Program Assistant - Pupil Services

: JobID: 5355 Position Type: Support/Administrative Assistant Date Posted: 6/6/2025 Location: Downingtown, PA Date Available: 07/01/2025 Closing Date: 06/20/2025 Position: Program Assistant - Pupil Services Location: Administration Building/Central Office Start Date: June 24, 2025 Specifications: 7.50 hours per day, 5 days per week, for 12 months per year (260 contract days); Year-round with benefits Pay rate: $22.39 per hour Are you passionate about helping ALL students learn in a collaborative environment? If so, we may have the career for you! At DASD, we are committed to sharing values of diversity and inclusion in order to achieve and sustain excellence in education. As a diverse district, we continually seek ways to strengthen our educational environment. We believe that we can best promote excellence by recruiting and retaining a diverse group of staff who bring various backgrounds and perspectives. Our ability to create and maintain a climate of respect is critical to attaining the best teaching and learning environment. If you want to be part of our "Downingtown Proud" team - please apply! Help us with our mission to educate all students to meet the rigorous challenges of a global society. At the Downingtown Area School District we value our employees. We seek to hire new staff who:

• Communicate openly to build relationships and trust
• Partner with team members to see the TEAM succeed
• Demonstrate a growth mindset and seek ongoing opportunities for growth
• Embrace and support a safe and inclusive environment
• Eagerly and enthusiastically support student learning
• Strive to be kind and reflective
• Focus on the solution and put people first
• Lead by example!

Job Summary : Coordinates and implements daily and strategic operations in order to assist and support the department with administrative responsibilities . Qualifications : To successfully perform this position, a person must be able to perform each primary duty satisfactorily. The qualification requirements listed below represent minimum levels of educational achievement, training, skills and/or ability necessary. This position description does not express or imply that these are the only duties to be performed by the incumbent(s) in this position. Employee(s) will be required to complete other job-related duties requested by the supervisor.

• High school diploma with a minimum of three years experience in a similar position
• Knowledge of standard office procedures and practices.
• Ability to handle multiple tasks simultaneously.
• Proficient secretarial skills, including organizational skills and the ability to meet deadlines.
• Strong technology skills, including but not limited to all tools in the Office and Google Suites.
• Proficiency in the use of technology for individual and system management, communication, and research.
• Strong mathematical, verbal, and written communication skills.
• Ability to make decisions independently, as well as to execute assignments of administrative detail as delegated.
• Must have a high level of interpersonal skills to handle sensitive and confidential situations and information.
• Must successfully complete and maintain compliance with all federal and state background and criminal record check requirements.
• Candidate must adhere to all local, state, federal, and school code requirements for employment.

Duties & Responsibilities: (The description below is abbreviated. Other duties will be assigned by management)

• Answers incoming telephone calls: screens callers, schedules appointments and meetings for department Administrators using electronic scheduling programs, reschedules or cancels appointments, responds to inquiries, routes calls, records accurate messages, and retrieves and returns electronic voice mail messages promptly.
• Processes daily mail: receives, opens, date stamps, sorts, distributes. Processes outgoing mail via inter-school & regular mail systems.
• Utilizes various software products to design and develop correspondence, flyers, spreadsheets, etc., for projects, meetings, workshops. Composes, designs, faxes, proofreads, prints, duplicates, collates, distributes, and files departmental materials: correspondence, memos, reports, bids, and budgets.
• Responds to, or redirects, all forms of communication.
• Monitors weekly, maintains and updates monthly department website and DASD Sharepoint portal postings.
• Prepares and submits requisitions and reconciles expenditures as needed for the department.
• Sets up and maintains efficient office systems and procedures: maintain filing systems in proper order for efficient retrieval; maintains confidential files; maintains an organized electronic filing system.
• Interfaces with all levels of employees and external contacts, greets visitors, provides assistance and information, responds to inquiries and requests, and makes referrals to third parties when appropriate.
• Maintains and checks tickler file daily for matters requiring attention and prioritizes job assignments ensuring timely follow through.
• Meets regularly with administrator to review work and appointment schedule: discusses assignments, reviews progress of projects, agrees on goals and timetables, confirms appointment schedule, and notifies receptionist of expected visitors.
• Anticipates and initiates collection of data, compiles and summarizes information, prepares State & Federal reports, performs budget computations, monitors, reports progress, and finalizes reports relevant to issues of the day, week, month, or time of year. State reporting includes 12/1 and 7/1 special education student count, and others as assigned
• Tracks budget expenditures and submits monthly reports of expenditures.
• Schedules, prepares agenda, attends and takes minutes for meetings as required. Reserves room accommodations and makes necessary arrangements for refreshments for various meetings.
• Arranges reasonable and efficient transportation plans and reserves accommodations for meetings and conferences.
• Uses initiative and decision-making skills to assist the department.
• Creates and maintains position procedure outline to describe day to day duties of the position/department as needed.
• Works in collaboration and coordination with other assistants to ensure accurate communication across departments.
• Maintains supplies and orders as needed for the department.
• Maintains supervisors' appointments: schedule multi-partied meetings with personnel, IU, and parents as needed.
• Assists special education supervisors with transportation coordination for ODP students.
• Tracks the training requirements for paraprofessionals (20 hours).
• Maintain student databases for special education, 504s, early intervention, and/or gifted
• Completes requisitions for supervisors.
• Communicates with outside agencies as needed for (PCA's, nurses, psychiatric evaluations, OT/PT, speech, etc.), to coordinate services.
• Completes the pre-registration process for professional development in My Learning Plan.
• Coordinates paraprofessional credential of competency documentation.
• Coordinates safety care trainings at the district.
• Processes medical access data for the district and supports with random moment time sampling system as needed.
• Reconciles purchase-cards for secondary special education programs.
• Assists with administrative tasks related to planning for Special Olympics and Extended School Year (ESY) programming.
• Supports with coverage and planning for school nurse absences and field trip coverages, includig but not limited to scheduling call outs as directed by the Supervisor.

DASD Benefits Information : Select Health Benefits a la carte - Only pay for what you need

• Medical Coverage through IBX - PPO plans only
  • No Primary Care Physician necessary
  • No referrals required
  • IBC has extensive local and national networks
• Prescription Coverage through CVS/Caremark
• Dental Coverage - Delta Dental Active PPO
  • Allows use of in-network and out-of-network providers
• Vision Coverage - Vision Benefits of America (VBA)

Eligibility - No Waiting Period All employees may enroll in the district's health benefit plans effective with their date of hire into the benefit eligible position. Eligible Dependents A legally married spouse as defined by PA law and children up to age 26 may enroll in the District's health benefit plans. New Hires or Newly Eligible You have 31 days from the date that you are benefit eligible to make your elections. If you do not make elections during this time, you will only be enrolled into any benefit that is provided by the District at no cost to you. Flexible Spending Accounts Benefit eligible employees have the opportunity to elect to participate in a Flexible Spending Account. DASD offers both a Healthcare Spending Account and Dependent Care Spending Account. This benefit allows you to set aside pre-tax dollars to pay for out of pocket eligible healthcare and dependent care expenses. Support for the Whole You

• Fitness Program
  • Receive $150 back when you complete 120 workouts at an approved fitness facility within 365 days.
• Nutritional Counseling
  • Up to 6 free visits per calendar year with a registered dietitian.
• Employee Assistance Program
  • Health Advocate is a free, confidential program that offers EAP+ Work/Life benefits to help you address difficulties in your life by providing short term assistance with personal, family, and work issues. In addition, it simplifies the navigation of the health care system by helping you find the right doctors, resolving billing and insurance claim issues, explaining benefit coverages, helping your parents or in-laws with the complexities of Medicare, and much more!
• Telemedicine
  • The telemedicine benefit through SwiftMD is offered to ALL DASD employees at no cost to you. The telemedicine benefit allows for consultations with US board-certified doctors over the phone or online, from your home, office, or on the road. These physicians can diagnose, recommend treatment, and submit prescriptions to your pharmacy of choice.

Retirement - Member of State Pension System (PSERS)As a PSERS member, you'll join with over a half million fellow public school employees who are also members. You'll contribute to your own personal PSERS retirement account and have a safe and secure benefit payment(s) from one of the largest public retirement plans in the nation. Student Loan Forgiveness All DASD employees are eligible to apply for loan forgiveness through the federal government's Public Service Loan Forgiveness program. Find out more here: Life Benefit Pays 1 x your basic annual salary up to maximum of $60,000 Income Protection Benefit Pays 60% of your basic monthly pay, up to $1,500 per month Paid Time Off

• 12 sick days annually
• 3 personal days annually for full-time employees; 2 annually for part-time
• 10 vacation days annually; 1 additional day per year after 5 years of employment up to a maximum of 20 days per year
• 19 paid holidays per year

Tuition Reimbursement 75% of tuition if grade of ‘B' or better is attained; limit 12 credits per year. Salary Increases Minimum of 3.3% per year Retiree Benefits

• Personal Days Payout
• Sick Days Payout

EOE