the least amount of intrusion possible, she said.

Preschoolers, parents, teachers and other community members are involved with the effort. The garden will be right at the Crispus Attucks center, Delaney said, and there’s talk about a rooftop spot as well.

On Saturday, volunteers will be out planting seeds and transplants. Donations of rain barrels, veggie and flower seeds and seedlings are welcome, too. For more information, email TransitionYorkPenn@gmail.com.

The ceremony is at 7 p.m. Doors will open at 6:15 p.m. and seating will be first-come, first-served, the post says. Tickets are required for entrance.

There ceremony will be live-streamed to the high school auditorium, where overflow seating will be available, the post says.

Reported earlier: Graduation for William Penn Senior High School in York has been moved indoors, based on a weather forecast that includes a 70 percent chance of rain and thunderstorms for Friday, the district says.

The ceremony, scheduled for 7 p.m. Friday, will be held in the William Penn High School auditorium, according to an email from the district. It will start at 7 p.m. and each graduating senior will receive six tickets for family members.

Parking will be available in the Pershing Avenue parking lot and the Princess Street lot, the email says. Handicapped parking will be available in the St. Patrick’s Church parking lot on College Avenue.

Visitors should enter through the College Avenue doors, the email says. Call the main office at 849-1218 with questions.

The Associated Press reported on that aspect of the proposal to reauthorize the nation’s education law, known as No Child Left Behind, released Tuesday by U.S. Senate Democrats. (The full proposal is here. Jump to page 694 for the section on LGBT discrimination.)

“This is a significant moment for our nation’s education system and one that addresses the vital needs of all students in K-12 schools,” Eliza Byard, executive director of the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network, said in the AP story. “We are thrilled that the Senate is moving to address the long overdue issue of school bullying and harassment. This bill includes critical components to ensure safer learning environments.”

Locally, the ACLU of Pennsylvania had requested that the Red Lion Area School District add protections on the basis of gender identity to its nondiscrimination policy. The ACLU intervened on behalf of transgender student Issak Wolfe, who raised issues related to prom court and graduation.

The district’s attorney has said its policies are in line with state and federal law. Several advocates said that few districts around Pennsylvania have included gender identity protections in policy, and some said that districts take their cues from state and federal laws.

Jason Landau Goodman, executive director of the Pennsylvania Student Equality Coalition, said Wednesday the organization is in full support of the reauthorization proposal.

The proposal includes the Safe Schools Improvement Act (SSIA) and the Student Nondiscrimination Act (SNDA), which provide protection and equal access to public schools for LGBT students, Goodman said. Education advocates have been pressing for those measures for years, he said, with the goal of having them included in the reauthorization of the federal education law.

“We encourage the US Senate to vote in favor of a reauthorization bill that includes the language of SSIA and SNDA,” he said.

It’s worth noting that federal reauthorization of No Child Left Behind has been a long-lingering process. Education Week breaks down the proposal and reports that more reauthorization proposals are expected in the near future.

The ACLU of Pennsylvania had intervened on behalf of transgender student Issak Wolfe, who wanted his adopted male name to be read during the ceremony, instead of his legal name, Sierra Stambaugh.

Benjamin Pratt, the attorney for the school district, said the ACLU sent another letter last week, and the district responded Monday, maintaining its position that only legal names will be read at the ceremony.

Molly Tack-Hooper, ACLU staff attorney, confirmed that the ACLU had renewed Wolfe’s request and included information about the name-changing process. Wolfe, who turned 18 in April, is seeking a legal name change, but it won’t be completed by graduation. But, the district was “unmoved” by the ACLU’s arguments, she said.

The district previously agreed to let Wolfe wear black robes at graduation, as male students wear.

Related story: Gender identity is new territory for school districts.