001testing. Okay, look at us. >> Good afternoon, everyone. I'd like to call to order the meeting of the the special meeting of the board of directors of the school district for the city of Allentown for today, April 23rd, 2026. The board welcomes and invites public comment. You you may address the board on agenda and or non-aggenda items. The first opportunity for comment is at the beginning of the meeting and is limited to agenda items only. 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 public comment policy is located on the table next to the common cards. Per our board's policy, any person may address the board in accordance with the procedures and limitations of this
002policy, 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. Simson. Once recognized, please come to the podium and state your name and address for the record. We will now have the roll call. Mr. Secretary, please call the role. >> More >> present. >> Dr. Johnson >> here. >> Miss Mat. >> Miss Michaels. >> Mr. Morris >> present. >> Mr. Mr. Nicoloff >> here. >> Miss Noel >> here. >> Miss Sierra >> here. >> We have eight members present. >> Thank you. Please rise for a pledge of allegiance
003followed by a moment of silence. To the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for it stands one nation indivisible with liberty and justice for all. Tonight in the special board meeting, we will be appointing well conducting an interview and then appointing a new board member to fill the seat of Anna Tersio. Superintendent remarks. Do you have any remarks, Dr. Brooks? >> I'll save my remarks for the regular board meeting. >> Perfect. Thank you. At this time, we are only taking public comments on agenda items. Do we have any comments? Okay. Thank you. Good evening. My name is Miss Andre Brown Noel. I serve as the school board president. On behalf of my colleagues, thank you for being here with us this evening. Thank you for your interest and willingness to
004fill the vacancy on the Allentown School Board of Directors. Tonight we will be interviewing the following candidates for consideration for school board director to fill the term of resignation created by Miss Tersio. Yahara Ales, Juan DeLeon, Tony James, and Nancy Wilt. At this time, we are going to begin the interviews. We will interview candidates in alphabetical order by last name. Candidates will be asked to wait in in the faculty lounge until it is their turn to to be interviewed. We ask that you do not use electronic devices during this time. Mrs. Smith and Mr. Sikett will host our candidates while they wait. Our first candidate will be Miss Yahara Ais. Mrs. Smith and Mr. Sikit. The remaining candidates can now be shown to the lounge. They're there. Okay, perfect. Okay. >> Hello. >> Good afternoon,
005Miss Mr. Vless. >> Good afternoon. >> Okay. You will have two minutes to respond to each question in this interview. A timer will be visible for you to monitor your response. So each candidate will begin with an opening statement regarding their background and how their skills are enhanced um will enhance the work of the Allentown School District. Miss Oilis. Okay. Dear Mr. Ronald Simson and Allentown School District board of directors, I trust this letter will find you well. I am submitting my documents for the current vacancy of school board director for the Allentown School District. As most of you know, I have three children, one of which has already graduated and two who are current students. Niah will graduate this year along with her uh early college acceptance from Penn State main campus. All I
006can say is proud is truly an understatement. It is because of them that my advocacy for them, our students, parents, and families began 14 years ago. In all of this time, I have had the grand pleasure of not only meeting many of you, but have also had the privilege of seeing firsthand your love and dedication to our students along with getting to know you and your work ethics and also learning many parts of the operations of our grand district by sitting on various councils currently and in the past and being afraid to take a stand and ask the qu the tough questions when necessary. I've had the blessing of meeting family students, some of whom still call me ma since their elementary school years and have already graduated. Families who've become family who've become like
007family over so many years. I've also built very nice, respectful relationships with many within our school district, um, our schools, and once again, the Grand Allentown School District. Overall, 14 years is a long time, a time I'm very proud of as I've recognized all of the magic I've been a part of over the years. I can imagine many of you already know how incredibly honored and humbled I'd be to be able to take to take such a seat. >> Thank you so much. >> Thank you for sharing your opening statement. >> Now our second question, do you have a conflict of interest? Do you have something in your background or any experience that may be perceived as a conflict of interest that would impact you or a member of your immediate family if you were
008to be appointed as schoolboard director? >> Absolutely not. >> What do you see as a primary role of a schoolboard director in ensuring effective governance and oversight? and how would you handle a situation where a community member asks you to intervene directly in issues related to the day-to-day operations of the district? >> I appreciate that question. Um, first and foremost, as I stated, I've been doing advocacy work for 14 years. Um, that is my first place and then second place came the ASD. Um, within those 14 years, many of you have become like family. Um, and what I have made clear with the parents that I already deal with, um, and those within the village who already know me is we don't attack. We take in and we work as a team to figure out
009whatever it is that maybe need to be figured out in whatever way. >> Thank you. What is your understanding of the district's strategic plan lighting the way blueprint for innovation and excellence 2030? Which current initiative do you believe are most critical to advancing student outcomes at this time? Please explain your answer. >> Okay. Most critical is understanding our students first and foremost. Secondly is understanding the families. Most of these students do not have the proper leadership to be able to guide them um in the manner that they should be guided for, you know, to be able to persevere um in their future. I with the strategic goals and everything else all of them are extremely important because they all play a critical part and role in so many different lives. So to just say speak
010upon one, it's a little bit hard for me. I'm specifically one of those uh individuals who would have really been able to take great advantage of something as the strategic plan that we currently have in place when I was a child in our school district. So it's it's again imperative that we all understand everybody comes from a different background. We are one of the largest school districts as you all know within the Pennsylvania. Um so with that comes a lot of trials and tribulations and also not only that but our budgeting um and also having our families understand how things are done because they don't always they just see it and think okay so this is it. No let's see it and break it down. Okay, yes, this may need some work, but this is
011all the monies that are funded for it, you know, or whatever the case may be. So, my number one thing is being able to work with our families and our communities so that they ensure so that I can ensure the work that is being done collectively to be able to pass on to them in a proper and reassuring manner. >> Thank you. School districts must balance student needs with fiscal constraints, including rising costs and external pressures such as charter school tuition. How would you approach making difficult budget decisions while maintaining transparency and public trust? >> Well, first and foremost is knowing the facts. Secondly is doing the homework. Uh thirdly is seeing who and what it's it's needed most where it's needed most. Um and one of my biggest if if chosen one of my
012biggest things is to be able to help our community, our village, those who don't understand, who will just read a simple post and go off about the district. is to help them understand this is the way things are done. You know, I remember sitting in one of the governance meetings and we were talking about the uh budget and you know there was one person just kept going off and off and off and I'm like this budget is already set. what we're talking about is going forward, you know. So, it's those little things that I would like to be able to provide to our communities so that hopefully we're able to become a lot more cohesive as a community and district. >> Thank you. Well, thank you for your time as your viewers. That's all the
013questions we have for you today. >> Thank you. Okay. Do I take a seat? >> Yes, you can take a seat. >> Thank you. >> It's not the hot seat for you anymore. And we can bring in the next candidate, Mr. Juan Deleon. >> Good evening, Mr. Deleó. >> Good evening. >> So, you will have two minutes to respond to each question in this interview. A timer will be visible for you to monitor your responses. Now, each candidate will begin with an opening statement. Now, you can have your opening statement. >> Uh, well, thank you for seeing me uh this afternoon. I um I've lived here for 20 years. years. I'm originally from New York, born and raised, and I have worked um various schools and after school programs. Um I've worked with uh children
014in elementary school to colleges and I really believe and I understand how important education is to a child's life. uh especially when they have an unstable home life as so many uh have here in Allentown and how they are trying, parents are trying, but they need resources and schools have been so vital to that and I am a product of that as well. um being a child raised in a family that had not only financial challenges but there was also substance abuse and violence and um if it wasn't for my mentors, my teachers, I would not be standing here in front of you talking to you and I understand how important that is and I've only wanted to give back to other children the opportunities I was given and that's why I saw an opportunity
015here that you guys have presented and I would like to apply and and and just add to the great work that you've been doing. >> Thank you. Do you have a conflict of interest? Do you have something in your background or any experience that may be perceived as a conflict of interest? >> No. None that I'm aware of? No. >> None. >> What do you see as the primary role of a school board director in ensuring effective governance and oversight? And how would you handle a situation where a community member asked you to intervene directly in issues related to the day-to-day operations of the district? >> Well, I would see that a um leader of the school board should basic just have the priority of overall what the goal is of the community and what
016the board is and what their purpose are. um as far as um like what to to make sure the law the bylaws are followed that benefits everyone. Uh it may not always be beneficial but we continue to work with that and a leader would know to push for that. as far as if a um if someone asks me to intervene directly. Um as much as I I would, you know, as I would like to, I wouldn't. It's just because it probably would be compromising. Well, not probably. It sounds like it would be compromising to um any board member if they intervene personally in a situation where it it exceeded their boundaries of their of their position. Thank you. What is your understanding of the district's strategic plan lighting the way a blueprint for innovation and
017excellence 2030? Which current initiative do you believe are most critical to advancing student outcomes at this time? Please explain. >> I'm sorry. Could you repeat that? >> Sure. What is your understanding of the district's strategic plan lighting the way blueprint for innovation and excellence 2030 and which current initiative do you believe are most critical to advancing school student outcomes at this time? I'm not 100% familiar with the um light in the way project unfortunately um but I do understand that basically stu what helps sorry I'm stumbling over my words what would benefits families and students and all that is basically working to see what their needs are and that they're met as best as a school district can meet them. Um, and that would be with uh building bridges between organizations that there's so many
018here that offer services to families. >> Thank you. School districts must balance student needs with fiscal constraints, including rising costs and external pressures such as charter school tuition. How would you approach making difficult budget decisions while maintaining transparency and public trust? Um, basically transparency is key. Just keeping the community informed of what um, this body basically came to a conclusion on, what's the best step forward that would benefit everyone uh, and just keep everyone informed like families and school districts of what is happening and where their where their efforts are being met. >> Well, thank you. That's all the questions I have for you today. Thank you. Have a good one. Have a seat. >> Good evening. Hello, I am Andrea Noel. I'm the president of Allentown School Board. Now, today we will have you
019will start by having two minutes to respond to every question. There will be a timer visible for you to monitor your response and we will start with your two minutes opening statement. >> Hi everyone, my name is Tony James. Um I'm a lifelong resident of Allentown. I grew up here. I grew up on Second Street and you know a lot of people think of that area as the hood and not so good but I never felt like I was receiving anything less than I had such a good community support and village and that same community support and village allowed me to pivot when I hit any obstacles and be successful. So I was able to I went to Rob then I went to Sheridan and then Rob then Allan and graduated went to Howard in
020DC and then came home and graduated from the sales and I'm now currently a mom and a practice director at Valley Health Partners. But I know that that's not the same story for everyone. And when I was younger because I was surrounded by so much community support. I thought that's how it was for everybody. That was the norm. But navigating through life I realized that's not the norm for everyone. Everyone doesn't have that same village and that same community support to be able to support them when they hit these obstacles and they have to pivot. And that really became my passion for me. I was able to see how instrumental the right people in your life can change the trajectory of your life. And I want to help be that for someone. I know that
021in the perfect world, everything can change that quick and it won't be that easy. But I want to be part of something that helps create systems and sets policies in place that people have that support outside of school that they can excel because we know success looks different for everyone. And if we truly want people to succeed, we have to meet them where they're at. And that looks different for everybody. So this seemed like the perfect opportunity for me to come in like the first step to help get students where they need to be. >> Thank you. Do you have a conflict of interest? Do you have something in your background or any experience that may be perceived as a conflict of interest that would impact you or members of your immediate family if you
022were to be appointed as a schoolboard director? >> I don't um I do work for Valley Health Partners which they collaborate with school district on a lot of different measures. If there's ever an opportunity that I need to recuse myself for a vote, I'm fine with that. >> Thank you. What do you see as the primary role of a school board director in ensuring effective governance and oversight? And how would you handle a situation where a community member asks you to intervene directly in issues related to the day-to-day operations of the district? >> So when I think of the school board and the governance, I think of that as a place that really like sets that foundation and creates the vision that the school's going to follow. setting the policies, creating the budget, of course,
023like hiring the superintendent, but not really involved with the day-to-day aspect of that, that we just hold the school district accountable to the goals and measures that we set. So, if someone wants me to intervene in that area, I think we just have to educate them and bring them back to how the process goes. Like, it never hurts to listen because a lot of times people just want to be felt like they're being heard. So just listen to what the problem is, but re-educate them and bring them back to who's appropriate to handle those situations that that's not my role and direct them to the correct person that can help oversee what their problem is. >> Thank you. What is your understanding of the district strategic plan lighting the way the blueprint for innovation and
024excellence 2030? Which current initiatives do you believe are most critical to advancing student outcomes at this time? So, I will be completely honest with everyone. Um, I am not as educated on the school board and because this will be my first time, but I am a mom in the district. I came from the community in the district and I know what I'm from the community. So, I can speak from what I see the problems are. I think right now the main initiative needs to be getting that trust back for parents. You know, as a mom in Allentown, when I tell people, you know, I live in Allentown, my kids are here. The first question I always ask is, well, what school are they going to? Because I feel like Allentown School District has such a
025negative connotation with it. And I feel like it's time to change that narrative. We It's time to get that community support and that parent trust back in because we know now that yes, students are coming to school for education, but right now we're having to fill more gaps than just education. When kids are coming in, we're having to address mental health, their health, period, um counseling. like there's just so many areas and support that go into education. It just doesn't stop there. They we need to make sure that we're filling those gaps and addressing those other needs that support the education because we can bring them to school, but that's just half of the problem. Are they ready to learn? Are they in their best place? Do they have that support at home? So I
026think the main initiative needs to be connecting that bringing the community back into the school and getting that trust back from the parents because sometimes the parents just their parents are just not engaged and we can get the kids to school but if the parents are not engaged when they go home what's the point of it what are they going to do when they get out of those those four um walls in the building so the success looks different for everyone but to get to their success we need the engagement back and I think that needs to be the main goal and how do we capture that engagement back because right now we're losing kids to charter schools because parents thinks that's But let's address that. What's appealing them to those charter schools? Let's try
027to bring them back to these public schools. And I know it sounds good and it won't be done overnight, but it's kind of like when you are building healthy habits and you're tripping away little by little. If we can start addressing those things on a small scale, hopefully in 10 years for the kids that are to come, we can look back and see the progress we've made. >> Thank you. School districts must balance student needs with fiscal constraints, including rising costs and external pressures such as charter school tuition. How would you appro approach making difficult budget decisions while maintaining transparency and public trust? >> So, I think transparency is key. In my current role, I deal with budgets on larger scales, on very large scales. And that's the hardest part. We want to do all
028these great things, but what do what resources do we have? But I feel like the main thing to do is to be transparent. We have to be real with because that's how you gain the trust and that's how keep keeping people informed allows them to trust you and allows you to make better decisions and have that support of those people. So the biggest challenge with the Allentown School District that I see is the financial issue. We don't have the funds but we have all the students and we have limited resources. So how do we hit our goals when we're dealing with these financial constraints? And I think that's when you just have to be creative. For example, um I work at Valley Health Partners and we serve the underserved community. So, one issue we found
029was education of our community members. They weren't aware of why a papsmear was needed, what a cervix is. So, what I did was I figured we have to be creative because like the Allentown School District, we have a financial constraint. We don't have money to just spend on resources to provide this education. So, I reached out and started researching different programs. I found this program called patient point that will come in and bring in it's like a giant iPad that we put in all of our exam rooms and providers can just pull up what a cervix is. They can pull up information and we can email those to those patients so they can have it with them. But we were able to get that because I researched and found them and we had a collaboration
030because then on those same boards they advertised. So they gave it to us for free because they were able to get free advertisement for us but we were still able to serve the need. So, in a situation where we're dealing with financial constraint, I think you just have to be creative and think outside the box on ways we can serve the community, but be honest because when you're trying to go the back end, that's how you lose that trust and that's why people are going to start going to charter schools. >> Thank you. That's all the questions I have for you today. >> Oh, you can have a seat. Hello. >> Good afternoon. I am Andre Brown. I'm the school board president. And you will have two minutes to respond to each question in this
031interview. A timer will be visible for you to monitor your response. And now you get to start with um please introduce yourself to the community and in doing so your professional title and your opening statement. >> Okay. My uh my name is Nancy Wilt. I am chief of staff to state representative Peter Schwire here in Allentown. I am a former school board member. I served from 2019 to 2023 and for two years I was board president and um one year I was vice president. Um, I submitted my letter of interest because I have never stepped away from serving ASD even after my time on the board and I felt that um, when I came on it was during COVID. So, we we got on I had this vision of how I was going to support
032the community and all these initiatives I was going to do to uplift the kids. And then COVID hit and we were faced with shutting down the school um, and figuring out how to educate our children. and then we had some other um things during my tenure. So, I I thought that this opportunity coming back up was a way for me to give back to the district again and hopefully um see through some of the projects that we started when I was on the board and uplift the students in the way that I intended when I first ran in 2019, which was give everybody the opportunity to successfully complete the path that they want to take. >> Thank you. Do you have a conflict of interest? Do you have something in your background or any experience
033that may be perceived as a conflict of interest that would impact you or a member of your immediate family if you were to be appointed as a schoolboard director? >> I do not believe it's a conflict of interest because I know other board members have had employees of the district, but my daughter does work as a power professional at Rob Middle School. >> Thank you. What do you see as the primary role of a schoolboard director in ensuring effective governance and oversight? And how would you handle a situation where a community member asks you to intervene directly in issues related to the day-to-day operations of the district? >> Well, the school board is a a governance body. Um so our job is to oversee and approve the bills um and the programming that that come
034before us um on the day um from the school district. The way I did handle things like that when I was a school board member was I reminded people that I was one person that there is nine people on the the board and it's it's a it's a meeting of the minds. Um we don't have the authority or the ability to intervene directly. Um and there is a if it depending on the scenario if it's for a parent I would offer them the the proper channels on how they could best communicate with the school district um to get hopeful resolution the way they um are seeking. And if it's HR related, I would direct them to um the HR office um because I sometimes you do have employees that come to you as well. And
035I think it's important for them to to recognize there's a a due process and that they're following it and that collectively we um come together and make those decisions. It's not up to one person. >> Thank you. What is your understanding of the district's strategic plan lighting the way blueprint for innovation and excellence 2030? Which current initiative do you believe are critical to advancing student outcomes at this time? >> Well, I think continuing to um create innovative programming. I know there's a lot of innovation in the strategic plan that Dr. Burks is moving forward. Um, I was not part of that strategic plan that came after I was, so I'm not super familiar with it, but I am very excited by the initiatives that are happening with the Ruby Bridges School as well as what's
036going on with the Sonia Sotomayor dual language. We have a lot of students in our district who um, English is not their first language. And I'm really excited for what's happening at Bridgeview Academy and the innovation um and how that that that programming has grown from what it was when it was building 21 into more of a a hub for for um opportunities for our kids to really get immersed in what is out there for them. >> Thank you. School districts must balance student needs with fiscal constraints, including rising costs and external pressures such as charter school tuition. How would you approach making difficult budget decisions while maintaining transparency and public trust? >> By by asking the questions that I have of of the administration when they're presenting the budget. I would imagine that if
037I had those questions, the public also has those questions. Um it is vitally important to make sure that we are um being diligent with the dollars that we have, both the taxpayer dollars that come to us from the local tax base as well as the state tax base. Um, and how would I how would I portray that to the public? Did you say >> yes? >> By being by being forthright. If if at the end of the day, if you we have to we have to present a balanced budget. And if that means we have to increase taxes, then we have to increase taxes. We were faced with that a lot prior to the uh funding formula that is now in place by the Commonwealth. And there were many times when the tax increase was
038it was necessary so that we could actually continue to educate the kids in our community. So, and I would when I talked to people when I was out and about when I was running back in the time when people asked me if I would raise their taxes and I said if it's necessary I'll raise your taxes but I'm also raising mine because it's our responsibility to educate our future leaders. >> Thank you. Well, that is all the questions we have for you today. Thank you so much. You can have a seat. School board directors, do you need a couple minutes or if not, we can move forward. Do you need a quick break or move forward? Okay, great. We will now approve a candidate for the vacant board seat. We will need a majority of
039bo of the board, five school board directors to confirm the seat. Is there a motion to approve any candidate interviewed interviewed um here this evening? Would anyone like to put in a motion to nominate a candidate? >> Make a motion for Miss Wil. >> For Miss Wil. >> Is it multiple people at a time or one person at a time? Jeff Sultan? >> Oh, we could do it one of two ways. We could do it by motion and second if there's uh uh a way to do that or uh we could do a uh motion to nominate and have the people who are nominated there. and we could whittle it down that way. >> Okay. >> Whatever your prerogative is. >> Would you like to do a motion and second and then run through the
040first person or multiple people? >> There's a motion. There's a motion and a second. >> Well, there's a motion. >> There is a motion and a second. >> There's a second. >> Is there a second? >> I don't think so. >> Okay. >> Second. Is there any discussion? >> Then we're okay. >> I think it would be >> there's no discussion, right? I don't think there's any I don't think we can discuss. If there are others people want to nominate, maybe it's better we make a pool and then vote from there. >> Okay. Is there other >> I'll make a motion. >> Okay. So Tony James >> for Tony James. >> Any other nominations? >> I'll make a motion to nominate Yahiness. Is there a second? >> You don't need a second for a nomination.
041>> You don't need a second for Okay. Okay. So, we're going to start with the first, Miss Nancy Waltz. >> Please call the RO. >> Okay. So, I just want to be sure how how many We have three nominations. >> Yes. >> Okay. So, we need a motion to close the nominations. Oh, can I have a motion to close the nomination? >> Nominations. >> Second. >> All those in favor? >> All in favor say I. >> I. >> Okay. So, we have three nominations to fill the vacancy. So, we're going to have to ballot uh amongst the board and whoever ultimately gets five votes will be the person who will fill the vacancy. >> Okay. So, we do a roll call for the first person. >> Yeah. You should be stating the name who you're
042going to be voting for. >> Okay. So, Mr. Simson's gonna Okay. >> Mr. Nicoloff, >> Nancy Wil. >> Miss Noel. >> Nancy Wil. Miss Sierra Az >> Missy Moore >> Nancy Welt >> Dr. Johnson >> Nancy Wil >> Miss Mat >> Nancy Wil uh Miss Michaels >> Tony James >> Mr. Morris, >> Tony James, >> Miss Nancy Wilts has five votes. Miss Tony James has three, two, >> and Miss Nles has one. >> Thank you. Congratulations, Nancy W. We want to thank everyone that came up and spent your time. Thank you for your dedication. Thank you for making trying to make this commitment. And I will encourage every single one of you guys, please run. Please. This is not the only opportunity. This is an appointment, but there's an opportunity to run in the election.
043And what I heard tonight was a lot of passion. I heard a lot of dedication. and I would love to see people like you run in the next election. So, thank you guys so much. We also have councils. Yes, I Dr. Bur wants to let me know we have special superintendent councils so you can get involved in the district from early before you run in the election coming up so you can get to learn more about what's going on in the district. Thank you. Thank you so much. At this time, we are only taking public comments on on non-aggenda items. Do we have any comments? Okay. Is there any old business? Any new business? We have a motion to adjourn this meeting. >> I make a motion to >> Second. All in favor say I.
044>> I. >> Okay. We'll see you guys at the committee of the whole >> upstairs for executive session. Um, school board