ASD Committee of the Whole / Regular Board Meeting 02/26/2026

001committee of the whole meeting of the board of directors of the school district for the city of allentown for today february 26 2026 before tonight's meeting an informational executive session was held The purpose of the executive session was to engage in informational updates presented to the board on a number of district initiatives, as well as discussion of confidential student and personnel matters, including a proposed expulsion, adjudication, and matters related to employees' use of unpaid leave, discussion pertaining to ongoing collective bargaining negotiations with the Teamsters, discussion regarding the confidential investigation of an LCTI student matter. informational updates and discussion with council pertaining to district real estate matters and the costs associated with the neighborhood improvement zone. The board welcomes and invites public comment. You may address the board on agenda and or non-agenda items. The first

002opportunity for comment is at the beginning of the meeting and is limited to agenda items only. The comment cards must be received by the start of the meeting, which is now. We will not be receiving public cards once the meeting begins. A copy of the comment policy is located on the table next to the comment cards. According to our board's policy, any person may address the board in accordance with the procedures and limitations of this policy, either on issues presented in resolutions being considered or on other matters affecting the administration, management, or operation of the district. Remarks of a personal nature directed against any individual will be ruled out of order. If you choose to address the board, please fill out a comment card and hand it to the board secretary, Mr. Simonson. The comment

003cards are located at the podium near the door. Once recognized, please come to the podium and state your name and address for the record. Madam Superintendent, do you have some remarks? Yes, good evening, school board directors, members of the public, to my team, all our families tonight, good evening. Before we start our formal committee meetings, I just wanna, we have a few student presentations, so we'd like to, if that's okay with you, Madam President. Okay, tonight, please join me in a roaring round of applause for the Deer of High School. Chicago performers! Let's give it up! Derev High School will present Chicago, the Teen Edition on Thursday, April 23rd, 2026 through Sunday, April 26th, 2026. Let me tell you, this is going to be an amazing show and you do not want to miss this

004show tonight. Let's give it up for Derev! Under the direction of Prince Will Smith, he said he's going to perform this time. Miss Schubert and our choreographer, Miss Spangler. It's just a noisy hall where there's a nightly brawl And all that jazz! Your hair and where your buckles shoot That jazz! Hear that father dip is gonna blow the blues That jazz! Hold on, hold on, bunny! I bought some ass fo- In case you shake a pot and want a brand new start To do that jazz! You do! Achoo! It's just a noisy hall where there's a nightly brawl and jazz. Let's give it up for Jennifer Hart. What a sensational job. Let's give them another roaring round of applause. We invite everyone in this room tonight to join our students. If you thought this was

005great, just wait until you see the entire performance. We invite everyone in the audience to come on over to Deer of High School on April 23rd through Sunday, April 26th, and you can purchase tickets on the school's website. And I will be remiss if I didn't say, and I have to go on to the West End. And William Allen High School is also performing a play this spring. And they will, there's an amazing cast. You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown is a production that they are producing this year. So if you want to see an amazing treat with some sensational students who are very talented, please go on over to the West End on March 28th. I'm sorry, March 26th through March 28th to see. You're a good man, Charlie Brown. Let's give another round

006of applause for our students. Tonight, we have one more student presentation. And as an organization, our work is being anchored by our strategic plan, lighting the way, a blueprint for innovation and excellence 2030. And within that strategic plan, there are seven priorities. And tonight, we are going to showcase one of those priorities, academic excellence, which is the first priority. And so we are really thrilled that we have students who are going to perform the Seaboard present this evening. And Mr. Weiss, our director of world languages, is going to tell you a little bit about their presentation. Mr. Weiss, can you just give us an overview of what we're going to see tonight? Where's Ms. Smith going to help me? Tonight we're going to see Sotomayor students present some. of their work that they've been working

007on really hard. Well, the Lebanese app? Yes, and the Lebanese app too. Yes, that's what we wanted first. You wanted first, okay. Yes. All right, today I'm here. Good evening, Dr. Burks, the school board members. Today I'm introducing an international learning opportunity that expands students' horizons and builds real-world skills without the cost of logistics of travel. We had 76 students participate in the Building Global Apps Exchange. first semester, which pairs US high school students with students in Lebanon, and they design apps using the MadLearn app. And students commit two to three hours per week, collecting asynchronously and through live video exchanges, culminating in a showcase at the Digital Promise Youth May Festival. So I just want to add, and thank you, Mr. Weiss. As an organization, we are part of many national groups. And so

008as part of our partnership with Digital Promise, the League of Innovative Schools, as well as Verizon Innovative Learning Schools, they're all one organization. Our students, as well as our staff, participate in research projects, as well as... various academies in order to elevate our work in areas as it relates to AI, looking at English learners services, how we best serve our English learners. We also have students participating as student tech reps, leads, as well as student, our staff, also involved in various learning opportunities and leadership opportunities through these partnerships that we have. So we want to showcase one to the board tonight. Mr. Weiss. So this program directly advances multiple priorities of the Lighting the Way 2030 strategic plan. From an academic standpoint, students engage in rigorous project-based learning that emphasizes problem-solving, collaboration, and application, not

009just passive consumption. From a future readiness lens, students develop skills that matter in today's workforce, global collaboration, communication, and digital design. This slide highlights the quality and seriousness of the students work. Students followed a professional design thinking process identifying real problems, collaborating across borders, and refining solutions through feedback and iteration. The final products were not hypothetical exercises and the students produced concrete artifacts with problem statements, app prototypes, and presentations that demonstrate critical thinking, collaboration, and purpose. And I would like to introduce Erin Dreher to explain two of her students' apps that are available. Thank you. Thank you. Good evening, school board members, et cetera. So the two apps that my students created, one was a library app. So the problem that they had decided to work with was access to libraries and the limitations that

010may... exists for not just students in our area, but students around the world. So they created a database essentially that gives access to those students that use this app to a variety of different resources, whether they be works of literature or how-to guides, and they took those items and using the app they linked all of those various texts in various languages so that they would be able to then have those students access those materials and adults actually if they don't have access to a library if it's not walking distance if it is Not feasible for them to get to those places So the second app that my students worked on was Centered around students dealing with and people dealing with anxiety And this was actually a universal topic that the students in the Lebanese class

011had. many of their or a number of their students had created similar apps on a similar topic and so the app that is being shown on the slide is one that two of my students created and they pulled in resources, they've given some breathing exercises, a quiz that people can take to see where they fall on some of the various scales that are used, what they can do about negative thinking and it includes a variety of tools that help people that have anxiety issues would have the ability to use at a moment's notice and have in the palm of their hand. And our two apps from Bridgeview are the Evolve app, which raises awareness about environmental concerns around the globe. And our last app that we have is the Motivation app, which is a mental

012health, loneliness, and addiction app that is aimed at helping students cope with these things that they see. Thank you. So we just want to, I thought we had some students presenting, so I'm sorry they didn't come out tonight. So we just want to demonstrate to the board of some of the partnerships that we're sharing with you here, them in action. And so we want to commend the students who are working. Again, we're taking them across the world, but right through using the technology that we have. So thank you. And back to you, Ms. Matheson, and I'll have remarks in the other meetings. Thank you. At this time, we are only taking public comments on agenda items. Once recognized, please come to the podium, state your name and address for the record, and please note the

013remarks are limited to three minutes, and the microphone will be disabled at the end of three minutes. Please also be informed that the board appreciates public comment. However, we are not able to respond to these comments. Administration will address your concerns and update the board on the status of your concern. Do we have any comments on agenda items? Steve Koch. Thank you, Board, for giving me the time. I'm actually going to read a letter from my wife who couldn't be here. I am a resident of Midway Manor. My five-year-old son and I moved here 11 years ago when I married my husband, me, who already had been living here for a few years. My son signed up for Midway Manor's T-ball. And it was there we began meeting some of the other families here. He

014also joined the soccer program. And through the years, we became closer to our neighbors. My son learned to be a part of not only just a team, but a community as well. He is 16 now. And he loves to help coach the younger kids. He has spent countless hours on that field, making friends, helping out, and just having a place to hang out. It has, without a doubt, been a pivotal part of his childhood. There have been many other activities there as well. Our snack shed sales help to provide financial support we need to make all of them happen. It is the heart of our community, the Midway Manor. We don't just all live in the same neighborhood. We are joined by a sense of belonging that only the activities at our field could have

015brought. Yard sales, trunk or treat. sports, Easter egg hunt, concerts in the summertime, or just to name a few. We need these things to stay together, to feel like we all belong, to help us shape our children, and to bring peace and togetherness at a time when most people don't get to experience that. Our community is unique in all of this, and taking that away would collapse our whole way of living here. I would ask that you please consider the devastating effects this would have on us and rethink your plans for the Midway Manor. Missy Couch, my wife. Thank you for your time. Evie Osorio. Okay, say your name. Good evening. Well, her address is 530 West Allen Street. Good evening. My name is Evie Osorio. I am in second grade at Sonia Sotomayor. I

016love my school. At my school, I learn in English and Spanish. I can read. Yo puedo leer. I can write. Yo puedo escribir. I can talk to more people. Puedo hablar con más personas. At Sotomayor, we roar. We show respect. We take ownership. We work for achievement. We show resilience. My teachers help me learn every day. They help me feel brave and smart. I want to keep learning. Sotomayor when I get brave, when I get bigger. I want other kids to come to my school too. Sotomayor helps me learn. Sotomayor helps me grow. Sotomayor helps me believe in myself. Thank you for listening to me. Gracias. Miracle Santo. Miracle Santo. Evening. My name is Miracle Santo. I am in second grade at Sonia Sotomayor Duan Language Immersion Academy. Three years ago, I was here advocating

017so I could start kindergarten. Now I... Now I am here to tell you about the amazing things I learned at my school. At Sotomayor, I learned to read in English and in Spanish. I can read stories. Puedo leer cuentos. I can write my ideas. Puedo escribir mis ideas. I can talk and help others in two languages. I am also a mathlete. Being a mathlete pushes my learning. I solve hard problems and I keep trying. Even when it is hard, I don't give up. También rugimos en español. Sotomayor helped me grow. Sotomayor helped me become strong. Sotomayor helped me believe in myself. I hope Sotomayor can grow so more students can learn like me. Thank you for listening to me. Gracias. Amelia Rivers-Batres? Good evening. My name is Amelia Batris. Growth can be a sign of

018success, but when school is thriving, when families want to enroll their children, when programs are working, expansion feels like it's a natural step. Education matters, opportunity matters, and our children matter. But so does community space. The proposal and expansion of the Saudi Sotomayor Dual Language School cannot come at the expense of the soccer fields, the parks, and the community of Midway Manor. For many families, Midway Manor's open space is not just grass and goals. It's where kids learn teamwork on the soccer field. It's where neighbors meet, where birthday parties happen, where elders take their evening walks, and where families gather on the weekends. It is one of the few shared spaces that truly belongs to everyone. When we talk about expansion, we have to ask, expansion for whom? At what cost? If we remove or

019reduce the access to the soccer program, We are taking away safe, healthy space, structured activities that keep our kids active and connected. Soccer programs and community events provide mentorship, exercise, and a sense of belonging for some children that is just as important as any classroom. There should not be a choice between education and recreation. Both are essential. Both shape our children's future. Academic growth and community wellness are not competing values, they are partners. We need to find a solution to allow the school to grow without shrinking the heart of Midway Manor. That might mean exploring alternative sites, creating shared usage agreements, and truly preserving community access or phased development plans that protect the park and its programs. which it should not mean is sacrificing one community asset to build another. A strong school is not

020built by classrooms, but by the neighborhood it surrounds it. If we weaken that neighborhood, if we remove gathering space and youth programs, we ultimately weaken the very standards that our school serves. I hereby stand and support education, but I firmly support and protect Midway Manor's youth soccer program. Thank you. Melissa Rogers. Hey, everyone. Melissa Rogers, 1925 East Pennsylvania Street. I am going to let my neighbors discuss how wonderful our neighborhood is so that I can keep my time limited to a different aspect. In Allentown School District, I'm going to give you an analogy. If you've ever had a car that's due for inspection and the check engine light is on. People sometimes unplug the battery, drive it around, let it pass inspection to then keep driving, and eventually the light comes back on. We have

021many temporary, and I put quotes, modulars in the Allentown School District that are not being maintained and have been there for a decade or more. When you put a modular on the Sonia Sotomayor School, What is the end date for the temporary? Because we already have many schools in the district that have temporary modulars while our kids are continuing to get sick by the mold growing in the walls. See, I too want those little girls to continue their education. However, I want to offer you a challenge that gets overlooked in what those kids have to go through. So every day for the next week, let's just do a week. When you have to go to the bathroom, I would like you to get out of your desk, go outside, regardless of the conditions. walk 20,

02250 feet, and then walk back in before you actually go to the bathroom with no jacket because this is what the kids have to do every single day because modulars are not meant to be a permanent structure. So they will continue to endure that every single day, and I doubt you are willing to do that, but you would put them in that position. Now do it a couple more times because they also have to go in for lunch. They have to go in for their art classes. They're not just using them as a temporary solution to be able to expand. I hope there's actually a plan in place. And I really do encourage you to try to do the challenge. I don't think you would put yourself through that, let alone make children endure that.

023And we really are here for the kids, correct? So that's all. Thank you. Samantha Egizio. My name is Samantha Egizio, 1137 North Juanita Street in Midway Manor, Allentown. I am a lifelong Midway Manor resident who holds a sense of community close. Hearing that the school district has made unilateral decisions regarding our neighborhood-owned structures was alarming and disheartening. The Snack Shed is a way for our community to raise funds to offset the programs our community hosts. Egg hunts, trunk or treats, cookies or breakfast with Santa, sports programs, and more. Those programs are not exclusively for residents of Midway Manor. We encourage and project this to the entire Allentown community. So to cut the funds off is the way we raise them is not only hurting us, it's hurting the entire Allentown community. To knock down our

024shack set, snack shed would be a disgusting slap in the face to our community as a whole. And it's unfair that this is the solution to immediately destroy our prideful landmark. There are options. The corner of Pennsylvania and Ulster is an open area. Why not pave that paradise and put up a parking lot? There are modulars taking over the parking lot. Where will all those staff members park? On our streets? Making all of our residents who have to street park already park farther down the blocks? For the past 50 years, that area has been a school. And never once has it been designated a school zone. There is no signage. There is no speed bumps. There is no school zone speed warning signs. Nothing. But we're going to add an additional 10 modulars. Are those

025signs going to be implemented finally? The land was given by Lee Iacocca 40 plus years ago for the neighborhood to be enjoyed by all. And somehow along that way, that message and mission was lost. We are not opposed to the growth of the Sonia Sotomayor School. In fact, it's the very opposite. We applaud them and all of the great things that they have done and these little girls have been able to accomplish there. However, we are opposed to the disrespect and lack of care for our neighborhood. Thank you. Amy Fiedler. Hello. I'm Amy Fiedler. I live at 1204 Ulster Street. We often speak of wanting our neighborhoods to reflect the quality of life. Well, this neighborhood not only houses a school, but it provides a culture and activities that support children and families living on

026the east side of Allentown, not just in Midway Manor. Our programs, our Easter egg hunts, our truck retreat, our movie nights, our soccer games, and our concerts use the shed and the concession stand to invite families to participate in these programs. We offer for children and families at our seasonal events an opportunity to select books offered by cops and kids to support literacy and language development for these families. We want a quality school in our neighborhood. but we also want to be able to maintain an environment that is culturally rich for all families and individuals of all ages. Thank you. Alice Romberger. School board members and Dr. Burke, my name is Alice Rumberger. I live at 1325 North Van Buren Street in the Midway Manor neighborhood, and I'm the vice president of the Midway Manor

027Community Association. Our neighborhood association was formed in 1957 to foster neighborliness, goodwill, friendship, and service. For the past two years, on the first day of school, neighbors assemble outside the school and welcome all the Sonia Sotomayor students with wishes for a great year. And this year, we even had one of our children from our neighborhood attending, and we were thrilled. When we have Trunk and Treat, the Easter egg hunt and soccer program, we welcome all the children, not only the Midway Manor, but also from the East Side, Overlook Park, South Side, Center City, and from other municipalities. This year, I was invited to be a community member on the School Governance Board, which I consider to be quite an honor. I am so impressed by the dedication and passion of the teachers, parents, and administrators

028working in a school that is so cramped. But they are making it work. I believe our neighbors recognize the need for modulars. However, when the plans for the expansion so cavalierly called for the demolition of an existing maintenance shed, which was really our beloved snack shed concession stand, I needed to speak up. The impact on losing the snack shed will be severe and perhaps will destroy the Midway Manor community. This little building is the heart that allows our neighborhood to support youth sports and to provide a central meeting point for children and adult activities. The current snack shed was built in the 1980s and is maintained by the Midway Manor Community Association. It's quite the building. It has a flat-top grill, deep fryer, freezers, refrigerators, microwave, popcorn machine, hot water heater, electricity, running water, and

029a sink. Every year it passes the city of Allentown's health inspections. We pay all the bills, and we have insurance. The sales from the food prepared in our not-so-little snack shed allows us to help support the soccer program for over 100 children ages 5 to 17 and to keep the participation fee as one of the lowest in the Lehigh Valley. Replacing the current Snack Shed building and all its appliances with a portable concession trailer, that's not acceptable. So we ask the Allentown School District to find a way to save the Snack Shed with a heart. from demolition and to find a better layout for the placement of the much needed modulars at the Sonia Sotomayor Academy. And thank you. Paul Acampora. My name is Paul Acampora. I live in 1936 East Jonathan Street in Allentown's

030Midway Manor. I'm here in regard to the plans for expanding the Sonia Sotomayor Dual Language Immersion Academy. As you've already heard, there is support for that expansion to take place. However, it should do so without intruding upon the park or the ball fields and certainly without demolishing the Midway Manor Snack Shed, which have been important parts of the Eastside community since the 1950s. Regarding the Snack Shed, it was recently renovated thanks to a $50,000... state grant announced by state senator Nick Miller in 2024. It would be a shame to throw all that money away. I can't imagine that the state of Pennsylvania thinks an Allentown neighborhood is worth it, but the Allentown School Board does not. The Snack Shed is managed and staffed by volunteers. It generates revenue throughout the year for Midway Manor's Neighborhood

031Association, as you've heard, to underwrite children's and family activities. And you've already heard the list. But in addition to the neighborhood activities, funds... from those sales assist families whose children participate. One of five soccer teams that are sponsored by our neighborhood association. It's also where neighborhoods host food drives and fundraisers that support local organizations, including Whitehall Copley Hunger Initiative, Project Easton, Meals on Wheels. And as I mentioned, the five soccer teams that are part of the Blue Mountain Youth Soccer League, that snack shed serves hundreds of children and families from all over the Lehigh Valley. who have games in the park almost every weekend during the season. During the past few years, the Snack Shed's also been available for a series of summer concerts in the park, kickball tournaments with the Police Athletic League, and

032for the annual neighborhood yard sale, which brings... so many thousands of people to our neighborhood from all over the Lehigh Valley. In a news story a few years ago, Principal Jennifer Aponte shared her hope that one day the Sonia Sotomayor Academy will be a Blue Ribbon School. And I think you've already heard, myself and our neighbors, we're very supportive of that work, but we also believe that a Blue Ribbon School and Blue Ribbon students deserve a Blue Ribbon neighborhood. And that happens when a neighborhood has things like kids soccer leagues. a local school, a park, a yard sale, and a snack shed that brings people together. So as elected officials committed to healthy kids, healthy families, and a healthy Allentown, I think you need to find a way to continue supporting the great work of

033the school and Midway Manor without taking away from the neighborhood and our neighbors who are really proud to be partners with you and really proud to be your neighbors too. So thank you very much. GOOD EVENING, EVERYONE. MY NAME IS BADGE AND I AM THE FISCAL OFFICER FOR CASA GUADALUPE CENTER TO 18 NORTH SECOND STREET IN ALLENTOWN. I HAVE A LETTER OF SUPPORT FROM OUR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, LUCY DELABAR, WHO WAS NOT ABLE TO JOIN US THIS EVENING. AND THE STATEMENT READS AS FOLLOWS. DEAR MEMBERS OF THE ALLENTOWN SCHOOL BOARD, CASA GUADALUPE CENTER respectfully submits this letter in strong support of the continued expansion of the dual language immersion Academy Sonia Sotomayor CASA has been long-standing community-based organization serving the families and students of the Allentown School District we have consistently collaborated with the district to

034advance initiatives that promote equity academic opportunity and family engagement From the earliest planning stages CASA played an active role in supporting the creation of the dual language immersion program. An effort driven by the needs and aspirations of the families we serve. While Allentown is home to many cultures and languages, Spanish remains the language of preference for a majority of our families. For decades, these families have hoped for a school that not only accepts but celebrates their culture and linguistic heritage as an academic strength. The opening of the Dual Language Immersion Academy at Sonia Sotomayor two years ago marked a historic step forward. For the first time, our district established a school where bilingualism and biculturalism are intentionally nurtured as assets for all students. From its inception, the school was designated to serve pre-K through grade

035five and for the Midway Manor building. And the Midway Manor building was selected because it offered the physical capacity needed to fulfill that vision. AS THE BOARD PREPARES TO ADD ADDITIONAL GRADE LEVELS NEXT YEAR, EXPANSION IS NOT SIMPLY A PREFERENCE, IT IS A NECESSITY FOR DELIVERING THE FULL PROGRAM THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS ORIGINALLY APPROVED AND THE COMMUNITY SUPPORTED FROM THE BEGINNING. IN THE INTEREST OF TIME, I WILL CUT THE LETTER SHORT. I'LL SUBMIT A HARD COPY. urges the school board to move forward with the planned expansion and continue investing in a program that is transforming lives. We deeply appreciate the board's leadership and ongoing support. Submitted by Lucy de la Bar. Floor bless. Good evening, everyone. I'm going to read a letter supporting the Allentown Latino Education and Puerto Rican Culture Preservation. We write this

036letter as a coalition dedicated to supporting the education and success of Latino students throughout the Lehigh Valley. Our works with the Allentown School District and its leadership has consistently centered on what is the best for our students and their families. Our advocacy remains rooted in advancing the academic achievement of the Latino students. and empowering the communities in which this family lives. We have been active participating in the development of the district strategy plan and a strong supporter of its vision to establish the dual language immersion, Academia Sonia Sotomayor. From the earlier planning stages, we understood that the school will offer a dual language program beginning in pre-K through fifth grade with a continual bilingual, bicultural path our way through the high school. The goal has always been to cultivate bilingual and bicultural students who strengthen

037understanding, unity, and shared community across Allentown. Allentown is a diverse community representing many languages and Spanish is the preferred language for the majority of our families. For this reason, we celebrate this opening of the Academy with pride and hope from the beginning. From the beginning, the Midway Manor location was considered ideal because of its potential for future expansion. We are aware that some members of the Midway Mainers community have concerns regarding the school growth. We acknowledge that change can be difficult. We understand that the neighborhood has traditionally used the surrounding park and value certain space as part of the heart of the Midway Mainers community. While we respect these sentiments. It is also important to recognize that the land surrounding the school is the property of the Arlington School District. For this reason, the Dual

038Language Immersion Academy, Sonia Sotomayor, was assigned to this site. As the district prepares to add additional grades next year, expanded space will be essential. As a community, we understand that priorities may differ. However, the continued growth of this school is a critical priority for Latino families. Dr. Reverend Roberto Luis Lugos. Buenas noches a todos. Good evening, everyone. I'm the president of the National Political Agenda, president of my chapter, and I'm here as a president to support and express our firm support to the continued growth and expansion of the dual language immersion academy, Sonia Stato Mayor. Our mission is deeply rooted in the empowerment of our community, and we believe this academy is central to the academic achievement, cultural formation, and development of our Puerto Rican and Latino and other Latino students in Allentown. The Academia

039Sotomayor represents a historic milestone for the Allentown School District. For the first time, our language and culture are not merely accommodated, but are academically celebrated as an essential asset. By fostering bilingualism and multiculturalism from pre-K through high school, the district is preparing all students to thrive in the global society while strengthening the unity of our local communities. We acknowledge the concerns raised by some members of the Midway Manor neighborhood regarding the use of the surrounding grounds. While we respect the community's story with the space, it is vital to recognize that this land belongs to the Allentown School District and was especially intended to facilitate the school's needs and essential expansion. For the families we represent, this school is more than just a building. It is the soul of our community. and a critical priority for

040a children's future. We remain committed to collaborative problem solving and believe that through open dialogue, the district and the neighborhood can navigate this transformation together. Respectfully, Dr. Roberto Luis Lugo. Muchas gracias. Mark Stewart. Good evening. My name is Mark Stewart, 1314 Club Avenue, Midway Manor resident. Born and raised here in Allentown, Muhlenberg, Trexler, William Allen. Came back here, Allentown, grow a family, bought my first house in Midway Manor 11 years ago. Why? Because there's a beautiful park right in the middle of it. Why? Because there's tradition. A 70-year-old community association going on 70 years right at the middle, that's exactly where I want my 5-year-old being. That's exactly where I want my 14-year-old being, where he grew up playing soccer and learning soccer and playing sports and meeting friends and being there and working in

041the snack shed. When you take that away from a community, you make residents not want to be here. Lifelong residents not want to be here. Not want to send their kids to be here in Allentown because you're taking that away from them. My mom was a special education... teacher here for 15 years in the school district. My wife's a teacher. I understand the growing needs in the facilities that we have here in Allentown. The expansion down at Trexler, the expansion over at 15th Street, Jackson Elementary, then you got Hayes going on, and we need more space. So that $100 million property down on the state hospital grounds, you guys had to have planned that the Sotomayor School needs more room or needs, well, you got plenty of room down there. There's brand new buildings being

042built down there. These these these sheds that you're gonna put up for these kids that these girls don't deserve that they don't deserve these Modulars that get mold every two years and have to be closed and send kids here and there that's not the future I want for my kids. That's not the future. I would want for their kids It's not the future what this community deserves. There's thousands of hours thousands of hours that our community members put in and maintain and provide all of these services for not like we've stated the kids of valentown but everybody like the impact of taking that away would destroy destroy the heart of our our community It will keep our community association strong, but this is not it. This is moving way too fast. There's no transparency, and

043we need to slow down here. You guys need to come over here to the Midway Manor Community Board and the association and have a meeting with us. Talk about solutions, because taking something away from us that has been there for over seven years, how many communities in Allentown, how many are doing what we're doing? I don't think you can name one. I don't know if you can answer questions, but have you read Marvin Mettenberger's email? Anyone here on council, show of hands, read that email? Because that's 1959 that he goes back to. I started the athletic program back in 2000 after COVID with the help of our community, and we built this thing up. We can't have it torn down. Just no way of tearing this down. Let's come to a better solution. Julie Velasquez.

044Julie Velasquez. Good evening, board, families, and members of the Midway Manor community. My name is Julie Velasquez. I am the proud parent of four children, Finn, Callum, Rowan, and Reese. Callum and Rowan have attended Sonia Sotomayor Dual Language Immersion Academy since its opening. This year, they are in second and first grades. Reese, our youngest, will join them this fall in the pre-K program. And our oldest, Finn, has also been graciously welcomed to the after-school STEM enrichment programs. I am an active member of the school's family group, Voz de Leonis, and an active volunteer. I want to speak today of opportunity and community. Our children's paternal great-grandfather came to the United States mainland from Puerto Rico to seek better opportunities for his family. Three generations later the legacy of his language and culture has been given

045new breath through our family's choice to enroll our children at Sotomayor. In just two short years Calum and Rowan have flourished. Their minds have had the opportunity to expand in ways that no other school in our district can offer through a dual language community. They will be fully bilingual by the time they complete fifth grade. Multiply that by the remaining 146 students at Sotomayor. And that's a lot of new doors that will open to unique opportunities that come from the gift of a vibrant school community full of language and culture. All of these students deserve every opportunity that can be afforded to them. The current building is being used at capacity. There is no available space for the current second grade class to grow into. The Arntown School District's plans for expanding Sotomayor are the

046first step in a necessary journey to meet the needs of the current and incoming students at Sotomayor. For the program to continue its documented successes, all of our communities, the Sotomayor community, the communities our students live in all across Allentown, and the Midway Manor community need to come together and recognize that this is an incredible opportunity to transform into something greater. It is not an opportunity to erase traditions. It's an opportunity to share them. With the planned expansion, there will be change. Change is hard, but with change comes growth and with growth comes opportunity. Opportunity to teach children, to build bridges, to extend hands, to burst bubbles, and to build new things in a community where the foundations of its strength are built from its history, its pride, and its diversity. Thank you. Hot House

047family. Hi, everybody. My name is Tiffany Hot House. I live in the manor, and I actually was born and lived in the manor my whole entire life. And that shed has been there since I was born. I currently live there with my family and am part of the soccer program. And I'm not going to do all the talking. I'm actually going to let my daughter talk to you. So please save our community. Hi, I'm Madeline Hothouse. I live on Van Buren, and I'm 15 years old. The Manor has been my home since I was a baby. I went to preschool just around the corner from the park, and they would always take us there to play, like, go play for recess and everything. And it made everlasting memories throughout my childhood. I wish the same

048to my little brothers and the next generation of kids growing in the Manor. Sports have been an everlasting part of my life. Soccer, basketball, volleyball, and more. I remember practicing softball with my father on the baseball field and kickball when we had a soccer event for the program. Friend hangouts and birthday parties have been everlasting memories at the park. My school doesn't offer a soccer program, and the Midway Park has been my favorite place not only to play, but to make friends and everlasting relationships. It is such a welcoming and amazing place for a child to learn and grow. I've helped my father coach the younger kids, and it's such a wonderful thing to see the joy and dedication of the younger kids. I've made lifelong friends and... If you take this program away from

049us, I ask you, how do you think those relationships will go for those younger kids that just formed theirs? These children don't have phones or maybe not even a shared school. They don't have the connection to sustaining a friendship with someone who is younger than seven. Last spring season, we were told that the school district was going to repair our beloved field. To say the least, we were all very excited. And to hear that they want to take this away from us saddens me. I would like to make it known that we always welcome the Sotomayor students to join our program. We have many Spanish-speaking athletes in our program, and they are always welcome, and they will always belong. I want to continue to love living in the manor and taking away this soccer field.

050It shows that you can just take away anything, no matter what community. This community deserves a heart that has been alive since my mother's childhood. Thank you. Noah Ahmad. Noah Ahmad. Hello, my name is Noah Ahmad. I am a 17-year-old junior at Deerhoff High School, and I have lived in the manor since I was very little. I have been in the soccer program since... longer than I can remember. It would be absolutely horrible if they destroyed the field in the place of modules. There's still other alternatives that they can find in order to preserve the field and there's so many people who I know who live in the park that go to the park in order to have fun with their friends. I have made so many memories of a child in that park and

051it would be horrible if they would take it away. Hello, everyone. My name is Everett Hothouse. I live at 1268 Van Buren. I would like to back what he's saying. I hear a lot of people saying one way or the other. I believe that as a community, we need to step up together. Now, I don't hear anything about... pro sports programs in the in this school I believe that we can be part of this school I believe that together both communities can come together and be as one so we are not trying to say down to the school we want you guys to be big we want you guys to be surviving wherever it is if it's in the manor if it's somewhere else in Allentown we want you guys to survive live long live

052great lives but also We want you to be part of something as a team. We want all of you guys to be part of the Midway Manor Mustangs, play with us on the soccer team, and let's come together. How about that? How about that for everybody? Come on, clap it up. We don't need to get rid of a soccer field. We need to grow you and us together. That's what we need to do. Thank you very much for listening to us. Don't take our field. Bye, Mike. Please activate my mic. I just want to say to the public, please direct your concerns and everything you're stating to the board. Please don't direct it to the families or the students. That's just against our policy. I know we're spirited tonight and this is a touchy subject,

053but please direct your energy to the board. Thank you. We have one discussion item and 19 action items from the finance agenda this evening. First, Administration is requesting approval from the Board of Directors for the Sonia Sotomayor Dual Language Immersion Academy Expansion. This will include the request of a purchase of 10 modular classrooms at a cost not to exceed $1.6 million. We have a presentation on this tonight. Will those presenting please come forward? Thank you, Ms. Matheson. Jen Ramos, Deputy Superintendent, Chief of Schools, proud Latina here presenting this item. Ms. Aponte will be presenting with me, and we have our engineers here, Bob Core from the ISIC group, who will assist us. So we're going to get into just at a high level, we want to give everybody a bit of background on the school

054so that we have a clear understanding of what the programming looks like. We know this is the finance agenda, so we'll keep that part a little short and we'll move into more of the logistics around the expansion of the program. But just at a high level, reminding everybody that we have over 16,000 students in the district. Nearly 76% are Hispanic student majority. 75% are economically disadvantaged. And we have 44 home languages spoken at home, but we know obviously Spanish is the predominant language spoken at home. We offer a 50-50 model. Right now, our current enrollment is 146 students across eight classrooms, so pre-K, K-1, 2, and literally it's 50-50. Seventy of our students are non-native Spanish speakers, and 76 of our students are native Spanish speakers. So the program offers a true 50-50 model, not

055just in the language we offer, but also in the demographics which we serve. Madam Chair, can we just have Ms. Aponte say her name for the record? My name is Jennifer Aponte. I'm the prime principal of Sonia Sotomayor Dual Language Immersion Academy. So we wanted to ground our presentation this evening in our theory of change. We didn't land here by accident, but our theory of change is rather straightforward. As a district we believe if we design high quality theme based schools that are academically rigorous expand access to choice for all families align pathways to real workforce and post-secondary opportunities and ground the work and strong instruction and continuous improvement then we can create more options. That result is greater student engagement stronger academic performance expanded access to meaningful career pathways and ultimately improved graduation. credit

056attainment, and economic mobilities for our students and families. So at Sonya, as Ms. Ponte shared, we don't replace one language with another. We build strong skills in both. You heard them this evening. Our students are fluent in both English and Spanish. They learn to read, write, and think in two languages, which strengthens their overall thinking skills and prepares them for a multilingual world. The instructional model at Sonia Sotomayor, 50% English, 50% Spanish. It's a true 50-50 model. Half of their instruction occurs in English and the other half in Spanish. Two teachers work as partners. One teaches only in English and the other teaches only in Spanish. The students fully develop the language without mixing them. And then I think as seen here tonight, one of the proud achievements and promises around Sonia is the family

057and community engagement. So we engage, Miss Aponte engages her families in bilingual education. We have classes that we're starting so that our English speaking parents can also learn Spanish and they host numerous events. This is a photo of our students performing during Hispanic Heritage Month at one of our district events and they were fantastic. We have consistently shown increased academic growth in English and Spanish. Our students are surpassing by almost 30% the ASD general timeline. Our students are in less intervention programs across the board. Our students receive intentional Tier 1 instructions where even our... Paraprofessionals play a crucial role. They are not just visitors in the classroom. They offer targeted instruction to all our students. Math is part of our Math Leads program. They are participating in the International Math Kangaroo Competition. We are the

058first public school offering it anywhere near the Lehigh Valley. Kutztown is the nearest center where families usually have to pay in. We are offering it at our school. And our students are... participating in just a few weeks on March 21st with a global community of learners. Our dual language model has been increasingly applied 50-50 all the way. Students know that they cannot code switch. They share with us. We use, we would explain circlocution very well, where if you run out of the language, you act it out. So they're very good at explaining how it is that they learn the language. We have 90% family engagement. So if you come to our activities, you know that there's not a lot of space there. academic enrichment, and for those athletes, math kangaroos, and after school programs, and

059reading all-stars as well. Our students are young learners, but we are growing and offering more and more after school programs as they process. Here's a little snapshot of our scholars. Here you will see just natural interactions that show you just a day at Sotomayor. I like SoNys with the Minor because it's a nice school, they give us food, they protect us and that's why I like it. The police officer, the hot damn maker, the shop owner, the cab driver, the doctor, the actor, the lawyer, the dancer, the baker. Why everyone she fed today was at her door? I like Santa's in my head because we get to find new friends and we get to learn everything that we never got to learn in first grade or second grade and it's really good. Un sueño de

060paz. At Sotomayor, we're not just teaching students, we're raising the next generation of community leaders. Thank you for being part of the village that makes this possible. So I just want to take a moment to highlight the phased expansion. I hear a lot of talk of pre-K to 5, yes, but there is phase 2. Our intention is to expand to grade 8 and then hopefully land in a high school nearby. Last year, 24-25, we started with pre-K, K and 1, two classes of each. This year we added second grade. Next year is third, so that by the time we get to 28-29, we'll have added fifth grade, and then moving forward, we'd love to be sooner, but into 2030, which is actually hard to say out loud, we would get to grade eight students, and

061Sonia Sotomayor would be a pre-K-8 dual language immersion academy. So what does that look like? I'm not the expert. I'm gonna go right up here and then everything else is somebody that is not me But you can see the Google map. There's Sonia the white portion on the left on the right You can see a sketch where you see the modular that we've been speaking of this evening There are bathrooms in the modulars Again, I can't speak to where they go or what that looks like Somebody else can do that, but that's the site And just to give you some perspective through lots of technology, you can see what it might look like. We'll probably do a little more picking of colors and overhangs and railings and all of those things that will make it

062unique to Sonia. But you can see the school expansion. A little closer. Again, a lot of things not yet shown. Super conceptual, but the end goal is for us to get the board's approval this evening to purchase the modular classrooms at a cost not to exceed. $1.6 million so that we can continue in the process with the planning commission, get the site developed and ultimately occupy the new classrooms this summer in August and then simultaneously begin planning for phase two. And we are here to take questions, some of which might be somebody over there. Does the board have any questions before? I have a lot of questions. Okay. Well, first let me say thank you for the presentation. Thank you for everyone that spoke tonight so passionately about your community and what it means to

063you. I did receive a lot of emails this week expressing, you know, the love of community and, you know, so passionately about how many years you guys have lived there and how much the field has meant to you guys in the shed. so excited to hear our students speak passionately about their school and the expansion and just seeing what has happened in that school in the span of two years? 18 months. 18 months. I recently had the opportunity to visit the school. The union came out, visited the school, and I think we got some of our parents got scholarships. It was amazing to see. And one of the things that blew my mind. On the wall in the school were these pictures of students, these AI-generated pictures of students as they get older in their

064professions. So I saw pictures of them being like dancers and astronauts and lawyers and just seeing them. I could see the child in front of me, but I'm seeing the older version of this child. And I'm like, the possibilities. the possibilities and it was exciting to see that they were thinking in that way. So I want to commend you for the work that you're doing in Sonia Sotomayor. You know, when Dr. Birx started to talk about establishing a dual language school in theme based schools, it came in a time when we were, it was stated that we were inequitable. in that area. And she jumped right on board with the staff and everyone and you guys created something that is now nationally accredited. So I thank you for the work that's being done there. Now

065to the questions. So I heard a lot of things tonight that were great and some are very concerning to me. First, I'll say the way... The way we operate as a board, and the board can stop me here, usually you guys present us an opportunity to do something. And we charge you to go out and survey. Then you bring back the results of that survey. And we make a decision as a board of what to do. This is my first time seeing the presentation because that was the charge. So I think a lot of things were happening very prematurely because I'm hearing a lot of noise about this is being knocked down, this is happening, this is happening, and none of that has happened yet. No decision has been made on that yet. So I

066want to state that for the record, that no decision has been made yet regarding any of this. However... If we have to make a decision for our students, that's the way we're going to make the decision for our students based on what you bring in front of us. My questions are, as far as the field goes, because I'm hearing about facility usage. And I know last year we had a huge issue with this where organizations were coming to us and stating that some organizations were getting the opportunity to use certain fields and facilities for free and some weren't. And as a board, we went forward and there was a policy that we drafted up that stated that everyone that's using our facilities has to go through the same process. Tonight, I'm not hearing any process.

067So it's concerning to me because from a legal standpoint, I have to put on my ASD hat and not a community hat. What does that look like for us? I think that's a Mr. Fazio question. He is the facilities use expert. Maybe you want to come up? Thank you, Madam President. My name is Rich Fazio. I'm the interim chief financial officer for the district. I actually drafted the 707 policy about three years ago. We updated our current one. In that, there's four tiers of users. And the policy requires that all outside organizations that use our facilities have to register with the district. And there's a fee schedule. And that fee schedule... varies depending upon the association within the community. Okay. So as of right now, in regards to the Midway Manor, is there any document,

068facilities usage, anything of that? Great question. Unfortunately... No, I'll just answer that as honestly and as frankly as I can It wasn't I wasn't aware of this until it was brought to our attention Okay, so my follow-up question to that, a gentleman mentioned that they have insurance, that they're keeping a lot of events and things of that nature. If something were to happen on the field or on the facility or on the shed, what's our liability when it comes to that? Yeah, we require when organization use our facilities part of that Process is they have to provide us with insurance policies and We would relieving us of any liability But if it wasn't provided How does that work? I actually spoke to our insurance broker today, and he was quite concerned about that because there

069could be some exposure on the district's part. Okay. Let's just rip the Band-Aid off. Does the addition of this modular unit, does it require us knocking down this concession stand? No. It does not require it? No. Good evening, Dr. Birx and board members. The initials, Bob Kirk with Barry Eisen Associates, we were charged by the board in December with making this happen quickly. So the initial sketch that was prepared was based on a standard 10-classroom unit from Box Modular that would have been too close to the concession building for fire safety. The revised sketch that we have prepared optimizes the building's size and does not impact the concession building. It does not. Okay. Okay. So that's good. Phase one does not require us knocking down the concession stand. That's correct. That is made public. Okay.

070So now my next question, do we have any lease that the board approved for the use of this property? Madam President, did you say, do we have a lease? Any lease? No, not to my knowledge. No lease, okay. And as far as the field goes, do we own the property? We own the field as well? We own the property as well. The entire, okay. Okay. What are our policies regarding usage of any concession stands or anything of that sort? when it comes to organizations? Yeah, again, that's part of our policy, a part of our application process. For example, the concession stands that are at the high school stadiums, they're run by our food service operation. And food service handlers' licenses are required, and everything goes through our food service operation. Okay now when the concession

071stand was built Was this like an agreement with the board because this supersede this is before Anyone's time here. Well, that's Madison. Maybe So please, I'm just really trying to get clarity here. This is, we're learning, we're trying to understand so we can come to a full understanding here. So was there like any written agreement that we're building a concession stand? Because someone stated tonight that they received like $50,000 from Senator Miller, thank you Senator Miller, to build a concession stand. Did they have to go through any zoning, any communication with A to Z? Like what was the process? Difficult for me to answer. We actually have pretty copious files. And we, over the past week or so, we've gone through our files to see if there's been any agreements, understandings, and there doesn't appear

072anything in our records. So I think, just for my line of conversation, I think one of the things that concerned me is, of course, liability. I'm thinking about liability, I'm thinking about it from a standpoint that we don't know what's happening at the Midway Manor. It's almost as if it operates as a separate entity, yet it is on the ASD property. And most partners that we have, we kind of work together where, you know, we are, you know, they're doing the facilities usage agreement or they're submitting any clearances for people that are, you know, using the facilities and things like that. So that's, That's my concern. That's my biggest concern. And even saying going forward, that needs to be a conversation with the manor and them understanding the new policies that have been in place

073for the past three years or more, understanding what that looks like. And I would think they would understand as an entity that we are as a school district, we would not want to be liable as they would not want to be liable for anything that can happen there because. I know if something happens to a child there and they know that the school district owns the property and they hear that the manor has an insurance, I would go after the school district, the bigger entity, to get more money. So I just want to make sure that that gets... Fixed immediately. That's the genesis of the application process. So we're assured that the district is relieved from that. Right. Just have them submit the things that need to be submitted. And then I would say also,

074this is me moving everything to the side. I'm very, I don't want to say I'm upset. I want to say I'm very concerned with the way this was handled overall. I don't know if we're clapping yet. Again, the way the board operates, and I know a lot of people don't generally come to our board meetings to understand the way we operate as, you know, the administration comes to us, they tell us something that they're trying to do, they go out, they do their due diligence, they bring it back to us. One of the things that I love about Dr. Birx is she makes sure that there are forums, engage in the community, you know, for the decisions that we're making. And we weren't even at that point yet. We weren't even there yet. And I

075felt as if the press was weaponized against us. Because I learned about certain feelings through an article online. When there were no decisions being made. And tonight I'm hearing the concession stand is not being touched. So to read an article where someone is saying we feel like a red-headed stepchild. That is disturbing to me. Because... There are other organizations that we hold to these standards that have to submit applications, that have to go through all of the hoops that we have to ensure that all the guardrails are there and everyone's protected. But here is an entity that did not have to go through any of this. I'm learning tonight that they don't have any of this in place with us. But then it is stated in an article that we are treating them like a

076redheaded stepchild. It seems inequitable to me. That's what it seems like. So I wish this was handled differently. I would say up until this week, I did not receive any phone calls, any emails from anyone. This week, I received it. If someone had called me, which... As the board president, everyone, it's public. My email is public, phone number is public, and so are the board members here. If someone were to call and explain, hey, we're hearing that this is happening, I would have been able to explain the process, walk everyone through it, assure everyone that no decision is being made is being presented to the board. That would have been the communication. So I am disappointed. especially as a community leader, I am disappointed with the way we are handling this as a community. Because

077again, I know you guys care about the children and I know you guys want the school to flourish. However, when you handle it in that manner. it seems as if you really don't care. And that's perception. But when you put stuff out there in that way, you give people a wrong perception about your community. So I would charge anyone next time, please, please, I will make sure I show up to your next meeting, send me an invite, we will talk. Let's operate as a community so we can ensure that this does not happen again. Like I was hearing the though the language I was hearing we Disrespected and the lack of care like none of that was happening as far as the board goes in the administration Can you imagine? Dr. Burks and I started

078around the same time and you come into a school district With so many inequity so many things missing so much lack No curriculum no art based programs Teachers don't have what they need. Students don't have what they need. And you're working so hard to get the students everything that they need so they can flourish. And then you read an article like that. It takes us backwards. It takes us backwards. We're really trying as an administration to really make sure that our children and our community has everything that they need so they can succeed. And I love the lady that stated that sometimes change feels uncomfortable, but it's better in the end. It's better in the end. And I love the person that stated, hey, we would love for you to be on our field and

079come and play soccer with us. The opening up of the door. Right, but right now the way things are being presented is almost like a separate entity and we can't come over here and touch it Don't don't come over here leave everything as is but if it's community We should all have an input about how this goes forward So I think there needs to be some coming to the table about the decisions that need to be made going forward and some understanding that we are growing as a district and our students have needs and know we cannot go down the block to the, what was that? The state hospital. We are building a K through eight at the state hospital. We have been building modules at other locations because of course our buildings are built

080in 1865. They're old they're breaking down We're talking about mold in the modules We don't have mold in the modules. We don't have mold in the public record. We do not have that on the public Cuz that's that's not it's the supports meeting right or it's a meeting. I don't know what's happening there I don't know what's happening. But all I'm saying is we need to make decisions So our students have what they need We have too many schools that are breaking down. And we're finally in a position where we can do something about it. And we're getting pushback. We're getting a lot of pushback. And I hate that for us. Because one minute we're stagnant and we're not doing anything. And then the next minute when we're doing something, it's stop. So we need

081to go about this in a different way next time because this was handled poorly, poorly. I'm going to pause for a second just in case anyone else want to share anything. Anyone else on the board? Any questions? Hello? It's slow. The light's on. It's just the volume, I think. Are you good? No, oh All right. I think that will get everybody up All right. I'm just want to say I echo everything that our board president said Community does need to be the forefront of these conversations And I feel the same way, you know, I wish I was notified about this previously before seeing The chaos that happened over the media and over the news. So I would just like also clarification on what exactly we are The action that we are being requested for and

082what we need to be making a decision on The motion this evening is to purchase the modular system of the ten classrooms at a cost not to exceed 1.6 million dollars from box modular company. Okay. Thank you There we go. Is it working now or? Okay. So I'm listening to both sides. I am not opposed to expanding the school. Kids are our future. They're our future leaders. I am concerned that in the process of doing that, we are going to take out a community, the heart of a community. 1957 there was a handshake agreement that created Midway Manor community, a planned community to look like a little village green in New England. And the center of that was to be a field and park which Midway Manor community put in a park. They put in

083their snack shed. They put in sheds to store equipment. They built memorials. They've done so and they built a gazebo. They've done a lot of work and improvements to this land But not just for their community for the entire area all of Allentown They have a sports program, and I have to be open here. I am the coordinator, the sports coordinator for Midway Manor, their youth sports. It is a volunteer position. It actually costs me more money to be that volunteer than I would ever get back, and I really don't want the money back because when I see the array of children that show up to play and where they come from, it's amazing to me. And I'm honored to be part of this. I am not against this expansion. I am against, though, not

084working together. Next board meeting for Midway Manor is March 2nd. It is at the Meals on Wheels on Sherman Street, and it's at 6.30 p.m. I go to all the meetings, not just because I'm the sports coordinator, but because they welcomed me and my children as part of their community. When we go out looking for players, we go to the entire school district. Amelia, Coach Amelia spoke earlier, and she's been very active in the community trying to get more players. We invite Sonia Sotomayor students to please come and join us. Now, as a community. We need to work together to figure this out. We need to respect the fact that there was a handshake agreement back in 1957 when your word and a handshake meant something and what things weren't so litigious where everything needed

085to be in writing and a contract and legal this and legal no, no. It was a simpler time, but it was an honorable time when people's word meant something. And tonight when this comes up, I will be voting no, only because I want to see us work better together. I don't want so much animosity. I'm voting no, not because I don't want an expansion of the school, but I want this to be done in a way that respects the community that's there, that's been there. for all these generations and generations to come. I also want to respect the students who are learning, I'm impressed, two languages. I grew up in a household that spoke French and I lost that because I didn't have the education to allow me to keep it. I also, as part

086of my vote, want people to understand that it's, how do I explain this? that the citizens mean something, that all of us mean something. So going forward, I'm hoping we can figure a way to do this and that everyone is happy and that we respect what was there and what will be there and will come together. Thank you. So, Eva, I just want to be clear. Tonight we're voting on the modules that do not touch the shed. I understand. So you understand that. So I'm making that clear that you're still voting. Okay. Okay, I just want to give clarity. I have another question. So do I. Oh, go ahead. Madam President. Yes. Because it's so conflicted, would it be more beneficial? I know that there's a deadline to get these in place, and I do

087agree with the Sotomayor School, but would it be better to postpone the vote for... Like more explanation of where the mobile classrooms are going to be and work more collaboratively so that the tempers aren't flaring on both ends. Madam Chair. Dr. Birx would like to respond to that. Madam Chair, can we have a solicitor explain to the board when an entity owns a property, the privileges that the entity that owns the property and what can happen when you own a property? First of all, before we get to that issue, I think the issue is, I think the question that was immediately posed is... what would be the impact of a delay on the acquisition of the modular units? I don't know if there's a pricing implication. No, there's not. It's a timing issue for the

088students to have a school that they need and to build upon. So that's why I want to get to the question that was posed. Okay, so it will impact the rapidity that we could have in order to accommodate the growth needs of that particular school. Okay, that I understand. This is very simple from what I understand and looking at the deed to the property the district owns the property we have the full right and title to the use and operation of the school I heard about handshake agreements and the like as a public entity. Whether that seems equitable or not, handshake agreements do not have any binding nature on the Allentown School District under state law. We can own the property and we have simply the right title and authority to do what we will

089on the property. It is also my understanding, even though the snack shed is not immediately impacted by any plan or design implications that we're talking about immediately, that even though the community had spent time and may have invested resources into the development of the concession stand, if you do it on district property, In the absence of a written agreement to the contrary, the district owns those improvements. So as a matter of law, the issue is relatively simple. The district has the complete right, title, and authority to address what it wants to do on the property. Further, following up on what Mr. Fazio said under the circumstances, which is why we have a facilities use policy, if somebody uses our property, or facilities that are affixed to our property that we technically own under the circumstances,

090you have to follow the rules in terms of the utilization of that property and the like. That's why we don't lease the use of our facilities. We have a facilities use policy that dictates the manner in which... community members use a facility. So from a legal perspective, the board has the complete right to determine what it wants to do with respect to its property and to fulfill the educational mission of the district that we are required under the state constitution and the public school code to educate our youth on a thorough and efficient basis. I have another question. Ms. Tamora, this question is actually for you. Sure. So a few people stated tonight that the property is used for, like, soccer teams, Meals on Wheels, surf families, birthday parties, a few other things that were

091listed, trick-or-treat concerts, yard sales. So it's used for a lot of things, right? And I think someone mentioned that fundraising. So does the fundraising and the money that you guys make from using the facility, how do you go about using the funding? Where does it go? So my understanding, because I am not the board treasurer. Okay. The Midway Manor community uses the field and the snack shed for trunk or treat which everyone is invited to including the students at Sonia Sotomayor. They use it for an Easter egg hunt every year. The city provides the band and the movies for movies in the park and the band nights. And then In like Christmas they do a Santa Claus like this year was Santa Mrs Claus and breakfast when I first cookies and milk with them But

092that was done at a different site the shed sales provide the funding for the different events that they hold and host, like the Easter egg hunt, the gifts for the children, the books for the kids, and it also helps supplement the cost of running the sports program. And the Midway Manor sports program, if you look at this area, Catasauqua, Allentown Youth, Parkland. We are the least expensive of all of them, and we don't require our families to do a fundraiser, and we will provide a uniform. Unlike the others in the area, Parkland, you have to buy a uniform. Catasauqua, you got to buy a uniform. Allentown Youth provides a t-shirt for their players. If you go to Triborough, you have to buy a uniform, and all of them still require fundraising. Whereas we don't and

093we are the least expensive. Okay, so you so you guys charge the families for the team Mm-hmm, and you do the fundraising from the shed and you use that to pay for the you Supplement our different programs. Yes the different like what other different programs outside of the soccer Besides the soccer, there is the Easter egg hunt. Oh, okay. So you're saying the events. Yes, the different events. Okay. Also, some of that money that we raise funds for, from what I understand, they donate it to like Meals on Wheels. Okay. So now let's think about it from the standpoint. You mentioned that Allentown A only has the opportunity to give their students a t-shirt. When they use our facility, they pay. Okay, right they pay which if we if they had the opportunity that Midway

094Manor has They probably would be able to give their kids a full uniform. So can you see like how? The emails I was getting from organizations saying like this isn't fair I could see that except the difference between what they charge and their fundraising and what we charge is almost $100 per child. So even if we paid for our field usage, it still shouldn't be that high, especially in a community where, let's face it, the families can't afford this unless we work somehow to get the funding to make it less expensive for them. But I think that makes sense, right? Because I would think Midway Manor would be given the free program because it sounds like you guys make a lot of money from the stand. We don't. And Blue Mountain Youth Soccer charges us

095per child and per team. And we have to pay ref fees. Then EPYSA, which is the state, Eastern Pennsylvania Youth Soccer Association, charges us per child and per team. For every single child and every single team we register, we have to pay these fees. In addition, we have to pay referee fees for every single game and for the insurance policy that Midway Manor has to protect the manor as well as the fields that we use. And when I sit down to figure out what it's going to cost per child each season, I take all that into consideration. And this season, it's going for just 85, I'm figuring around 80 kids. It's going to be close to $10,000. Okay. So the kids get charged, the families are charged per child. And then the community comes back

096and says, well, we can help by pitching in this much per child. And then we go and open our registration. Dr. Brooks or someone from the team, how much are we charging organizations for facility usage? Can Mr. Fazio explain our policy, Madam Chair, just for a matter of context for the public and to educate the board most importantly about facilities usage, the funding that we charge to all entities except Midway Manor? And the why. Thank you. On our website, there's a fee schedule. So we have... Again, we have types of group and each facility, each field, each classroom, each auditorium, each gymnasium, the price is listed there by elementary school, by secondary school, and by, for example, the athletic fields. If you're an organization such as an internal organization, the basketball team, or you obviously

097would win in charge for. but if you're an organization that is predominantly made up of Allentown residents and you don't charge or you don't charge a fee or don't make a profit, there's one cost. If it's an outside organization that has predominantly, like Parkland, I'll use Parkland Aquatics. They use our pool at Allen. The fee there is pretty significant. We have the city of Allentown. We have the federal government. So each organization goes through our use of facilities process. Classrooms range from $5 to $15. The auditorium, $30 to $50. Cafeterias, fields, again. $10 to $30, tennis courts, stadiums, the planetarium. They're all listed on our... Right, so the fees, and the fees pretty much cover costs of, like, maintenance, custodians, security, like who's staying back, because if not, ASD will be incurring those fees. Excellent

098question. It's a break-even process for us. We pass on the cost of what we pay our custodian. we charge his salary to the organization because in most cases it's overtime. And so we're not looking to make a profit. We're just looking to cover our costs. Same with our security guards. And, again, the field uses or classroom, I mean, that's just to cover the cost of maintenance, repairs, brass cutting, repairs to the building. Okay. Well, I'll say I'm okay with going forward with the motion this tonight because again the messages that I received Stated up talked passionately about the snack shed the snack shed is not being touched in this phase And I think going forward any other decisions that we're making we'll be making sure that we engage the community in the manner To make

099sure that whatever we're doing they're involved in the decision-making process process. So that's how I feel May I have a motion to move this item forward to the meeting later this evening and the regular board meeting? So moved. Do we have a maker? Do we have a seconder? And we have a maker and a seconder. Is there any further discussion on the motion? Seeing none, all in favor? Aye. Opposed? The motion carries. Next mr. Krupp will be presenting the 2627 budget discussion This is this is the item tonight that is for discussion only and as part of our ongoing program to keep you informed about the budget Let's get a moment You can go ahead mister Good evening, everyone. Good evening, board. And good evening, Dr. Burks. How are you? So this evening, we're going

100to talk about our continuing process and our budget development for the 26-27 school year. This evening, we're going to discuss our priorities, our budget timeline. These are things we discussed previously. Our Act I index, our millage history. We'll have a somewhat lengthy or just a good discussion about the governor's budget. A few of our cost drivers and next and for our future discussion items will go there. As we move forward, as we just stated in our previous meeting, everything that we do in this year's budget development process is centered around our priority areas for our strategic plan to 2030. Right? Lighting away. Lighting away. Light away. Let's go. Blue French for innovation and excellence 2030. Okay. As you can see here, our seven priorities are... As an organization, we're focused on five big rocks, as

101we know, just a reminder to the board, and all the financial decision-making is rooted in our strategic plan in these big rocks. As you see here, this is our budget timeline. We're currently in the month of February where we continue our SQR meetings with our department heads and our school level department heads. And we'll progress forward into March. I will mention that in March next month, we plan to have a presentation from PFM. That is Public Financial Management Day. That is our... financial advisor. They will come in and have a discussion about what it looks like for our five-year projection and also talk about the impact of borrowing for some of our new facility plans that we have coming up. As Mr. Cuff said, we are engaging all our schools in school quality reviews in

102which we are looking at their academics as well as how we align our financial, all our finances to the standards and priorities within our strategic plan as well as the needs of the school. Okay. Here we're going to discuss a quick history, and this is, I'm going to try to help a lot of the new board members. This will show you a historical eight-year history of our fund balance. You'll see in around 2017, we had a kind of, we had a modest fund balance, and it kind of dipped a little bit. Through the last couple years, we've been able to build up our fund balance right now, and I'm going to show you some other areas where the district is in a very strong position. We anticipate our fund balance as we go forward for

1032025 to be equally as strong in that $38 million range for our general fund balance. Last meeting we talked about the act 1 index and I wanted to show you exactly Not to rehash what that one index is but the board voted back in October not to exceed the act 1 index and basically act 1 index show is a is a Structure of how much you can raise taxes if you need to raise taxes You'll see here Allentown school districts and act 1 index is 5.4 percent What that means is if we needed to district through the state, we could increase our tax percentage by 5.4%. That's not what we're looking for, but I wanted to show you what that means. So another question that came up in our last meeting was... What do our

104neighboring school districts look like for their millage and the millage is what they use to assess your taxes for the local community And you'll see here and I'll show you the next slide. This is a three-year bar of what our Taxes that look like with our neighbors So you'll see here over the last three years, Allentown School District has not raised taxes. So our average obviously has been 0%. But you'll see what some of our neighbors, what their averages have been. And a lot of them have had to raise taxes for different reasons. We've been fortunate. We've had a lot of subsidy. We had a lot of support from our legislature. So we were able to maintain a level tax increase over the last three years. This also here, this will show you our assessed

105value. And someone said, Jeff, what's assessed value? Assessed value basically is one of the factors used in calculating our taxes. But what you're going to see here, and I know it's a lot of numbers here, but look at the box on the bottom. What this shows is that over the last 10, since 2015, last 10 years, our assessed value has increased. This is a positive because what this means is that the more assessed value increases, the more tax revenue we have in our district, and this offsets a lot of trying to raise taxes. So the more assessed value, but this is great. This means that a lot of the property values are growing in value, and that's great for the community, great for the school district. The next item I'm going to talk about is

106the governor's budget. I touched on this last month, and you're going to hear a lot of discussion going forward on the governor's budget. This year, Governor Shapiro put forth a very, very strong budget, which is very heavy for school districts. And I'm not going to read through everything, but you'll see here he added $50 million for BEF formula. SES for men I'm going to explain to you what those are for the new board members and for the community members who are not aware Bf is basic education formula That's the main funding source to school districts kid that we get for our education The next one is SES was a special education formula This is a subsidy that we receive from the state where they go through a calculation, and the amount of money we receive

107is supposed to support a lot of our special ed issues, a lot of our special ed funding and expenses. You'll see there's also a $565 proposed supplement. This is what's coming through in our Ready to Learn money, and this is a key to what we're going to receive next year for our state subsidy. And you'll see the other ones here. And I'll go into the other ones. Also, what's good for us, and this is not unique to Allentown. Allentown's not getting $15 million. This is statewide. The point is that a lot of these areas, and you'll see in the next slide, these are areas that the governor has put forward to help all school districts. So as I stated before, these are his big buckets for the governor. Special education, basic education, and ready to

108learn. And the next slide, I'm going to show you what the impact is for the Allentown School District. The other areas he targeted as well, PESERS and Social Security reimbursement, those are reimbursements to the district based on our usage and the amount of salaries that we have. He also put a concentration this year. on safety, security, and mental health. These are the things that the government is looking for this year, and that he decided to invest and put his money where it needs to be. So the impact on Allentown School District, you'll see here. These are, and you'll see the differences from the prior year for SEF, BEF, and Ready to Learn money. Total difference from prior year is roughly $22 million. Now, I'm going to say this with caution, and I'll pause. Last year

109we had a similar look but we've been very conservative in our approach for the last two years Because as many you remember last year we had a budget impasse. There's a lot of discussion There's a lot of back and forth. We didn't know we were going to get that or get anything at all So our approach this year, as it has been for the last two years, we will be very conservative. We'll probably budget going forward maybe half to maybe 40 or 30 percent of what we see there as a difference. Not that we won't get it, but we have to be cautious in our approach because you don't want to, as my mother would say, don't count your chickens before you hatch. We're going to hope. I think there's a good chance that we'll

110get it. But right now. We'll hear more information as we go through the process. And May and June, you'll hear a lot more feedback of what the reality is going to be for our district as well as other districts in the Commonwealth. As we go forward with the governor's budget, these are areas that if you get a chance to talk to your local legislators. We're advocating for more basic ed funding and more special ed funding and also charter reform. These are things, even though they put the budget out there, these are things, if you ever get a chance to talk to your legislatures, these are the items that you can fight for, that you can say, hey, I want to advocate for Allentown. I want to advocate for other districts like Allentown that look like

111us. I would be remiss if I didn't commend our local state delegation who has been very, I mean, for their advocacy and commitment to Allentown. And we received a substantial amount of increases over the past three years because of their work. So I want to end, you know, about three years ago when I arrived, we sat here in this room before the. It was the Basic Education Commission, the Appropriations Committee, Senate Appropriations Committee. It made an appeal so that we can solicit more resources, I'm sorry, for the Allentown School District. And as a result of that testimony and the voices being heard throughout the state. forced communities like Allentown, we were able to receive a lot more funding. Just last week, Senator Hughes, who is the chair of Appropriations, as well as our local state

112delegation, right back here in this room, elevating all, showcasing the advocacy that our team here in Allentown, our local state delegation, has done for the benefit of Allentown. And again, three years ago it was an appeal, and now we see it. in action they came back and delivered dollars to allentown and i want to thank them for that publicly thank you dr burks i just want to echo on the what she said as i stated before in other meetings we get roughly 67 of our budget comes from state funding and that's phenomenal i can't say um i can't i can just yell to the mail it's phenomenal what we receive So you'll see here, these are the cost drivers as we go forward. These are the items that we're going to be focusing on over

113the next two to three months. We're going to be massaging a lot of information here. There's a lot going on. Again, as I stated before, our biggest expense, and with any business, your biggest expense is going to be your personnel cost. It's going to be your salaries and your benefits. So we have roughly 2,600 employees that we are working on getting those salaries together for next year. And keep in mind, with all that, each employee has a set of benefits, personnel benefits, that goes with each one of them that we have to work on, and we're going to massage all that out. The other area we're going to discuss, and I'll discuss it a little bit tonight, is our charter school tuition. Charter school tuition is going up and I'll show you kind of why

114it's going up. I'll show you in the next couple slides. The other issue we're going to discuss a little bit next month when PFL comes in is our debt service. For those of you who don't know what debt service is, and I'll just use an analogy, debt service is like your credit card or your home mortgage. This is the money that we use to provide building projects, building new buildings or things like that. Debt service is the money that we borrow that we have to pay back on going forward. So you'll see here right now, this is a rough estimate on our increases next year for salaries, benefits in charter schools and debt payments. So I'm going to next slide. I'm going to go on to what charter school, what it looks like. So just

115so you have an idea of what the charter school costs are associated with. So right now, charter school costs are mandated by Pennsylvania law. There's a mandatory tuition. If we choose not to pay the tuition, they will take the money from our subsidy. also associated with the transportation costs, I mean with charter school costs, the transportation costs. So you say, Jeff, what does that mean? Every student that goes to a charter school, we have to provide transportation for. That's our responsibility. Even though they go to another charter school, it's our responsibility financially to provide that. There's also fixed education rates this year. So as I stated before, we're always advocating for new special ed funding in charter schools. is what we're advocating for, just so that it can be equitable across the board. So you'll

116see here, here's a quick history of where we stood with charter schools over the last couple years. And you'll see that what happens is there's ADMs. You'll see in that third row down, it's called charter ADMs. These are the amount of students that are going to charter schools. So typically what they'll do is they'll take that and they'll multiply it times the tuition rates above it. And you'll see in the box below, you'll see the reciprocating effect of what charter school costs look like. And you'll see back in 2022-23, charter school costs were roughly in the $62-63 million range, growing to $70 million, $83 million. And this year, we're looking at roughly up to $96 million. This is in rough a 10% to 12% increase in charter school costs. The issue is going to be

117is that charter school costs is a product of our overall budget. So as our overall budget increases, the tuition rate will increase, thus causing more charter school costs increase. Also, if we have additional students who leave and go to charter schools or charter school enrollment increases, that also has an effect on our total school rate. So that's something we're going to be analyzing over the next couple of months on one. Controlling the calls to how do we maintain or keep kids to come back into our district? So for next next month as I said, we'll still be going to work personnel calls I will do another review tell you where we are with charter school calls We'll continue monitoring the governor's budget as I stated that's going to be ongoing That's gonna be a lot

118of conversation on up in Harrisburg I had charter school calls twice. I apologize for that and we're also next month. We're gonna head debt service Our discussion with PFM, they'll be in. They'll give us the impact of our borrowing as we go forward for the next five years. Going forward, these are our next steps. March we have what's going on there. The one thing I want to draw to your attention is in May We have our community budget forum that would be at Hayes Elementary School as it was in the previous years I would encourage you to tell all your neighbors tell all your friends to come out It's a good time to get an idea of what it takes to build a budget for our school district a lot of times people have a

119lot of Misconceptions they have a lot of questions. I think it's a great time It's a great time for people to come out and learn and we can listen to our community as well and get some feedback Are there any questions? Hearing none, we have two other motions. Ms. Matheson, if I can go forward. We have a couple of visitors here tonight from Lehigh Carbon Community College, partners, sorry, partners, Lehigh Carbon Community College and Carbon Lehigh Intermediate Unit. First, we will go with the community college. Sure. Okay. Hi, I'm Stephanie Nestor. I'm the vice president for finance of LCC. he put this nice little spreadsheet together for us just to kind of summarize what we have for our budget for this year. Our full budget that's like 30 pages long is one of your attachments.

120If you have questions, I can answer those. But really what it comes down to is we have 1,100 students from the Allentown School District that are attending LCC. The five-year average full-time equivalent is 729 students. Our proposed budget for the year is... 1.6 million coming from Allentown across all of our Sponsoring school districts. We're requesting about 6.2 million dollars That's the same amount that we've been requesting for the last 12 years This the shift between what Allentown contributes compared to the other neighboring school districts is based on two factors. It's based on how many students you have in our programs and also the market value of your properties within the district. So of that $6.2 million that we're asking for collectively, we're requesting the $1.6 million from the Allentown School District. That's a $27,000. increase

121over last year and again it's because you're sending students to us and we're really happy about that. I didn't mention about our dual enrollment in early college students. We have 231 students in the program this year. The benefit of that is the rates are significantly discounted for them. If they're taking them at your schools, taught by your instructors, it's $30 a credit. If they're taking them with one of our instructors, it's $70 a credit. That's a great deal for your students and the community. Can I answer any other questions? Anybody have any questions? What is FTE? FTE is a full-time equivalent. So a full-time student takes 12 or more credits. Anybody else? What are the completion rates for our students? How are they doing? To those completion rates, we can get them for you tomorrow,

122per district. Our retention rates are usually fall to spring is... about 80% 80 plus percent and then 60% fall to fall the retention rates they have been going up we've had a number of strategies success coaches etc to increase our retention rate now the dual enrollment in early college is different we're talking you know overall youth to seniors and everything in between when I talk our retention rates. Okay, what about like dropout rates for our Allentown students? What does that look like? I can get those for you. Okay. So I would just say going forward when you guys are presenting, like, I'm very data-driven. So I want to know how they're doing. I want to know, you know, how they're excelling in the programs. Are you guys doing any surveys? Because, again, this is a

123partnership with ASD and. So we need some feedback as to how much more should we be investing in our students in the program? What are the areas that you're seeing that they're struggling with that we can help with? So when you give us those type of datas, we can kind of form better decisions. Just presenting and saying, hey, we need this and a $27,000 increase, it's not enough for me. I need data. I need data. Sure. And then we can talk about how you might want that broken down because you might want dual enrollment broken down separate from the returning adults. Right. Because those would be, yes. Yeah, so we can formulate that going forward. I'd like to see the comparison between our counselors. Yes. I want to know how we're doing. Yes. Yeah. Okay.

124May I have a motion to move this item forward? I have one more. Any more? I'm sorry. You want to do one single or you want to? No, individually. I apologize. Go ahead. Okay. May I have a motion to move this item forward to the regular board meeting later this evening? So moved. We have a maker. Is there a seconder? I second. We have a seconder. Is there any further discussion? All in favor, please say aye. Aye. Opposed? The motion carries. Now, we'll move to the intermediate unit. Next, we have Jeannie from the... Thank you very much. Hi, good evening. Thank you for having us. I'm Jeannie Coy. I'm the Director of Business Services at the Carbon Lehigh Intermediate Unit. And we're happy to share with you our 26-27 General Operating Budget. This budget supports

125the Curriculum and Instruction Department. And I think most of your team is familiar with Eric Leck and his... cast of characters in the curriculum department that helps support the professional development for the Allentown Area School District. Our general operating budget is the only budget that is required to be approved by our member districts. It is less than 1% of all of the IU budgets, and we are asking for no increase to the district overall contribution to that budget for 26-27. And based on our analysis of your current... market value aid ratio and your weighted average daily membership, which are statistics that are provided by the state, there would actually be a decrease in the contribution from Allentown to that budget. We're happy to be a partner with your district. Are there any questions, specific information

126you'd like to know about that budget? Thank you. Thank you for having us. Thanks, Jeff seeing no questions. May I have a motion to move this item forward to the meeting later this evening? I'll make the motion a seconder Any further discussion all those in favor Opposed the motion carries. Thank you very much. I'd like to thank our partners for coming out this evening as well next item Mr. Walk is requesting approval from the board for system upgrades for finance and talent management comprehensive digital transformation strategy. Try saying that twice. Utilizing an integrated ecosystem of vendor-hosted cloud-based solutions from Tyler Technology. Good evening, school board, Dr. Burks. The item before you tonight is actually three pieces of software. It will transform the way our human resources works. the way our accounting works and the way

127we account for employees' time as well, which will allow us to ensure that people are being paid accurately and on time, making sure that there's no more issues there. We do have an implementation timeline for these things, for the human capital. Those will be implemented between now and the end of October, and the financial side and the payroll will be next spring. It is a long lead time. I know that's not immediate, but it is a long lead time to take those financials that we already have and get them transitioned over to a new system and make sure that it's done accurately and that everyone is fully trained across the district. So we do it is three different companies the it is Tyler technology for the financial software and that will that will integrate in

128the background where there will be no manual inputs required with both our human resources software and our timekeeping So we're trying to eliminate as many points of failure as we possibly can to meet our strategic plan goals to get the technology to where it should be in a modern district. I know that a few years back we had voted to do something regarding the timekeeping so we can go to digital because we were still doing the antiquated stuff. Is this the same system and we're trying to, or we just figured that system isn't working and we're trying something different? That system is actually... no longer serviceable. Okay. So it is beyond contract and you can no longer purchase those machines and they're not even servicing them as of the end of December. So regardless, we

129would need different machines. Now, did we do our due diligence with this one to make sure that the same thing doesn't happen again? We did. Okay. So we made sure there's an ability for people to... be scanned in multiple ways. So if something doesn't work for somebody, we would have a back up to be able to make sure that it is that person and that they are accurately being paid for their time. Okay. And these companies, how long they've been established? Quite some time. Okay. Yes. Okay. And two of the three are actually fairly local. And the other one would be the financial software company because there's not really a local option there. Right. Not that that's one way or the other, but from a servicing perspective, if, say, something went wrong with the machine,

130we would have a brand new one the next day. Okay. That's part of the agreement, uptime and making sure that we have those costs built in. We've been researching this and planning it out for quite a few months now. Okay, good. I appreciate the question. Just so the board knows, we're going to bring a timeline to the board to understand the process. It's comprehensive. in order to move our financial system over to a new financial system so you are aware of what's happening. So we will have also a communications plan created so that our entire learning community will understand the process so there won't be any misconceptions about what we're actually doing. Is there anyone else with a question? Go. Can you hear me now? Does this system keep track of sick days, pay days,

131unpaid days, things like that? As well as, you know. We can build categories for jury duty or any kind of leaves that we need to. Yes. Okay. And outside the initial cost, I see that is $48,000 a year to maintain the system? For? Yearly cost for operation. $48,000. That is for the biometrics that we're using. All right. Thank you. That was it. Anything else? I had a question. Biometrics? Are you referring to, like, fingerprints? Yeah, there are options there as far as either fingerprint or facial recognition. And the security badges that we all have will also be available. Okay. So it lessens the likelihood of someone clocking in and out for someone else. Yes. Thank you. I worked at a place where people did that. Trust me. I would like to say that as we're

132able to put these into place, I know I mentioned it, but this does finish one of the goals in the strategic plan, and it also moves us along with some of our retention goals as well because as people are being given the information in a more timely manner and it's easier for them to understand what's going on, it should lead to greater employee satisfaction. Thank you. That's good to know. I have a question about the Tyler Tech. I wrote it in abbreviation. Tyler Technologies. Is that yearly? 264,000. 264. It is the fine financial software for for an organization the size it's very Very intricate and very detailed and that's our payroll backbone as well to ensure that all of the the payroll is accounted for properly and our different account codes and No matter what?

133what firm we would have selected, we would have seen a similar cost. Okay, great. One other question? May I have a motion to move this item forward? Oh, I'm sorry. It's okay. I have one other question. So staff training, how quickly do you think that they will be able to learn to use this? So certain things they're going to need to need to learn before others the financial software is going to take longer and we have a longer lead time because first the people that are implementing the system need to become experts so we can start training other staff that will be using it, but the main things that people are Are going to need to be able to use like for time off and things like, you know human resources that will go through

134one system the front line system that we already have in place for our teachers. So they already know how to use this. There will be some add-ons and different things there, but they're already aware of their time off going in there. It'll just be training the other groups on how to do that. And then as we roll out the software and the implementation of the new clocks, we're going to need to go out to the schools, and we are working on that. Okay. Thank you. Anything else? May I have a motion to move this item forward? So moved. Second. I hear a maker and a seconder. All in favor? Aye. Opposed? The motion carries. Thank you. Dr. Wharton V is requesting approval from the school board for three act 34 PSF IG resolutions for HVAC

135and boiler improvements at Central Elementary Stream Academy Moser elementary school Roosevelt Trexler South Mountain and Dara and would you translate the act 34 PSF IG while you're at it absolutely public school facility improvement grant fund So what we're doing is we're looking for about $15 million and our friends from SightLogic are helping us out through the application. And with that application of $15 million, to your point, we're going to be working on eight of those schools to get HVAC. So typically we would be expending our own money. We have an opportunity to get $15 million to do this all. All that we are encumbered to do is match 25% of that, which is $3,750,000 of that $15 million. Any question or discussion? Seeing none, may I have a motion to move this item forward? We

136have a maker. Second. Seconder? All in favor? Aye. Opposed? Then the motion carries. Mr. Rivera is requesting approval from the board for the Dell PowerEdge XE7740 high-performance server equipped with NVIDIA H200 technology to provide the essential infrastructure for Bridgeview. Good evening, board members, superintendent. Tonight we're requesting the board approval to purchase this Dell PowerEdge XE7740 high performance server that's equipped with this Nvidia H200 technology in the amount of $33,472 and this is to provide the essential infrastructure for Bridgeview Academy. And what is it? It's a high-end server. Unlike regular servers that we have, this server uses different graphics and chips to make a server high performance. I'm not going to get into the little details, but basically this is a model for high performance that takes for large language models, AI, and things of that

137nature. How will this affect our students? Well, this infrastructure provides the foundation for priority three, creating pathways for tomorrow by powering the Bridgeview Academy of Health Science and Innovation Technology, which features dedicated pathways in computer science. It further supports priority seven, technology for universal learning, by ensuring students have access to modern, state-of-the-art learning environments. The cost is $33,472 and the sources of the funds are the PA SmartPrep. Any questions? Thank you, Director Rivera. Sounds good, right? Executive Director Rivera. May I have a motion to move this item forward? So moved. I heard both a maker and a seconder. All in favor? Aye. Opposed? Then that motion carries. Dr. Wharton B is requesting approval from the board for Howard Hannah the Frederick group to present I'm sorry. There's a typo on here that just maybe laugh

138It says to represent the ale of the McKinley Elementary School. I think that's supposed to be sale Thank you very much again. So yes, we got a realtor. We're asking you for the realtor tonight to represent us in the sale of McKinley Elementary School, which is currently a vacant building. And it's about a 6% fee for the sale. 3% goes to the seller's realtor. 3% goes to the buyer's realtor. And the property value that's gauging that is between... $800,000 and about $1.5 million based on what you're going to do with the property. So tonight it's just for the realtor to get us to sell the property. Any discussion about that? May I have a motion? Second. We have a maker and a seconder. All in favor? Opposed? The motion carries. Thank you. All right. And

139you are also requesting approval for the MyRide K-12 parent app program and launch at Sonia Mayor and Ruby Bridges? That is correct. So last year the board challenged us to come up with some way. for students and parents to know where their buses are. So this app called MyRide K through 12 will provide that ability. So we pilot over at Sonia Sotomayor and Ruby Bridges. And then once we pilot it there and understand how it works, and we did give it a try, so it does work, we will roll it out to other schools. So this cost on an annual basis is $8,649. However, I would like to caveat and congratulate and welcome the team of STA. Student Transportation America who volunteered to pay half of that on an annual basis for the term of

140their contract. So really we're exposed to about $4,300 a year. Any comment or question? I actually took a bus to Harrison Morton. for three years and I wish we had this. I really do. I'm so glad we're doing this because I worried some days that bus was really late getting them home. And it's pretty cool. It will push notifications out to the parents too. That is awesome. That is awesome. Thank you. Any other comment just for the record? I just want to thank our partners from from STA For there have been true authentic partners in helping to ensure that our students get to school safely as well as they're part of a lot of decision-making They're part of our advisory board. They're very engaged in ensuring that our students learn so I want to commend

141them publicly and I want to thank mr Andrew for him to help broker that relationship and his hard work and commitment. So thank you. Mr. Andrew. There's no other comment May I have a motion? Motion. Second. Make her in a seconder. All in favor? Aye. Opposed? The motion carries. Now folks This is going to be a little more complicated than usual, but also to our advantage We have a presentation on a rate this evening for mr. Rivera for five items. Mr Rivera is going to present these items to us And if you agree, we can vote on them together in one packet instead of taking them item by item in addition if We allow him to also include item 18 in this package. We can combine it and vote on six items at once And

142does that make sense and is there any objection to the packaging them together? Okay, good evening Good evening members of the board superintendent. My name is Jose Rivera I'm serving as the acting executive director of technology here in the Allentown School District Tonight, I am very excited to provide you with a high-level overview of the Allentown School District's planned network infrastructure upgrade. This project, I got to say, is close to my heart because I really know the great impact that this is going to have on our students, including my own daughter, Yesenia, who is a student at Trexler Middle School. So I'm very proud of that. So for anyone who might not be familiar with the term network infrastructure, I just want to explain what it is. It's basically, we compare it to our nervous

143system and our immune system. Our network infrastructure is composed of two things. Just like our bodies, you know, our... Our nerves go all over our body, right? Our brain sends instant messages to all parts of our body. And we also have our immune system to prevent us from getting sick. Those two systems work together to form a strong system. And that's how our network infrastructure is designed. Originally, our network infrastructure was built, I was here, 1999. And it was designed around the whole city. And since then, we've overhauled the whole system three times. Three upgrades. With the most recent major upgrade taking place over a decade ago in the 2010-2011 school year. So to put it simply, our digital needs have... overgrown the current system that we have and it's time to make this major

144evolution in our system. And to prepare for this, the Information Technology Department's network team, we have been working for the past year and a half on this project. And I've got to say I'm extremely proud of the individuals who took a lot of time and effort to put this project together. for our students. As you can see here in our first slide, our strategy leverages two distinct funding sources to fund these critical systems, creating a future-ready district, all for our students. First, we are we're going to utilize the E-rate funds which focus heavily on connectivity and access, essentially upgrading the nervous system of our schools. These upgrades are the foundation for supporting the enhanced learning environment and it ensures that every classroom and every office has fast, reliable connections for our students, faculty, and staff.

145And second, we're tapping into a newly awarded cybersecurity pilot funds. These funds act as our digital immune system and allow us to implement advanced security measures, providing a robust data protection across our entire network. Together, these investments ensure... Everything works smoothly as one complete system. And by combining a fast nervous system with a strong digital immune system, we will future-proof the network infrastructure for the next several years. Now, I want to take a brief moment to explain exactly what E-rate is. Maybe you've heard about it, and I just want to make sure we all understand what E-rate is. And you might be wondering where this funding actually comes from. Well, the source for these funds is the telecommunications companies and consumers through contributions that we all make to the Universal Service Fund, or USF. If

146you look closely at your monthly phone bill, whether it's a smartphone, a landline, if you still have that. or point service, you will often see a small universal service fee. These are the fees that are collected from interstate and international telecommunications revenues, and they're pooled into this USF pot. From that USF pool flows this E-rate program. This was created by the Telecommunications Act of 1996. The word E-rate is short for Educational Rate for Schools and Libraries. And what it does, it provides discounts on things like internet access and internal connections with a purpose to deliver the service to each of our classrooms. As you can see on the center of the slide, E-Rate funding is broken into two main buckets. Category 1, which covers the connectivity coming to the school, the internet service, and any

147services that bring that internet to the building. And category 2 covers the internal connections inside the building. This is what helps us afford things like wireless access points, network equipment, routers, switches. and any cabling that distributes the internet to a classroom. And the impact of this program, it's huge. This program helps us afford this essential technology. Because one thing I gotta say, it's very expensive. It allows us to enhance educational opportunities, foster digital literacy, and keep our schools connected. Now let's look at how this program, E-Rate, specifically benefits us, the Allentown School District. At the top of the slide, you can see how our discount is calculated. It is based on the National School Lunch Program data that we report to the state every October. Because of the significant economic need within our community, the

148Allentown School District qualifies for the highest possible discount tier. Now this funding is applied across two of the categories I mentioned before. The first one on the left is category one, which is the connectivity to our schools, the internet service basically. Because we qualify for a steep discount, 90% in this category, the district has been awarded $100,683 for this year alone. Crucially, we expect this to be awarded not only for this year, but for the next five years, bringing the total category one funding to $500,415 over the next five years. The second category to the right is category two. This covers our internal connections. This focuses on distributing the internet access to every single classroom, every single office, every single space in every one of our schools. It covers critical hardware like wireless access points,

149network equipment, routers, and all the necessary cables to make that connection to the classroom. With an 85% discount in this category, we have been awarded $2,554,929.31. And as you can see at the bottom of the slide, our high student eligibility translates into significant cost savings for essential technology infrastructure. Again, these funds are directly bridging the digital divide and ensuring that we can provide the best learning opportunities for students. Now, let me talk about the second funding source that we're going to use to upgrade our infrastructure. I'd like to turn your attention to the second major funding source, the FCC Cybersecurity Pilot Program. The mission of this program is absolutely critical because it is designed to fortify the K-12 schools and public libraries against the growing wave of cyber threats while using the data collected during

150the pilot to determine how federal cybersecurity funding should look in the future. When you look at the left of the slide, program at a glance. This is a three-year pilot with a total nationwide budget of up to $200 million. And just like E-Raid, this program is funded through the Universal Service Fund. And because cybersecurity is such a persistent and evolving challenge, we are hopeful that the data gathered during this three-year period will prove the program's value and allowing it to transition from a pilot to a permanent. program for all the schools in the United States. In the center of the slide you can see the four pillars of coverage that these funds are designed to support. Number one, advanced firewalls. Number two, endpoint protection. Number three, identity authentication and monitoring and response systems. And finally,

151On the right, under how the money works, you'll see it uses a cost-sharing model similar to E-Rate. The budget is calculated based on $13.60 per student per year for each of the three years of the pilot. And while the FCC provides a steep discount based on this community's poverty level, that district is responsible for a small, non-discounted share of out-of-pocket. Now I am incredible incredibly proud to announce that the Allentown School District has been officially selected to participate in the FCC cybersecurity pilot program and this is big as you can see under the program as you can see under program selection On the left, this was an extremely competitive national process based on district need. In January 2025, we were officially chosen as one of only 707 participants from a massive pool of over 2,700

152applicants across the entire country. To give you a sense of the scale, we were... one of only 54 school districts and library systems in the state of Pennsylvania that were selected for this program. Our Information Technology Department's network team put tremendous amount of time and effort into this application. They worked tirelessly to ensure that every detail of our plan was precise and compelling, just to make sure that our district stood out in such a crowded national field and to secure this vital funding for our students. I am very proud to have been part of the team that... was part of this selection process. Now, looking in the funding awarded section in the center, we have secured an award of $831,963.69. Like I mentioned earlier This is a game changer and it is designed to cover

15390% of the total project cost over the three-year pilot period leaving the district responsible for just that remaining 10% share and I'm especially proud to share that this is the highest funding amount awarded to any school district in the entire state of Pennsylvania and Finally on the right our pilot Objectives are very clear We will use these funds to implement top-tier equipment and services to protect our students, our faculties, our staff's data, our networks, our devices, and our systems. It is also important to note that the data collected during this pilot will directly inform future federal funding for decisions for, or funding decisions for K-12 schools and libraries nationwide. putting the Allentown School District at the forefront of school safety and security. Now I want to break down exactly what these upgrades look like on

154the ground. We have categorized the work into six areas that will transform our district's digital capabilities. The first one is internet and data transmission. We are significantly increasing our speed, upgrading our internet bandwidth from the current 10 gigabits per second to two 40 gigabits per second circuits for a total of 80 gigabits per second. a major increase in internet speed. We are also maintaining a reliable 10 gigabit circuit backup link with this CLIU21 to ensure that we never lose connectivity. The second one is network equipment. This is a major hardware refresh. We're upgrading every core router. We're replacing 137 of the 350 network switches that have officially reached their end of life. And we're also upgrading 373 wireless access points, specifically at Allen, Deroff, and Bridgeway Academy. These are the first 373 out of nearly

1551,600 access points district-wide. We are starting at the high schools where the device density is highest. The rest of the access points will be replaced with future year funding, which I will touch on that in a moment. The third item is power protection, UPS, battery systems. This is to keep our systems running during power fluctuations or outages. We are performing a district-wide replacement of all our UPS battery units. The next one is a comprehensive cybersecurity system. Using our pilot program funds, we will deploy a multi-layer security platform. for threat detection, real-time response, and protection for every device, for every system, for every server. The next one is an automated patch management system, which will allow us to automate software upgrades, patching for all our district devices and servers, ensuring that they're always up to date

156with the latest security fixes without manual intervention. The last one is a network infrastructure management system. We are implementing an AI driven platform that is centralized to manage all our network infrastructure, making the entire network much easier for our team to monitor and maintain. To wrap things up, let's look at the final project funding and cost breakdown. This table shows exactly how we are leveraging our high discount rates to maximize. every dollar for the district. The total project value, the total cost of all these upgrades ranging from the upgrade of the internet to all the equipment and services is $4,108,196.61. Between our E-rate discount and our record-setting Cybersecurity Pilot Program award, we have successfully secured $3,487,576 in outside funding. This means that the Allentown School District is only responsible for $620,661. To put that in

157perspective, we are receiving $4.1 million worth of critical infrastructure and security upgrades for roughly 15% of the actual costs. Again, this investment ensures our network infrastructure is not only fast and safe, but future-proof for our students and staff for years to come. But our work is not done. It's far from complete. As we transition into the next five-year E-rate cycle, which spans from 2026 through 2020, USAC, the agency responsible for E-rate, has forecasted and budgeted a total of $3.4 million for the Allentown School District. It is important to understand that this pre-discount amount, that $3.4 million, represents the total maximum cost of equipment and services. And this is aside. from internet service, which we already secure about $500,000 for the next five years. Based on our high eligibility tier, we expect to be funded at

158the 85% discount level, which amounts to approximately $2.9 million in E-rate category 2 funding that we could start using this year. And our strategy... is to maximize these funds to complete other projects. For example, we want to complete the district-wide wireless access point upgrade across all remaining schools and offices, about 1,300 wireless access points. Second, we're planning an upgrade to our district firewall. And this will provide advanced threat protection and next-gen cybersecurity to keep our expanding digital infrastructures safe. And third, we are exploring how to use the remainder of these funds for our new K-8 school on the east side to offset any eligible category 2 costs for that new building. Now, how will this affect our students? The connectivity and capacity, the bandwidth increase and all the upgrades directly support priority seven, technology for

159universal learning. And this expanded capacity is critical for the district's two to one initiative, ensuring that our network can handle increased device density and high bandwidth programs like the Verizon Innovative Learning Schools and future AI integration in the classroom. And safety and reliability. The cybersecurity and UPS initiatives support priority to safety and host child development. By hardening the digital perimeter and ensuring power continuity, we protect sensitive student data and guarantee that life safety systems, cameras, phones, and similar systems and digital curriculum remain operational without disruption. As I shared at the beginning of tonight's presentation, this work is incredibly close to my heart. I know the great impact that this... Plan network infrastructure upgrades we'll have on all our students, including my own daughter. Like I said, she's a student at Trexler Middle School. And our

160goal remains to maximize every E-rate incentive available to us to bring the best for the best, our students. Thank you for your attention. Any questions? Do you have any questions for Mr. Romero about any of those items? No questions, just saying amazing job, securing all that funding for our students. Thank you so much to you and your entire team for what you are doing for the district. Yes, we need to get out of the stage of everything being antiquated and step into the 22nd century. Thank you. Yes. I just want to commend Mr. Rivera and the entire technology team. They worked really tirelessly to ensure that we secured these dollars for our students and our staff. And I just want to say publicly, I appreciate you, Mr. Rivera. He worked over the Christmas break. Most

161people were resting. He wanted to ensure that these applications were submitted so we can secure these dollars. So thank you so much. May I have a motion to move the E-rate items and the network management system? Second. We have both. That was fast. All in favor? Aye. Opposed? The motion carries. Mr. Rivera has one final item. He is requesting approval from the Board of Directors of CrowdStrike to provide cybersecurity services to the district. We're also tonight requesting the board to consider the recommendation of CrowdStrike to provide cybersecurity services to the Allentown School District in the amount of $54,000 per quarter. And as I just mentioned, we're about to move to this new platform that's going to secure our system. However, the current platform is about to expire. and we are extending it just to make

162sure that we have a transition period between these two platforms. Any questions? Any questions? May I have a motion? So moved. Second? Second. Any further discussion? All in favor? Aye. Opposed? None. The motion carries. Thank you. Thank you so much. Dr. Wharton-Vea is requesting approval from us for Landis. Bonfito Mechanical Group to make emergency repairs to the existing boiler located at Harrison Morton. Thank you very much, Board. So two weeks ago, we had an issue with one of the three boilers over at Harrison Morton, and we need to make repairs. So this is actually retroactive asking since the repairs had to be made. As you guys are well aware, last year we had issues with Harrison Morton. We don't want to reoccur with similar issues. So the repairs were about $48,000, but we still need

163Board approval. But they were done. I make a motion. Is there a second? Second. All in favor? Aye. Opposed? The motion carries. Mr. Walke is requesting approval from the board for Golden Rule signs to install digital signs at Bridgeview, Hayes, Central, Ramos, Sheridan, Union Terrace, Trexler, Rob, William Allen, Deref, to provide for increased parent and family engagement. School board dr. Park we're asking tonight for approval for for these signs this is entirely paid with grant funds between title one or ready to learn and It is we've been in constant communication with the principals to ensure that they're getting something that the busy parents that are Coming to pick their kids up from school can get the messaging that they need on what's going on in the schools These signs are actually easy to use you're

164able to upload a PDF to them, or the principals can upload a PDF to them, so it's not like a major lift for them to be able to make sure that the families are getting what they need with these signs. So those schools, you know, it's a good start to make sure that we're moving in the right direction for constant communication. Any question or comment? The principals are very excited about it, I know that. They must trust it. May I have a motion so moved second we have a maker and a seconder any further discussion or question all of all in favor aye opposed The motion carries. Thank you Dr. Wharton B is requesting approval from the board for the administration to advertise and solicit prime bids for the construction of the new 202, 800-foot

165square foot K-8 Academy facility in accordance with PDE Act 34. Sorry, I mangled those statistics. Thank you very much again. This is a continuation of the Act 34 hearing that we had back in November. So the next step is, in the process, is to receive your okay to go ahead and... formalize bids and attract contractors to build a project. So tonight, with your approval, tomorrow morning I'm calling SiteLogic saying that go ahead, get the bids ready to go out to solicit proposals from the various prime contractors. Thank you. Any questions? May I have a motion? So moved. Second. May I make a seconder? All in favor? Aye. Opposed? The motion carries. Mr. Kaufman is requesting approval from the board for the MOU with Penn State Lehigh Valley MOU Memorandum of Understanding to become the naming

166partner for PSLV's downtown campus programming associated with the ASD Free College Academy, including the Artificial Intelligence Institute. Thank you again Kyle Kaufman director of innovation instructional technology before I begin Mark your calendars September 15th 2006 IT professional appreciation day We are requesting board approval for the memorandum of understanding between the Allentown School District and Penn State Lehigh Valley. This agreement outlines a $250,000 investment by the district to serve as the naming partner for Penn State Lehigh Valley's downtown campus programming, specifically the Allentown School District Artificial Intelligence Institute at Penn State Lehigh Valley. This partnership is a direct... extension of our strategic plan, specifically supporting priority seven, technology for universal learning, priority three, creating pathways for tomorrow, and priority one, academic excellence. The investment supports capital improvements, equipment, and instructional resources at the downtown campus. In

167exchange, the district receives primary naming rights and 10-year commitment for collaborative programming, press recognition, and permanent signage. How does this affect our students? The transition of Penn State Lehigh Valley programming to a downtown Allentown location is a significant win for equity and access. By bringing world-class collegiate resources into the heart of our community, we eliminate transportation barriers that have historically hindered student participation in advanced programming. This proximity will facilitate dual enrollment. Students will seamlessly be able to transition between their high schools and schedules and college-level coursework, support early college access, including the Allentown School District Artificial Intelligence Institute, which will serve as a hub for the Bridgeview Academy AI-themed focused school initiative. and it will foster innovation. The location allows for deeper integration with regional workforce partners and entrepreneurial hubs. The partnership will solidify our

168standing as a national leader in K-12 AI integration and to provide our students with unprecedented access to the future of higher education. Again, the cost is $250,000 from capital funds and review is pending. And then for context, I do have a few slides, very brief. So I keep saying about the downtown campus, this is obviously new, a new facility. And the programming, some of the programming is not. We have been partnering with Penn State Lehigh Valley for dual enrollment and pre-college programming that started in 24-25. We've expanded that significantly at that campus in 25-26, and we're going to continue to do that for 26-27. We also have had an artificial intelligence institute in the summers of 24 and 25. Those institutes were focused heavily on data analytics, but within a local context. Our students were

169engaged in real data sets, making real contributions to their community. But like the adage says, no person can step in the same river twice. They're both different the second time. AI is moving so fast and our students are growing. And so we need to think about new partnerships around that AI institute. And that is where this extension with Penn State Lehigh Valley at this downtown campus will allow us to do that. Move to the next slide. Whoops. Sorry. Thank you. We will co-create programming with Penn State to fuse the interests of our students with the needs of the Lehigh Valley region workforce and also higher ed opportunities. Cohorts of our students will be moving through this space, learning, creating, while getting college credits. This downtown location will have traditional classrooms for some of the dual

170enrollment programs, but will also feature technology-rich spaces that are both flexible and authentic based on the surrounding tech workforce demands. Our AI Institute will provide Bridgeview Academy students with an opportunity to learn and use AI in an authentic context within the local community, continuing to make that contribution while earning college credit and be paid through our internship program. Students at Bridgeview will have access to a technology-rich environment where they're... connection to the mentors, the professionals, and the leading researchers in these areas will be at their disposal to be able to grow into leaders. And finally, you may be wondering where downtown, and some of you probably already know, I didn't, and it's right here next to our other innovation partner, Da Vinci Science Center. We will have a space there, and we will have a

171working relationship with Penn State in order to make the most beneficial experience for our students possible. That's the conclusion of the presentation. Any questions? I know you have something to add. Go ahead. I just want to thank you. Thank our partners at Penn State, Lehigh Valley for their partnership thus far in helping us to expand the current offerings that we have for our students as it relates to We're a dual enrollment program. I just want to acknowledge Dr. Annabelle who served on our steering committee throughout our strategic planning process and so and I thank him for his commitment to ensuring that our district is continuing to move on a path of continuous improvement as well as Dr. Richardson. Sometimes people serve on steering committees and then that's it but they've been connected, true partners, and

172really building on our work. So I just want to say that publicly. Dr. Anaboa, if you could please stand just so the board knows that you are here. This is amazing. This is amazing. We are doing the thing that we said we're going to do. When I think about, I remember a couple years ago when we talked about doing a strategic plan, one of the things that we said, we have to implement within the plan. A lot of people let the plan collect dust. And to see every time we show up at the meeting, we're moving forward in our strategic plan. I am loving this. I am loving this partnership. And I also wanted to thank Senator Miller because he told me that he's making a very huge investment in this school as well. So

173thank you to Senator Miller. We are on the move we are on the move I'm excited may I have a motion to move this item forward second all in favor aye opposed And they're seeing none that motion carries. Hey at this time. We are taking public comments on non agenda items No cards. I mean, is there any old business that come before this committee? new business May I have a motion to adjourn may I add the word finally? Meaning adjourned. Yes. Do you guys need a break or can we just dive in go ahead policy? Okay, we turn this up Okay, can we hear me? I'd like to call to order the policy committee of the whole meeting. Do we have any comments? Awesome. Let's just move forward then. Do we have any comments from

174Dr. Birx? Just really briefly, I just want to remind, I want to thank the board, Mr. Nikoloff, for your leadership, as well as my team for bringing forward our policies. And a reminder to our entire learning community, you can find our policies on our website. And also, at the school level, there's a collective responsibility throughout the district to read our policies, as well as throughout the community. They are on our website, and we are governed by those policies. So I just want to underscore that. So thank you. Thank you, Dr. Birx. Tonight we have six policies. Mr. James has the honor of doing the first four of those. If it's okay with my colleagues, we can vote on them in one. Yes. Thank You chair Nicoloff school board directors dr. Burks We're presenting for you

175to this evening 317 policy 317 disciplinary procedures As we stated earlier there these policies are not new policies. They're certainly updates This policy was done in 1998 So we are just updating some of the language just to ensure that we're aligned to what's happening today. Our processes are the same. We are certainly going to follow the same process for interdisciplinary procedures for all employees, administrative, professional, and support employees. They are expected to conduct themselves in a manner consistent with appropriate and orderly behavior. And if not, we will certainly conduct an investigation, follow the process for progressive discipline, and if necessary, demotion or termination will come to this school board for a hearing and approval. Those are all the changes pretty much for this particular policy. Moving on to policy 338 sabbatical leave for restoration of

176health again. This is just an update Policy was done in 1998 hasn't been updated since the eligibility and application process For employees to apply for sabbatical leave for restoration of health remains the same Of course employees have to be with us. I have to be within the Pennsylvania state for 10 years and had to certainly be employed by Allentown School District for five consecutive years of service. The process is still the same as to looking at medical documentation just to ensure that the employee meets the eligibility. Our max number of 10% still remains the same. We should not exceed 10% of number of persons eligible for such leave and regularly employed in the district. So those are pretty much the updates for this particular policy. Moving on to policy 338.1, compensated professional leaves. This particular

177policy deals with employees who are requesting leave of absence to certainly be granted... for professional leave to get a master's degree, doctorate degree, or what have you. Still the same thing, this policy was done in 1998. We're just updating just to ensure that the language is aligned. The policies and procedures, application, those kinds of things remain the same. Same here, we have the 10%. We have a maximum of 10% of employees who certainly are eligible to take this particular leave. And then finally, our drug-free workplace. That's policy number 351. In this policy, we certainly want to ensure that we have a drug-free workplace policy within our schools and our districts, and we do. There's no changes there except for making sure that we enhance information about our definitions of what a drug-free workplace controls substance

178abuse is about, making sure folks understand conviction, criminal drug statute. drug-free workplace. The authorities still certainly rest with the school district and the school board. So pretty much putting in guidelines there that certainly we have the right to certainly move forward and discipline or terminate any employee who violates any of the controlled substance policy. And that completes our four policies. Do we have any questions or comments for these four? Actually, I have a quick question about the controlled substance abuse. So drug-free workplace, I get it completely, but what if somebody has a prescription for medical marijuana and they carry it with them? How do we differentiate this? Yeah, we will have to certainly follow this policy and we will certainly have to meet with that employee Follow do with that employee. It is not allowed

179in the district to certainly have a medical marijuana So we'll have to follow the policy as such it is a controlled substance. So we will have to deal with that employee as such Okay There are certain exceptions under Pennsylvania law currently that deal with medical marijuana. However, under any circumstances, somebody cannot perform services for the district while they are under the influence of a controlled substance that will interfere with their ability to either teach or perform their administrative functions. But at times, we may need to deal with a reasonable accommodation for somebody's disability, and there is extensive procedures and case law associated with that now. Okay, thank you any other questions or comments Seeing none may have a motion to move this forward to a regular meeting so moved Seeing a motion in a second

180all in favor say aye aye Any opposed? Thank You mr. James Next we have dr. Wharton B. He's got our final two policies again. That's my colleagues who we can take them together Thank you very much board dr. Burks this policy is for facilities planning it is a first reading but it's not a new policy either Just like mr. James said some of these policies are quite old The basis of this policy is what we saw tonight with Sonia Sotomayor. It's the planning for growth. We need to take into consideration demographics. We need to take into consideration census data, enrollment projections, and plan accordingly. Under Dr. Birx's leadership, we have been doing that the last several months. Sonia Sotomayor's project is a perfect example of that. So that is what this... Board policy is the

181second one 704 is maintenance of the facilities the physical maintenance of the facilities tonight you just awarded a landis bonifito to fix work that retroactively fix one of the boilers at Harrison Morton this is what this memo talks to that we have to be ready for it we have to plan for it we have to accommodate it so that's what 704 does for us too I think we still need to do some work over there Harrison. We're in dr. Wirt 100% That still needs to be done. Yes. Okay. Yeah any comments or questions on these I actually have a quick question So part of the regular program of maintenance and repair so anyway, we can train our staff to do these items Or is it always going to be repairs done by an outside contractor?

182It depends on what it is. For instance, boilers, what we're talking about, you need a black seal, meaning it's just another certification. And typically there's not many black seal people left. So you're charged to go out and look for a contractor who has a black seal. What if we offered tuition reimbursement? To one of our staff. We do have that. Okay. We have that across the board for all professionals and all staff. And none of them are interested that you know of? That I know of. Okay. It's a shame. Mr. Solicitor, can you give us some light on credentialing and why we would be doing something this massive, make sure that we have the appropriate trained, properly trained people to address these types of matters. In virtually every school district, you can't necessarily train because

183of the complexity and differential of systems all of your employees to handle all of your equipment. I know of no school entity, regardless of compensation of what they pay their support staff to address those issues. However, certain job functions require particular certifications. And if it requires a particular certification, like in the case of... spoilers, the black seal certification, that you need to find somebody to do that and we need to have the ability to repair equipment regardless of whether we have staff there. And tuition reimbursement alone will not be able to address these issues because some of the certifications require on-the-job training or certification from the local municipality. But that being said, some of these issues would require bargaining to address those certifications and the like. But I know of no school district that is

184capable with all of its existing staff to handle all of the specific needs that come up, particularly when we start getting involved in some of our more sophisticated electronically-based systems. I was just thinking basic maintenance to prevent these breakdowns, but okay. Any other comments or questions? Seeing none, may I have a motion to move these forward to our regular meeting? I second. And a seconder. Okay. All in favor? Aye. Any opposed? Thank you, Dr. Wordenby. All right. Do we have any comments? Excellent. Any old business or new business? May I have a motion to adjourn? Second there we go all in favor. Aye. We're adjourned. Thank you. I like to call the order I like to call to order the Education Committee of the whole meeting of the board of directors of the school district

185for the city of Allentown for today February 26 2026 are there any comments No Any remarks from the superintendent? Thank you. Let's see. I'm just really excited about what our team is going to share So that's all, thank you. At this time, we are only taking public comments on agenda items. Tonight, we have four action items. Ms. Polak was requesting approval from the School District Board of Directors to rename the Allentown School District softball field to Ed Stinner Softball Field. Good evening. We are requesting the board's approval to name the Allentown School District softball field to the Ed Stinner softball field. I'd like to introduce Dr. Alicia Knopf, the acting principal of William Allen High School, and Randy Atiyah, the athletic director, to give you a brief overview of the naming process and Mr. Stinner's

186contributions to our community. Good evening as Miss Pollack said mr. T and I are here tonight to request your approval to name our softball field at William Allen High School a Request for naming the softball field was a publicly was publicly released to inform students parents graduates the school's employees and our community in order to solicit feedback and nominations. There were a total of 325 nominations received and 324 of those nominations were in favor of Ed Stinner. On December 15th, 2025, the committee, which included current and former members of our school community, met to review and to discuss the nominations. The committee reviewed the nominations based on the standards outlined in Policy 701.1, Section B-2. The committee unanimously recommends the softball field be named the Ed Stinner Softball Field. The committee considered Mr. Stinner's character,

187contributions to the Allentown School District, the city, and contributions to athletics and the overall development of young people. They found that naming would have a positive effect on the school and the community. Mr. Attia will provide a brief overview of Mr. Stinner's legacy. Thank you, Dr. Noff. Good evening, board, superintendent, Dr. Burks. I want to thank you all for entertaining this. Ed Stinner is a special person in the school district and William Mountain High School's past. So I just, again, I'm thankful for having the opportunity to be here. And on behalf of the naming committee to formally recommend that our softball field be renamed the Ed Stinner Softball Field. This was, again, based on character, service, and impact. And the recommendation from the committee was unanimous. coach stinner wasn't just a coach he was a

188cornerstone of the allentown school district for over 20 years as a teacher coach and really a mentor he understood that the field was simply an extension of the classroom coach stinner For those who like stats, his record speaks for itself. Under his leadership, the Lady Canary softball team reached heights that remain a point of pride for the school's softball program. An Eastern PA final in 1989, a state championship in 1990, and a District 11 title in 1991. I know that was a long time ago, but... Coach Stinner, his influence really didn't stop with softball. For over 20 summers, he served as a summer playground supervisor for the city of Allentown, ensuring that the youth of our community had a safe, constructive, and mentorship-driven environment all year round. We truly believe that the renaming of this

189field will have a profound and positive effect on our current students. Seeing the name of a man who dedicated his life to the development, it really will serve as a reminder, a daily reminder of what can be achieved through disciplined heart, as well as a great example of helping others. Furthermore, we want to acknowledge the generosity of what I call Team Stinner. Many of his former players, friends, and family also notified us that they will be covering the cost of the signage, ensuring that we can honor a hero within our school district without any financial burden of our budget. Ed Stinner gave his time, his energy, and his passion to Allentown students for decades. Tonight, we have the opportunity to ensure his legacy continues to inspire every young woman who steps onto that field. Prior

190to coming to the meeting today, I was asked to provide a picture of our softball field for a potential media release, and so I was going through a photo album just by Google searching in my photo album the softball field. And as I was going through it and scrolling... Just two summers ago while Coach Stenner was battling serious health issues, there was pictures in my album of him helping. This is years after he's been coaching at Allen, just coaching and training individuals on our softball team when he didn't have to, just doing it because he knew that Allentown students didn't always have the same resources and training opportunities as other females in other school districts. So I just wanted to kind of leave that with you because I think that... That alone just kind of

191touches on who Ed Stinner was, and certainly we're excited about this opportunity for him and his family. So thank you again. Thank you. Thank you. Any comments? Any comments, questions? Hearing and seeing none, may I have a motion to move this item forward to the next meeting? I'll make the motion. I second. All right. Hearing and seeing a second. All in favor say aye. Aye. Any opposed? All right. Next, Ms. Pollack is requesting approval from the School Board of Directors to approve the Verizon Innovation Learning School Grant from 2026 to 2030 from Digital Promise Global to create innovative learning environments in Deerfield High School and William Allen High School. Thank you before I present this item I'd like to introduce and thank Vanessa Zerita She is the digital promises director of district impact She is

192hanging in with us on zoom and joined us tonight in case there are any questions. So thank you Vanessa for joining us I'm extremely excited, as is Dr. Birx, to request the board's approval to accept the Verizon Innovative Learning Schools grant from 2026 to 2030 from Digital Promise Global to create innovative learning environments in Deeriff and William Allen High Schools. So this grant will continue to support our Allentown School District in advancing student and staff engagement in innovative initiatives that enhance opportunities and increase intellectual capacity. This partnership will provide every student and teacher at both high schools with iPads equipped with a monthly data plan, ensuring access both in the classroom and at home. The most exciting part of this partnership is that our current middle school students will now have that same access through

193high school. To ensure this technology translates into academic growth, the grant will help to fund supervisors of instructional technology and school-based IT lead support. So ultimately, this initiative will continue to develop students, their digital competency and self-directed learning habits required for long-term success. Do you have any questions? Just want to thank our friends at Digital Promise the League of Innovative Schools and Verizon innovative learning schools Which are all all encompassing of one organization and we're just really happy and proud That they've identified Allentown as a district that is innovative and we're excited about the work that's currently underway within our four middle schools as well as Bridgeview Academy so we're really thrilled with the board accepts this grant tonight that all of our secondary schools will be rising innovative learning schools and to put this

194in perspective this with all those schools, this is almost a $25 million investment in Allentown. We are the only school district in the valley that has this, and one of very few school districts in the state. Most of the school districts that are part of Digital Promise are in the Pittsburgh region. So I'm really thankful for our team. all the teachers and staff that were involved in this. Of course, our school principals, I think Dr. Knopf left, and Principal Smith. It took a lot of work to get to this point. Again, I want to thank our friends at Verizon and Digital Promise for your belief in Allentown. So thank you. Thank you, Vanessa. I really appreciate you. Is there any more comments, discussion? Okay, may I have a motion to move this item forward? So

195moved. Second. Second. All in favor say aye. Aye. Any opposed? I'd like to call up Dr. Coleman. Dr. Coleman is requesting approval from the school board of directors for the Allentown School District to enter into a six-month contract with McGraw-Hill to provide part-time professional learning and implementation support for mathematics educators and instructional leaders. Good evening. Good evening, Madam President, Board members, and Dr. Birx. Good evening. Tonight I'm requesting your approval for the Allentown School District to enter into a contract with McGraw-Hill to provide professional learning and implementation support for our mathematics educators and instructional leaders. This recommendation is rooted in our continued commitment to strengthening Tier 1 instruction and ensuring that every student has access to rigorous, high-quality mathematics learning. As we know, Algebra I is a critical gateway course, one that significantly influences a

196student's trajectory towards college, career, and long-term opportunity. This investment is an additional strategic step designed to ensure our students are prepared to meet the challenge with strong instructional support in place. Through this contract, the district will receive support from a McGraw-Hill project implementation specialist who will partner directly with the Office of Learning and Teaching, math educators, instructional leaders, math coaches, and administrators to strengthen implementation of core instructional materials, including RevealMath, McGraw-Hill Plus, and OLEX. This work will focus on eighth grade mathematics at Truxler, Harrison Moore and Robb, and South Mountain Middle Schools. Algebra 1 at William Allen, Deroff, and Bridgeview High Schools. The specialists will work collaboratively with teachers, instructional leaders, math coaches, and administrators to ensure curriculum materials are implemented with fidelity and instructional practices are aligned across schools. The support model includes leveraging

197collaborative planning time for curriculum alignment. Pacing and collaborative lesson planning, providing targeted in-classroom coaching, focus on instructional practices and digital tool integration. facilitating focused professional learning aligned to high-level strategies within the curriculum, conducting biweekly data check-ins with school leadership to monitor progress and adjust supports. This initiative directly advances our academic priorities by strengthening the quality, consistency, and access of mathematics instruction across our schools. Students will benefit from strong Tier 1 instruction, ensuring access to rigorous standards-aligned mathematics before additional interventions are required. Consistent instructional experiences across classrooms and schools, particularly in key transition courses, such as 8th grade mathematics and Algebra 1. Instruction informed by real-time data to identify learning gaps and personalize support. Improved access to high-quality curriculum resources implemented as designed to build conceptual understanding and procedural fluency. Ultimately, this investment focuses on building

198educated capacity and ensuring sustainable instructional improvement that leads to long-term academic growth. It is a strategic step towards improved student outcomes. We will monitor success through multiple measures, including instructional implementation indicators, biweekly data check-ins with leadership teams, student performance trends, and increased consistency in instructional practices across schools. The focus is both on immediate instructional improvements and long-term achievement growth. The total cost is $52,500. The funding source is Title I. The cost is fully accounted for within the current budget. While we have strong curriculum resources in place, implementation quality is what drives student outcomes. This support ensures consistency across schools, strengthens teacher capacity, and helps us fully leverage the tools we have already invested in. The focus is on fidelity, instructional alignment, and sustainable practices. When we build educated capacity and teacher efficacy, you create the

199conditions where strong instruction becomes the norm, not the exception. Students experience consistent... high quality learning across classrooms, leadership in true instructional coaching roles, and the district develops collective efficacy. The belief that together we can improve outcomes for every learner. This is another step towards building educated capacity and collective efficacy across our district. This action supports priority one, academic excellence. Goal two, increase the percentage of students passing Algebra I by ninth grade. I respectfully request the board's approval and thank you for your continued support and advance and excellence for every learner in Allentown School District. Thank you. Any questions, comments? I'm just happy we're making this investment. As you said, we're building the capacity of our instructors, our teachers. Seeing none, may I have a motion to move this item forward? Second. All right. All in

200favor say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Now I'd like to call up Mr. James. Last, Mr. James is requesting approval for the School Board of Directors of the International Teacher Recruitment Agreement with Teachers Lounge in partnership with Alliance Abroad. Thank you good evening again scuba directors dr. Burks This evening we request the school board approval to enter into a host School district agreement with teachers lounge in partnership with the Alliance abroad to recruit and host qualified international teachers from the Philippines under the U.S. Department of State J-1 Teacher Exchange Program beginning in August of 26-27 school year. As you know, many school districts across the nation are experiencing challenges with special ed, math, science teachers. It's a high need area to fill in any school district, in any urban school district. And Allentown School District is

201no different. And what we're asking is an agreement to certainly enter another pathway so that we can recruit qualified teachers to come and support and fill our vacancies and work with our students. Teachers Lounge is a federally compliant J-1 visa program sponsor that partnered with us to recruit, vet, and support qualified international teachers to teach in the U.S. public schools. Under the J-1 Teacher Exchange Program, international teachers may serve in an accredited K-12 public school for up to three years. with potential extension of two additional years while participating in cultural exchange activities as required by the U.S. Department of State. How will our students benefit from this program and this partnership? Certainly they will provide, we will be able to provide them with a certified full-time special ed math science teacher in our high need

202areas. Ensure continuity of instruction in our classrooms. Instead of having a substitute who's not qualified, making sure that we have a qualified teacher there to teach those courses. It will also enhance global perspectives and cultural exchange within our classrooms with having our teachers from the Philippines to come here and work with our students. What is the cost? Zero dollars. I repeat, zero dollars in order for us to host this program here in Allentown School District. And I request for your approval this evening. Mr. James, can you just clarify the zero dollars? There's no fee for the teachers. No fee for Allentown School District. That's very important. However. Now, the teachers who are coming from the Philippines will certainly work with. the host partner to certainly provide whatever cost they need to pay. But as far

203as Allentown School District having any fees, zero dollars. My question. So sometimes when you work with international programs, there's a fee associated with it for the host agency. It could be $2,000 or $3,000. It varies. However, I just want the board to be clear. If we hire teachers, we are paying the teachers. Right. Okay? We're paying the teachers. We're just not paying a fee to the agency. That is correct. Okay. Right. That is correct. Because many agencies have fees attached to them, and we certainly did not want to go through that. We certainly want a partner that did not have the fees attached. We will pay our teachers the same salary as all the other teachers. I hope so. But, I mean, no cost for the partnership as far as the fee is concerned. Any

204more questions? All right, hearing and seeing none, may I have a motion to move this board? Awesome. Any all in favor say aye. Aye. Any opposed? All right. At this time, you're taking. Thank you. At this time, you're taking public comments on non-agenda. No comment. Perfect. Is there any old business to come before this board? None. Any new business? All right. May I have a motion to adjourn? Second. Any all in favor? Aye. Any opposed? Meeting adjourned. Do we need a break or can I just go? Just go, I'm for the just go, yes. And to our student representatives, I'm gonna push you guys up in our informative session, information session. Once you go, please feel free to leave, because it's really late. All right. I'd like to call to order the meeting of the

205Board of Directors for the School District of the City of Allentown for today, February 26th, 2026. Is there any comments? No, okay, great. We will now have the roll. Mr. Secretary, please call the roll. Miss De Moore? Present. Dr. Johnson? Miss Matheson? Here. Miss Michaels? Here. Is Mr. Denzel Moore on? Mr. Nikolov? Here. Miss Noel? Here. Miss Sierra? Here. Mr. Burcio? We have eight board members present. Thank you. Please rise for the Pledge of Allegiance. Follow my moment of silence. So we're going to have the students do their information updates right now so they can go. So first up, we're gonna have Brianna Potter from Allen High School. Bri is not here today, but I'll read. Okay, sorry. All right, for the February 2026 board report, the notes from the February 2026 board report highlight

206significant achievements and activities across academics, athletics, and student organizations. LCCI-Skills USA winners included Joel Wilkinson, Automotive Refinishing Tech, and Emilia Tejada-Bias, Nail Care, earning both first place and advancing to the state competition. Other winners were Levi Rose, third place in Automated Manufacturing, and Genesis Beltri, second place in Baking and Pastry Arts. NTHS held induction ceremonies at LCTI. The following William Allen High School students were recognized. Dejahmi Taveras, Louis Bastio Ponce, Serenity Blanding, Blanca Olivares, Soya Williams, Kaitlin Lavalante, Jefferson Sanogo Dutton, and Derek Songwart. Key Club conducted a carnation sale and a jeans fundraiser with all proceeds dedicated to purchasing snacks for bingo at Cedarbrook Nursing Home. Athletics saw senior girls wrestler Karla Montes win the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference Championship and place second at districts, earning a spot at regionals. Now she will head off to

207Hershey in hopes of bringing home the gold. Tyheed Wise of the boys basketball team was selected as an East Penn Conference All-Area First Team player, finishing second in MVP votes. Allen Girls Basketball's Arianna Rosario was also selected to the Lehigh County All Area Team for the East Penn Conference. ROTC, oh, I still got more. So got a little more ROTC conducted its annual military inspection on February 17th and received an overall rating of outstanding from CDR Eric Humphries USN read the inspection involved 160 cadets who demonstrated exceptional discipline professionalism and pride The achievement is considered noteworthy as the program navigated a year of transition with two new instructors and new unit leadership Chorale senior Naomi Herrera participated in PMEA's Region 5 Chorus Festival after successfully auditioning at the District Chorus Festival in January. SGA hosted

208the Winter Pep Rally, which was a great success. The event featured wonderful student performances and was marked by exceptional conduct from all in attendance, ensuring everyone had a fun and spirited experience. Upcoming school events include the William Allen Arts Alliance hosting an off-the-wall open mic coffee house on Saturday, February 28th, 2026 from 1 to 3 p.m. If you want to see us perform Easy by the Commodores, we also play that there. And that's all I have for February 2026. Thank you. Can you say your name for the record? I'm sorry. David Thor. Perfect. Thank you so much. Next up, we have Miss Mary from Bridgeview Academy. Good evening from Bridgeview Academy. In the second semester, we will be increasing opportunities for students to receive additional support as they continue to work towards complexion of their

209courses. Next week, we work towards... Next week we begin our school academic labs for our core courses English math science and social studies More courses will be added in the near future Students and their families will receive information about these opportunities this week. If you have any questions, please reach out to our student advisor On February 6th, our 11th grade social studies students hosted a public health fair where they presented research-backed action plans to address enduring public health challenges in Allentown. Using data from the Allentown Health Bureau, students analyzed the historical roots of local issues to design community-focused solutions. The event successfully showcased their students' civic engagement and highlighted how youth can act can actively partner with government and community leaders to advocate for equitable health outcomes in our city. This week our capstone teacher,

210Miss Salter, was awarded a $3,000 micro-grant from the Bill of Rights Institute to support our capstone project and exhibition. The grant is part of the My Impact Challenge, which encourages students to design and implement projects that have a meaningful impact of their community. This way of looking at capstone aligns perfectly with Bridgeview's core values of passion, power, agency, and impact. And the funding will ensure that we have the resources to really serve our community with our learning. This week we announced that the first ever Bridgeview Academy prom will happen on Saturday May 30 The theme of the prom is masquerade and it will take place at the Renaissance Hotel and That's the news from Bridgeview Academy. Thank you and remembers always together we rise Thank you. Next up. We have an eye a holder from

211Zareff High School Girls basketball played their last game of the season where they fought hard against Nazareth during the first round of district playoffs last Friday. Myself and Alfie Derris were both named Eastern Pennsylvania Conference All-League second team. Jayla Rosario was named Eastern Pennsylvania Conference first team and was honored at the PBL Center on February 12th. Jayla Rosario was also a recipient of the You Are the Light Award in the trendsetter category. Two new school records came in as the winter track team concluded their season. Sophomore Robert Shaddoll broke the 3,200 meter record by almost a whole minute with a time of 11 minutes and 23 seconds. I broke the indoor school record for the 400 meter dash with a time of 59 seconds, 59.49 seconds. Nice. Thank you. Our wrestlers competed at the District

21211 2026 tournament last weekend where four of our athletes were awarded medals. Rael Juan placed sixth, Keo Hamlin placed fourth, Chris Racinos placed fifth. The fourth one will come after this. Chris and Keo will continue their season this weekend at regionals. Nalia Rodriguez was the fourth medalist. She was a District 11 runner-up where she also became the first female in school history to medal at this event. Valentina, Valentina Uchura was awarded the Gary F. Todd Memorial Scholarship by the Lehigh Valley Soccer Scholar Athlete Foundation. Valentina is the first DERA student to receive this honor in 42 years. Anthony Debreu represented the ASD at the District 10 Band Festival where he showcased his musical talent, dedication, and hard work alongside other talented musicians. Following the festival, he scored high enough at re-auditions to advance to the

213Regional Band Conference. This year, Dieruff's Theater Department will be performing the musical Chicago Teen Edition. Tickets are available to purchase now. For more information, visit our ASD Dieruff Instagram account. Musical dates are on April 23rd, 24th, and 25th at 7.30 p.m., as well as April 26th at 2 p.m. All shows will be held in Dieruff Auditorium. One of our seniors Christopher Dornicky was recently chosen to represent our school during a meeting with the local legislators in Allentown School District. During this opportunity Chris spoke on behalf of our schools and advocated for investments into the Allentown School District. Our superintendent book club met earlier today to discuss our current read, Emily Goldberg Learns to Salsa. During the meeting, we had engaging conversations where everyone was allowed to share their insights. We then had a small celebration

214for finishing our very first book of the club. As this club moves forward, we are excited to continue learning, reading, and growing together. Last Saturday, our National Honor Society raised almost $1,000 for the Special Olympics at the annual Polar Plunge held. this year at Coca-Cola Park. 14 students and six D.A.R.F. staff members jumped into freezing water for a good cause. Senior Juliana Flores has been active and involved in SkillsUSA, a career and technical student organization. She also participated in the state championship for the crime scene investigation event as she was awarded second place. Lastly, three LCTI students were inducted into the National Technical Honor Society as they've shown tremendous dedication, hard work, as well as commitment to excellence in career and technical education. Congratulations to Jariel Cruz-Rizotti and Berlin Fernandez-Gomez from the Automated Industrial Technology

215field and Abigail Thomas from the Dental Technology field. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. And you guys are now excused for tonight. Thank you so much. Have a great night. To add to what she was saying about the wrestlers, this season, the wrestling team at Deer finished with 14 wins and seven losses. Wow. Yes. That's awesome. That's awesome. Okay, and tonight for my board president remarks, I'm going to be extremely brief. First, I'd like to say happy Black History Month. I'd like to say happy Black History Month to everyone. I'd like to acknowledge. the ancestors and all the people that paved the way for African Americans to be here and to do the things that we're doing right now. I'd like to acknowledge all the work that was done for me to be able to

216even sit in the seat that I'm sitting in right now as the first black female board president serving on the board. And tonight, I want to do something we've never done before. I want to acknowledge Dr. Birx. I want to acknowledge Dr. Burks. Dr. Burks has made history. She is the first black superintendent to serve in ASD. Yes. Yes. Yes. Thank you, Dr. Burks, and you're a history maker. Keep doing what you're doing. Keep supporting our children. You are... I watched yesterday as a few of our students came up to you, and I can tell that you inspire them. that you're giving them hope, that they can see themselves in you, and I love that for our children. And I think more than ever, especially what I witnessed tonight, I think representation is so important.

217So thank you for serving in the seat. And it is also Dominican Independence Day. A lot going on and history has been made in that area as well because Miss Anna Tabersio is the first Hispanic state representative from the Lehigh Valley So look look at us making history Congratulations, and we look forward to the amazing work that you're gonna do as a state representative. Thank you And that ends my remarks for tonight. Dr. Burks Thank you, President Noel, good evening school board directors and to our team and the public that is still here. Thank you so much. And I just feel truly grateful and honored to be able to serve this great community. I am because of all of you and all the hard work that this amazing team is doing on behalf of our

218children. So please give our team a round of applause. I appreciate you so much. As Ms. Noel mentioned, it is Black History Month, and I just want to highlight some of the things that are happening throughout the district. I want to thank the foundation for its support. We do have some black history efforts underway throughout the district. Of course, I want to thank the schools for everything that you're doing, and the students of the competitions and artwork and such. And I know that Reverend Mariah is here, so thank you so much. We are shining the light on... two major winter observances. One is Black History Month and Women's History Month coming up in March. And this week we announced our district-wide essay contest for students in grades four to 12. And as part of this

219contest, there'll be some monetary prizes. We are inviting all of our students to reflect and highlight individuals whose lives are exemplifying excellence and resilience, and who have paved the way for all of us, not just African Americans, as they were African Americans, or just women, but for all people, all humanity, because we are one people and one human race, and so we need the collective strengths and gifts and talents and love of everyone, because we all matter. This community matters and all the children and all the, I love working and serving here in Allentown because of the diversity of different people, races, racist culture, languages and history. And so again, I want to thank the foundation for being so generous and supporting the monetary resources for the. those prizes for our students. And again, as

220Miss Noel mentioned, all those people, the ancestors and such who paved the way for all of us to sit in this room together. There was a time that we couldn't sit in a room together. So I'm so grateful that we're here working in partnership to the benefit of our students. We have some acknowledgements and celebrations. Let me tell you yesterday we had our elementary basketball team finalists final playoffs and if you saw the enthusiasm of those third, fourth, and fifth grade students and their families. I just wanna thank our team, our learning and teaching team for your hard work and everyone, of course, all our operations people, all the logistics, to really see the eyes of those children and their families and the skills and talents that we are nurturing at such a young age.

221I mean, that was some tough bat third and fourth, fifth grade basketball yesterday. And we wanna commend Ritter. They are our citywide champ. The final playoff was 20 to 19. And so, and also we will be remiss if we don't thank our friend, our District Attorney, Hollihan. Attorney Gavin, as we call him, for his generous support and contributions to making this happen for our children. He was very, I don't know, I think Attorney Holland was going to go on the court and start reffing and everything, and he brought his entire team, and they stayed the entire time, and it was just such a joyous occasion. And then also I want to thank our talent team. We had a grand night. You missed it if you weren't there at the Phantoms game last night. Allentown was

222representing. I want to thank all my members of my team and everyone, all the logistics. everyone who was a part of this. It was amazing. If you saw our students and our families, their eyes were just beaming and they had such great smiles. And to see us on that big screen singing, our choirs and our students performing, it was a grand time. So let me tell you, there's some amazing things happening in Allentown. We have sensational staff and students and our families. And I'm just so thrilled to be connected and be a part of this great family. Last week we also showcased our You Are the Light winners. So you saw them as you came into this assembly earlier tonight, a lot earlier tonight. We showcased their names. I want to commend them for their

223hard work and commitment. We don't select them, their schools, their peers, and everything else in the broader community. So I commend our You Are the Light winners. I want to thank Ms. Noel for being there with us this past You Are the Light ceremony. And there were more than 265 people who were there at that event. and having a great time. So again, I wanna thank everyone for their hard work and commitment. I think I covered everything that Melissa said I'm supposed to talk about tonight. But I thank you everyone. And just in truth, transparency and commitment, I truly believe as a collective community, we can come together for the benefit of the children. I believe that. I know there's been lots of voices in the room and I won't belabor what happened three hours

224ago or four hours or so almost now. However, we are all in this together. This is our community. These are our children, every single one of them, and they deserve the best schooling experiences. Despite how they grew up, who they are, and all their backgrounds, they deserve the best schooling experience. And I do believe we're going to come together as a community and really think about this in support of the children. And that's all I'll say tonight, but I have some other remarks that I will share with the board later. Thank you. Thank you, Dr. Birx. At this time, we're only taking public comments. Nothing? Great. May I have a motion of approval of the minutes? So moved. May I have a second? Is there any discussion? Please call the roll. Dr. Johnson. Ms. Matheson.

225Miss Michaels. Yes. Mr. Nikolov. Yes. Miss Noel. Yes. Miss Sierra. Yes. Mr. Bersio. Yes. Miss DeMora. Yes. Motion passes eight zero. Thank you. And now it's time for our information updates. Is there any updates on the Allentown public library? Yes. I have an update. Adult programming included a Valentine DIY craft and continues with our Smart Shopper workshop. Tech Tuesdays remain active, covering topics like PowerPoint, employment resources, Libby, email basics, and upcoming sessions on library databases. Youth services launched the 2026 season with strong participation and weekly programs such as Music Mondays, preschool story time, art exploration, study buddies, and family story time. Special events included STEM program, a party DJ, a teen drop-in hours, Valentine activities, and a teen advisory board meeting. For outreach, we held seven programs serving 48 participants. Visits were made to senior

226sites in the Salvation Army. Devon House has agreed to restart library services and Center City Apartments will distribute our flyers to 350 residents and the Chamber recommended the library following our annual tree lighting participation. And then under general updates the adult service on district meeting was held this month and the next library board meeting is scheduled for March 16th at 12 p.m That's all for my report. Thank you any report from the Allentown Recreation Commission well The Franklin Park renovations are starting. There's also Easter egg hunts Scheduled for March they need volunteers. You could get it through sign up genius The Easter egg hunt is March 20. I wrote it down in large print. March 28th, the Mayor's Easter egg hunt. It is from 12 to 2 in different segments for different age groups, ages

2272 to 17. And there's also at 150 people or children with special needs. Use the sign up. Genius, there's a website, it's kind of long, signupgenius.com, forward slash go, forward slash 10-C-O-4-4, and on and on and on. If you want to sign up, I guess contact me, I'll give you the information. Thank you. There is a report from the Allentown School District Foundation. The foundation is supporting student participation in the Pennsylvania Junior Academy of Science Regional Competition taking place at Northampton Community College on Saturday, February 28. This includes funding for project supplies, registration fees, and busing for 31 Harrison, Morton, and Deerhoff students, as well as teacher stipends. Students who achieve a first place rating will move on to the three. Day State Competition at Penn State University in May with the support of the

228foundation. The ASD Foundation is also funding the district's participation in the National History Day Regional Competition taking place at Muhlenberg College this Saturday. 19 Trucks or middle school students will present individual and small group projects centered around this year's theme, Revolution Reaction. and reform in history. Students who achieve a first or second place rating will compete in the two-day state competition at the University of Scranton in April with the foundation's support. Preparations are underway for our 16th annual High Notes Gala, taking place on Saturday, March 28th at the Palace Center. So notice there's a change in location this year. The theme is Skating into the Future, and our goal is to raise at least $131,000 to support programs in the area of literacy, STEM, civic education, the arts, and scholarships. After school program participation from

229Hayes Elementary School are creating ice skate centerpieces for the event. That's amazing. Performance groups from Allen and Dieruff are working on the entertainment and students from across the district are preparing thank you notes. If you're interested in attending this exciting fundraising event, please pick up an invitation from the rack in the lobby. ASD Foundation Scholarship Program for Allentown School District graduating seniors continues to grow with a new $3,000 scholarship secured this month for Deeriff High School and a few others in the works for all three high schools. I think that deserves an applause. We anticipate awarding more than 70 scholarships this year and application information will be available through the guidance offices by the end of April. That ends my report. There's no report from the intermediate unit. Is there any report from LCT? I

230have a few items here Budget and financial updates the 2024-25 budget has not been finalized yet LCT I has transitioned to new software. It's a streamline to improve new budget process The 2026 budget is currently in development and final update will be by May 2026. LCTI is requesting $1 million for equipment purchases from previous line items. Stakeholder and engagement partnerships. The stakeholder engagement initiative action plan had listed 10 items. Three out of the 10 items have been completed. The Pennsylvania Association of Career Technical Administrators is actively seeking partnerships to support funding opportunities and program expansion. They currently have renovation projects going on. Fire and safety renovations are expected to be completed within the next five to six months. Cosmetology expansion is currently on hold. Dental lab renovation has been completed. The school and climate services...

231Student Services, they have five counselors who was recognized for the outstanding work. The school has received approximately 1,600 applications. Approximately 18,000 meals were served between breakfast and lunch. They're having an upcoming event, so if you guys are available on May 28th, they have senior recognition and ceremony which will take place. I did attend the skills competition over at the fairgrounds. 92 students completed and demonstrated their technical skills. 13 students earned first place awards showcasing high level talent in preparation for LCTI. And I'm going to, she was supposed to be first, but she couldn't be here today. So I also wanted to highlight one of our students. Her name is Caitlin from William Allen High School. She also attends LCTI. She's a proud member of the National Technical Honor Society. She has demonstrated excellence, both academically

232and her technical field. She volunteers at a women's shelter. She participates in a program called SAD, Students Against Drugs. She actively engaged in leadership in... services for our community and she wants to go to MIT. So that's my report. Thank you so much. Do you know why they paused cosmetology? Was there any? No. The expansion was paused. The expansion was paused, yes. I'm not sure that's quite accurate to be honest. I'll tell you more later. Okay. No problem. Thank you. I think that's it. Okay. We have a motion of approval of the Board of Directors report. So moved. May I have a second? Second. Is there any discussion? Please call the roll. Ms. Matheson? Yes. Ms. Michaels? Yes. Mr. Nikoloff? Yes. Ms. Noel? Yes. Ms. Sierra? Yes. Ms. Tabersio? Yes. Ms. D'Amora? Yes. Dr. Johnson?

233Yes. Motion passes 8-0. Thank you. May I have a motion of approval of the policy agenda? So moved. May I have a second? I second. Is there any discussion? Please call the roll. Ms. Michaels? Yes. Mr. Nikoloff? Yes. Ms. Noel? Yes. Ms. Sierra? Yes. Ms. Tabersio? Yes. Ms. D'Amora? Yes. Dr. Johnson? Yes. Ms. Matheson? Yes. Motion passes 8-0. Thank you. May I have a motion of approval of the Secretary and Treasurer's report? So moved. Second. Is there any discussion? Please call the roll. Mr. Nikoloff. Yes. Ms. Noel. Yes. Ms. Sierra. Yes. Ms. DiBercio. Yes. Ms. D'Amora. Yes. Dr. Johnson. Yes. Ms. Matheson. Yes. Ms. Michaels? Yes. Motion passes 8-0. Thank you. We have a motion of approval of the superintendent's report. So moved. Second. Is there any discussion? Please call the roll. Ms. Noel? Yes.

234Ms. Sierra? Yes. Ms. Tabersio? Yes. Ms. D'Amora? Yes. Dr. Johnson? Yes. Ms. Matheson? Yes. Ms. Michaels? Yes. Mr. Nikoloff? Yes. Motion passes 8-0. Thank you. We have a motion of approval for the personnel report. So moved. Second. Any discussion? Please call the roll. Ms. Sierra? Yes. Ms. Tabersio? Yes. Ms. D'Amora? Yes. Dr. Johnson? Yes. Ms. Matheson? Yes. Ms. Michaels? Yes. Mr. Nikolov? Yes. Ms. Noel? Yes. Motion passes 8-0. Thank you. May I have a motion of approval for the personnel report? You just did. I just did? Oh, my God. Okay. Tonight, the board approves new administrative hires. Mr. James, will you please come forward and introduce the new hires? Thank you so much. I would like for us to welcome to the Allentown School District family our two new administrators for this evening. First we

235have Ms. Brandi Renko from Acting Assistant Principal to Assistant Principal at Robb Middle School. And new to our Allentown School District family is Mr. Nathan White. He is the Finance and Budget Analyst for our school district. Okay let's give that last one round of applause for our Allentown School District new administrators. Welcome. May I have a motion of approval for the finance report. So moved. Second. Any discussion. Please call the roll. Ms. DeMora? Yes. Dr. Johnson? Yes. Ms. Matheson? Yes. Ms. Michaels? Yes. Mr. Nikoloff? Yes. Ms. Noel? Yes. Ms. Sierra? Yes. Ms. Tabersio? Yes. Motion passes 8-0. Thank you. Any agenda items on any? No comment. Oh, yeah, sorry old business new business motion motion to adjourn make the motion second