Tulpehocken Area School District

Tulpehocken Area School District is a public school district serving the northwestern corner of Berks County, Pennsylvania. Its administrative offices are located at 27 Rehrersburg Road in Bethel, and the district can be reached by phone at 717-933-4611. The district sits roughly 45 miles east of Harrisburg, about 20 miles north of Reading and approximately 45 miles west of Allentown, placing it within reach of three of the region's larger population centers while retaining the rural and small borough character of the communities it serves.

The district covers an area of about 100 square miles and draws students from five municipalities: Penn Township, Tulpehocken Township, Jefferson Township, Bethel Township and Bernville Borough. Approximately 1,330 students are enrolled across four school buildings, a size that places Tulpehocken among the smaller districts in Berks County and allows for relatively low enrollment per grade level.

Schools and Grade Structure

Instruction is organized across four buildings, with elementary education divided between two schools positioned at opposite ends of the district and the secondary schools sharing a single campus in Bernville.

• Bethel Elementary School, 8390 Lancaster Avenue, Bethel, serving kindergarten through sixth grade under Principal Andrew Guers.
• Penn-Bernville Elementary School, 24 Shartlesville Road, Bernville, also serving kindergarten through sixth grade, under Principal Lindsey Tinney.
• Tulpehocken Area Middle School, 428 New Schaefferstown Road, Bernville, serving grades seven and eight, under Principal Brian Foreman.
• Tulpehocken Area High School, 430 New Schaefferstown Road, Bernville, serving grades nine through twelve, under Principal Christopher Hamrick with Assistant Principal Chad Gerard.

The two elementary schools feed into the middle school, which in turn transitions students to the high school on the same shared campus. Because the middle school and high school occupy adjacent addresses on New Schaefferstown Road, scheduling, facilities and transportation for grades seven through twelve are coordinated in close proximity.

Mission and the Portrait of a Trojan

The district's mission statement is summarized in three words: Expect, Believe, Achieve. In June 2024, the school board adopted a companion framework known as the Portrait of a Trojan, which identifies five core habits the district aims to develop in every graduate. Those habits are Active Collaborator, Compassionate Citizen, Effective Communicator, Innovative Problem Solver and Resilient Individual. The framework functions as a shared reference point for curriculum planning, student expectations and school culture across all four buildings, and it reflects a broader movement among Pennsylvania districts toward defining graduate outcomes in terms of transferable skills alongside academic achievement.

District Leadership

Superintendent Dr. Andrew Netznik leads the district, supported by a cabinet that includes the Assistant to the Superintendent, the Director of Teaching and Learning, the Chief Financial Officer and the Chief Operating Officer. This structure divides responsibility among instructional leadership, financial oversight and operations, including facilities and support services. Building principals report into this structure while retaining day to day authority over their individual schools. As with all Pennsylvania public school districts, policy decisions, budget approval and hiring are overseen by an elected board of school directors.

Athletics and Student Activities

Tulpehocken competes as the Trojans. Athletic programs, student activities and community relations are overseen by a single director, a combined role common in districts of this size. Games are broadcast through the Hudl fan platform under the listing for Tulpehocken High School in Bernville, which allows families, alumni and community members who cannot attend in person to follow competitions remotely.

Beyond athletics, the Tulpehocken Theatre Company produces student musicals and theatre productions. The program maintains its own dedicated production website covering auditions, rehearsal schedules and performance dates, giving the theatre program a distinct identity within the district's extracurricular offerings.

Live Streaming and Communication

The district streams events through two channels. Athletic contests are carried on Hudl, while music concerts, commencement exercises and other ceremonies are streamed on the district's YouTube channel. Families also receive the Tulpy Times, a district newsletter with archived issues available going back to the 2019-2020 school year, providing a running record of district news, program updates and student accomplishments.

Family and Student Services

Several online tools support day to day interaction between families and the schools:

• Sapphire Community Portal, the district's family and student portal, used for viewing grades, accessing student records and submitting attendance notifications.
• Online student registration for new students residing in Penn, Tulpehocken, Jefferson and Bethel townships and Bernville Borough.
• Published lunch menus and cafeteria information for each building.
• Posted employment opportunities for professional and support positions across the four schools and administrative offices.

The school nutrition program operates under the district's school wellness policy, which addresses physical activity, health and nutrition education and healthy dining practices. As required, the district completes a formal assessment of the wellness policy every three years.

Public Records and Transparency

Tulpehocken Area School District responds to public records requests under Pennsylvania's Right-to-Know Law, Act 3 of 2008. Requests are handled by Right to Know Officer Andrea Kreiser at the district office, 27 Rehrersburg Road, Bethel, PA 19507. Completed request forms are accepted by email, by mail or delivered in person to the Business Office. The district also maintains a Safety Committee composed of employer and employee representatives. The committee meets monthly to review workers compensation claims, investigate reported accidents, inspect buildings for hazards and update related policies and training.

Practical Information

Prospective families moving into Penn Township, Tulpehocken Township, Jefferson Township, Bethel Township or Bernville Borough should begin with the online registration process and should expect to provide proof of residency, birth records and immunization documentation, as is standard for Pennsylvania public schools. Questions about attendance zones, transportation, enrollment paperwork, employment or records requests can be directed to the district office at 717-933-4611.