The West Chester Area School District is drafting rules to require weekly wellness checks on students enrolled full-time in its virtual instruction program.

The district's Policy Review Committee took up the new policy and 10 other items at its Monday, Oct. 26, meeting at the Spellman Education Center in Exton, according to the meeting agenda. The four-member panel was chaired by Director Dr. Laura Detre, with Directors Gary Bevilacqua, Katy Frey and Ramon Jackson.

All 11 items were listed as action items for review and approval. Official minutes have not yet been published.

The marquee item was Policy 204.1, Virtual Attendance and Wellness Checks. The policy would require a district employee to visibly see and communicate with each full-time virtual student in real time at least once per week during any week with three or more instructional days, according to the policy document. Students can satisfy the check by turning on a webcam during live instruction or by participating in health screenings, standardized testing, advising, tutoring or in-person school activities.

If a student misses a required check, the district must contact the family within one school day using at least two methods and send written notice in the family's preferred language. Should the check remain incomplete three school days after that notice, the district must schedule a wellness review conference within one additional day. If the student skips the conference, an in-person home visit must happen within 24 hours, even on weekends or holidays.

The policy follows a Pennsylvania Department of Education directive requiring districts with full-time virtual programs to adopt and publish a wellness check policy by March 1, 2027. The state requirement took effect for the 2026-27 school year.

The committee also reviewed a new administrative guideline on lead testing in school buildings, Guideline 704AG2, presented by Mr. Birster. The specific provisions were not detailed in the public agenda materials. Lead testing in Pennsylvania schools has drawn scrutiny after state legislators relaxed public reporting requirements in this year's budget. Schools that test must now report lead levels above five parts per billion, up from any detection above zero, as Spotlight PA reported in July.

Other agenda items included revised policies on bullying and cyberbullying (Policy 249), academic standards (Policy 102), health examinations and screenings (Policy 209), school wellness (Policy 246), the school calendar (Policy 803), school safety personnel (Policy 805.2) and automated external defibrillators and CPR (Policy 822). New guidelines covered growth screening exemptions and surveying students by internal graduate degree candidates.

Two existing policies, curriculum development (Policy 105) and maintenance (Policy 704), were reviewed with no changes.

The full school board met later that evening at 7 p.m. The next Policy Review Committee meeting is Jan. 25, 2027.