Governor Mifflin Board Votes on Substitute Superintendent

The Governor Mifflin School Board votes Monday on putting a central-office administrator in charge of the district while Superintendent Dr. Lisa Hess is on leave. Item 12.1 on the Oct. 26 agenda asks the board to "Appoint Dr. Steven Murray as Substitute Superintendent, beginning October 27, 2026 and ending January 5, 2027, per Agreement." The meeting is Monday, Oct. 26 at 7 p.m. at the Governor Mifflin Education Center, 10 South Waverly St., Shillington.

This is Berks Beat's first Governor Mifflin story. The district serves the boroughs of Kenhorst, Mohnton and Shillington and the townships of Brecknock and Cumru, per its 2026-2029 comprehensive plan.

The leave and the fill-in

The district announced the leave in an Oct. 9 post that quoted Hess: "After much reflection, I have made the difficult decision to take a temporary leave of absence." She wrote that she had spent "the past 20 years serving this district, including the last four years as superintendent," and that she looks "forward to returning when I am able." Neither the post nor any board document gives a reason for the leave.

The four-page agreement attached to the agenda says Hess "is on leave until on or about January 5, 2027." It names Murray, the district's current Supervisor of Student Services for Academics, to fill in. He keeps his regular salary and benefits and gets "an additional stipend of $150.00 per workday." The board can remove him "at any time and for any reason, subject to a majority vote of the Board of School Directors at a publicly advertised meeting." If he wants to step down, he owes 30 days' written notice, and any extension past Jan. 5 must be "approved by the School Board at a public meeting." Conrad Weiser's board was scheduled to vote this week on its own No. 2 administrator.

What residents told the board Oct. 5

The Oct. 5 work-session minutes, up for approval Monday, record a long public-comment period, much of it about the proposed revision of Policy 226, the district's search policy, and the Aug. 28 football game. The district's Sept. 4 post said a weapon was reported at that game and none was found; Shillington's mayor gave a similar account to borough council.

According to the minutes, the mother and sister of a student said he "was subjected to being searched at a recent football game," that "due to his disability, he reacted negatively to being searched," and that "they feel he was wrongfully disciplined." They asked for "clear safeguards" if Policy 226 is revised. The minutes do not say which game. Andy Donnell and Susan Brent each asked that the revision be tabled and that "an independent review of what happened at the August 28th football game" be conducted. Rich Roberts asked what safeguards and training would govern searches done in private.

Greg Miller said he had shared "a formal memo, prepared by the Cumru Township Police," about what he described as discrimination at Community Days in July, and said the board took no action. Board member Janemarie McKay later said she found it "concerning that the Board did not invite the Cumru Township police, commissioners and township manager into its Executive Session on September 21st." (Cumru Township's own recent business is in our Aug. 18 recap.)

Brent and Sharon Kohler referenced social media posts critical of Hess's treatment of staff; Kohler, the minutes say, stated that "based on the Board's response, she may look to submit a No Confidence petition to the Board." Rick Wolf, a retired district administrator, called the posts inaccurate and said the district "is a good, solid school district." Board President Dr. Lisa Peterson responded to Miller that the board "has heard from staff members, community members, and stakeholders, and is working diligently"; the minutes say that "was all she could share publicly at this time." In closing, Assistant Superintendent Dr. Erin Anderson "read aloud a written statement from Dr. Hess, who was unable to attend," which "addressed some of the statements made on social media." The minutes do not print it. Berks Beat has not verified the speakers' accounts; they are reported as the minutes record them.

That night the board voted 9-0 to table its employment list and 9-0 to approve a Red Rover Technologies hiring and records system at "an annual fee of $33,500 plus a one-time implementation service fee of $6,000, for a total of $39,500; net cost after applied vendor discount is $33,500."

Policy 226 returns, edited

Item 17.2 asks for a first reading of "226 - Searches (Edited since 10.05.26 Work Mtg)." The posted draft shows deletions in strikethrough and additions in red underline; it does not explain what its bolded passages signify. Among the struck language is "A pat down search of a student will be conducted in private by an administrator and a staff member of the same sex." Its text says "All searches will be conducted by an administrator with a staff member present as a witness" and that strip searches "are strictly prohibited under this policy." The header sets a second reading for Nov. 16. Ten other policies get their second reading Monday, including 805.2, School Security Personnel.

Money on the agenda

• Bills paid: $9,908,850.84 (item 4.4). The September treasurer's report shows $14,847,368 in general-fund cash.
• Item 11.2 commits $500,000 of the June 30, 2026 general fund balance "for the purchase of new and replacement equipment purchases, pursuant to Governmental Accounting Standards Board Statement No. 54." The agenda says the board created this category earlier "but had not yet committed a specific amount."
• Item 8.5 is a Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency formula grant of $274,171 for "hiring a School Police officer for the Middle School, adding lighting to campus blind spots, radios for our SPO's, implementing an emergency management system, and creating a more secure entrance at the High School."
• An NRA Foundation grant for the rifle team (8.4). The agenda prints no amount; the scanned form says it "Could be $4000 or more," mainly for air rifles at an estimated $2,125 each.
• Item 14.1 renews a John Paul II Center agreement for four special-education students at "$53,000 per student," or $212,000 by our arithmetic. CHOR Centre Avenue Academy gets $363.28 a day for one student, and an independent educational evaluation costs $5,500.
• Two new distance-running assistant coach positions at $3,536.78 each, and three high-school change orders: $1,909.49 and $1,194.06 added, $1,055.70 credited.

Personnel and requests

The resignations list includes "Cote, Brian - Cumru, Principal; effective December 4, 2026." Cote is also named on the agenda as the applicant for a $1,000 attendance grant for Cumru Elementary (8.1). Laurie Connelly, a Mifflin Park kindergarten teacher, leaves Dec. 5, and the high school's full-time nurse has an "effective date TBD."

Communications received include "Jason & Marcella Sweigart - Hiring for New Coaching Positions." Three Right-to-Know requests were logged, including one for "records related to softball and baseball" going back three to 10 years; our guide explains how the law works. The Sept. 21 minutes, also up for approval, record a 7-1 vote on that month's personnel block, with Heather Bouchard voting no over "Mr. TJ Miller serving as a volunteer football coach." Miller is the high school principal.

How to attend

Monday, Oct. 26, 7 p.m., Governor Mifflin Education Center, 10 South Waverly St., Shillington. Public comment is item 5; the agenda says to "complete and submit yellow card to the Board Recording Secretary prior to the start of the meeting," and the district's board page limits remarks to three minutes. Meetings also stream on Zoom, with a link on the Keystone Agenda page. The next work session is Nov. 2 and the next voting meeting Nov. 16, both 7 p.m.