Local Government TV

Friday, December 04, 2015

How Southern Lehigh School Board Fills a Vacancy

Southern Lehigh has an opening on their school board. The new member will be appointed.

In the November election only five people ran for five open seats. Now twelve people have applied for one open seat.

Just for reference you need ten signatures to get on the ballot.

According to the Superintendent the board will spend 30 minutes to review the applications
Due to the number of applicants, the school board committee is meeting at 6PM on December 7 to review applications and will call finalists to be interviewed at 6:30PM. The interviews will be scheduled beginning at 7PM. If you are one of the finalists, what number should we call?
Thank you.
Diana
Diana S. Millman
That's 2 1/2 minutes per applicant. For a position that will represent the people of Southern Lehigh for the next four years. You would think they could spend a little more time deciding who the best applicant is.

I guess the committee are speed readers.

These are the moves that make people skeptical of politicians.

13 comments:

  1. One can swing a dead cat and hit a dozen teachers union tax raisers. It shouldn't take them more than five minutes.

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  2. These open seats should be filled in an election, the school board has more power over your assets than any other taxing authority. It is common practice to appoint people who probably could not get elected.

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  3. well at least they didn't use burner phones or talk to their masters as the meeting goes on

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  4. It's a contract year in Southern Lehigh for the Teachers. I'm sure this will be a fair and open 30 minutes. The teachers should have a new contract by 7:30pm and the taxpayers a tax hike by 8!

    This smells.

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  5. A vacant seat must be filled by appointment, in a predetermined time frame, per the PA School Code. However that appointment is only until the next municipal election. In this case that would be a 2 year seat. In Bethlehem we have always publicly interviewed all applicants for an open seat asking everyone the exact same questions. Prior to the interviews board members had resumes in hand for at least 3 days. Granted we never had 12 applicants, but I think transparency is vital when appointing someone to an elected position.

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  6. It's a contract year in Southern Lehigh for the Teachers. I'm sure this will be a fair and open 30 minutes. The teachers should have a new contract by 7:30pm and the taxpayers a tax hike by 8!

    I've found many residents in Upper Saucon, Lower Milford and Coopersburg highly value the quality of Southern Lehigh schools and thus are willing to accept a reasonable school tax increase since the quality of the schools is what makes Southern Lehigh such a desirable place to live. I'd be shocked if the SLSD board is interested in sticking it to the tax payers. Anyone critical of the politics in this part of Lehigh County should just be thankful they live outside ASD and the City of Allentown!

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  7. 1.) taxes have been raised .25 mills in the last 7 years total
    2.) Southern Lehigh is recognized as a quality school district across the area
    3.) the school board is following the usual guidelines. You can't complain how they are doing it if they are simply following the state rules. Your beef is with the state not them.
    4.) how does one new board member mean the teachers will get everything and the taxpayers get screwed???

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  8. Anon 12:45: Spoken like a true union hack. Teachers in NJ say the same thing. That's why I moved to PA. Raise my taxes so teachers can get a raise? In case you have noticed people are still unemployed or under employed.

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  9. Why won't the school board post the applications of the people who applied? Let the community see who is running. Shine a little light on the process.

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  10. "Anon 12:45: Spoken like a true union hack. Teachers in NJ say the same thing. That's why I moved to PA. Raise my taxes so teachers can get a raise? In case you have noticed people are still unemployed or under employed."

    Union hack? Teacher? You're way off base, I live in Allentown the original home of union hacks and deplorable public schools. You're complaining about tax hikes? SLSD delivers a first rate education and has barely raised taxes at all over the past few years (see 2:03 post). You moved here from NJ? You should singing the praises of the SLSD Board that delivers a top quality public education and tax increases have been minimal. Come to Allentown, you'll have plenty of complaints.

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  11. Your silence on the Islamic Terrorist Attack in San Bernardino, California, is deafening, BO.

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  12. The genuine asshole is you, BO.

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  13. Can't see the problem. In Bethlehem they raise the school tax every year. Then every election a former teacher or administrator gets elected to the school board. It is just a way of life in Bedlum.

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