Allentown School District has been propped up with $9.8 million in CARES Act funding, with Lehigh County throwing in another $2 million of the CARES Act funding it received. It picked up another $43 million from The American Rescue Plan Act. With all of the federal cash, the last ting you'd expect from any school district or municipality right now is a tax hike. But that's precisely what has happened. It has imposed a 5.3% tax hike despite the federal fund infusion. State Rep. Mike Schlossberg is patting himself on the back because he managed to get another $6.4 million for the school district in the most recent state budget, although this sum still falls far short of what Allentown should be receiving annually from the state.
Schlossberg knows this. In fact, he won't be paying the annual school tax. You see, he recently moved from his home on W 19th Street to a more affluent neighborhood in South Whitehall. His school taxes willnow go to Parkland School District
42 comments:
Is this his last term? Why would he move out of the 19th Street neighborhood unless he plans to stop running for office?
As a Democrat in Allentown, I could never vote for him again. He has disappointed constituents before, but I always viewed him as a reliable and steady local voice of the party's values/positions and for our urban municipality/school system. For him to move to a nearly all-white affluent school district basically exposes him as a self-centered hypocrite. To me everything he has stood for and supported is now tainted and I've become even more cynical of our the basic core beliefs of our party. If Mike Schlossberg is leaving Allentown for the suburbs, why should anyone else stay?
BOH,
Schlossberg's district expands into Parkland so his seat is safe but what a symbol of his opinion of the ASD.
I'm curious as to why Lehigh County is now supporting school districts. This is the first I'm hearing about it. Education isn't a function of county government.
Are they also giving money to every other school district in the county? What about the private schools? If this money is designated for COVID-related costs, doesn't every child (and thus every school) deserve an equal share of the funding?
What will happen to ASD next year when the CARES money isn't there for the county to give? Will the county then dip into general fund money for ASD? Or did they just allow ASD to spend $2 million more than it really has for one year and will be leaving ASD (and ASD taxpayers) with a $2 million annual hole for eternity?
I guess the county didn't have any other place to spend the CARES money. It's not like it would be needed at Cedarbrook for our seniors (who just happen to be the group most susceptible to COVID).
Which of the commissioners voted for the COVID funding for ASD? I believe that the husband of one of the ASD school board members is also a paid staffer for Schlossburg.
Very interesting.
Why is ASD underfunded?
How is the money being spent?
This might bring the solution into better focus. I have ideas of what the answer may be but I won't speculate.
Tell me it isn't so, Joe! How can he represent a district he doesn't live in? That is outrageous! Darth Voter does it again.
Aha! So he remains in the district after all. He just abandons ASD for the privileged PSD. What a phony! Has Pa. ever considered moving to a county school district system like several other states? Would save big bucks in redundant administrative costs, and would spread the tax base out more equitably. The Bethlehem School District benefits from including wealthy adjacent townships. So does Easton. But Allentown not only relies exclusively on a shrinking urban tax base, a chunk of the city is in the Parkland SD. Totally unfair!
Schlossberg made the same decision countless #s of parents have - to locate where his children will get the best education possible. It sure as hell isn't ASD.
I don't look at this as an indictment of him as much as yet another indictment of ASD. And here's the same plan over and over - just throw money at it, and hope for the best.
The interesting twist is, if I remember correctly doesn't his wife teach in ASD?
Can't the locally elected officials in the PA legislature and at Allentown and ASD just give up on the concept of traditional public education in the City of Allentown and seek an innovative solution before every single home owning, sustainable working family in Allentown bails out like the Schlossbergs? Why not come up with an innovative solution where each child gets a check to use at a private school, a parochial school, a public charter school or a public school in the suburbs? Allentown's kids would have lots of great options and property taxes could be reduced in Allentown. Under such innovative legislation, neighboring public school systems would be obligated to accept a certain minimum number of Allentown students who would bring their check with them for the services provided.
8:48 am said - "I believe that the husband of one of the ASD school board members is also a paid staffer for Schlossburg."
And a county commissioner. [inadvertently omitted from the first post]
"As a Democrat in Allentown, I could never vote for him again. He has disappointed constituents before, but I always viewed him as a reliable and steady local voice of the party's values/positions and for our urban municipality/school system. For him to move to a nearly all-white affluent school district basically exposes him as a self-centered hypocrite/"
He constantly portrayed himself as "a man of the people." Living in the city, serving on council, creating public service announcements. Since he's not a fool, perhaps he's retiring.
He's demonstrably dishonest:
https://lehighvalleyramblings.blogspot.com/2015/12/mike-schlossberg-darth-voter.html
Allentown and its school district represent the manifestation of the full achievement of every item on the Democratic Party and progressive agendas. I can't understand why he would flee his Paradise.
Demographic information for Parkland and Allentown School District
https://www.greatschools.org/pennsylvania/allentown/parkland-school-district/#Students
https://www.greatschools.org/pennsylvania/allentown/allentown-city-school-district/#Students
Seems everyone is fleeing Allentown
So is the NIZ coming back to haunting Allentown by skimming all the school tax money and reallocating it to other things?
@8:48 Private schools should receive absolutely no funding unless they accept everyone unconditionally who applies. I had a friend who had twin daughters and they tried to get both of them to go to a Catholic school in the valley. The school accepted one and denied the other because she was special needs. If they want the funding the receive they should have to accept all.
8:48
Are Counties prohibited from giving money to school districts? I seem to recall an issue back when ASD was re-building J. Birney Crum, and the County was not permitted to provide direct funding assistance. Does it depend on the source of the funds?
Is there a conflict if the Commissioners' chair is married to a member of the ASD school board and voted to give the school funds? Maybe. Certainly could be the case if the recipient was a 501.c.3 of which his wife was a board member.
Who is watching the store at the County these days?
Anonymous said...
@8:48 Private schools should receive absolutely no funding unless they accept everyone unconditionally who applies. I had a friend who had twin daughters and they tried to get both of them to go to a Catholic school in the valley. The school accepted one and denied the other because she was special needs. If they want the funding the receive they should have to accept all.
July 7, 2022 at 7:17 PM
This is terrible! The school should be named. Not the family but the "religious" school.
"If they want the funding the receive they should have to accept all."
Exactly. The 99% of Pennsylvania resident students at these schools don't deserve math and English textbooks, nor a bus ride. Only a cruel and stupid ass would hold this view toward their state's children. But these same compassionate demons wanted people fired and denied basic health care for not taking a clot causing shot that didn't and doesn't work. Pay up and shut up, you compassionate POS.
Amazing how someone with no discernible marketable skills is able to move into a "prosperous school district" after just a few years in public office.
The County of Lehigh did not provide any Federal Cares Act funding to the Allentown School District.
Edward D. Hozza Jr.
Director of Administration
County of Lehigh
Ed , I have a link to the WFMZ news account. One of you is mistaken. It it is WFMZ, then I am mistaken. I will be in touch. I am incidentally aware of no law that would prevent as county from giving $ to a school district.
Bernie -
I think the esteemed Director of Administration is engaging in a bit of wordplay to hide the facts. If you read the WFMZ article you linked to, the person who made the announcement (to the ASD school board) about the County providing the $2 million was the President of the Allentown School District FOUNDATION.
This is the organization that the school district set up to chase grants that the district would otherwise not be entitled to, or to double-dip on other grant opportunities. In reality, it's a subsegment of the bloated Allentown School District administration, as evidenced by the comments from the ASD school board directors when the announcement was made.
I suppose that Hozza will stick to this line since the democrat county administration is using our tax dollars to prop up a failing, democrat-run school district in a city that is populated with democrat voters. I doubt that other school districts in the county will be receiving the county's financial favor, since the purpose of this move is to continue to buy democrat votes in the city.
Also, since Hozza was willing to comment on this issue, perhaps he'd like to explain the ethics of the democrat county administration employing the chair of the county democrat party in its number 2 position (Director of Administration). I believe that Hozza filled both positions for years, until just recently.
While I don't think it was a legal issue, that seems like it was a clear ethical problem.
It makes one wonder what ties remain, and whether Lehigh County government is working for all county residents, or just using county taxpayer money to benefit the democrat party.
Very interesting. I believe the woman he’s up against for November also lives in Parkland. Wonder why Mike would ditch ASD, I don’t believe his kids go to ASD anyway. At least we have options this voting cycle. I’ve heard good things about his opponent Beth Finch. She’s been at ASD board meetings and others in the area trying to show support and offer advice. I’ve always voted for Mike but not this time. He’s failed his constituents miserably year after year. It’s time for a change.
I've never been a Schlossburg fan. His videos for his constituents always seemed more hairstyle than content. I know the West End bubbalas loved him, but even they moved from the West End to Parkland.
Schlossburg did what generations of Allentownians have done for the past 60 years, white-flight. So many nice folks live in the west and have their young kids in Muhlenberg School and voice they're undying commitment to public education. As soon as the kids age out of the warm, fuzzy, (and best rated), Muhlenberg school and the realities of entering Trexler Middle School hit- well they're off to the burbs. Trexler is a pit, (ASD can't get subs to fill-in for teachers), and who in their right minds would send a kid to Allen High today? I'd be interested in knowing who he sold (if he sold) his 19th Street home to. I suspect that the buyers weren't a young, white, professional couple. Sadly neighborhoods in Allentown go through a generational change. Old folks are replaced with New Yorkers because younger local folks don't want the old houses in cities with outrageous school taxes for poor schools. The charter schools have helped gut ASD by taking needed funding away from the main district. Allentown has another problem as more out of town landlords create more sub-standard rental units, attracting more urban problems.
Schlossburg ran, as most of us did. I also suspect he's job hunting as he knows his days as a public servant are numbered. I don't think he could survive the demographic change of the voters in his district.
Bernie,
I do stand corrected the Lehigh County Board of Commissioners approved by Ordinance
No. 2020-134 on 10/21/2020 Pass thru Covid Relief from the PA Commonwealth. It is the ASD Foundation not the ASD General Fund.
Allentown School District Foundation $2,082,237.00
Arts Academy Charter School $15,507.24
Camelot for Children $75,000.00
Cedar Crest College $50,000.00
Communities In Schools of the Lehigh Valley $5,000.00
Community Services for Children, Inc. $221,950.00
Da Vinci Science Center $46,800.00
Greater Valley YMCA $42,900.00
Jewish Day School of the Lehigh Valley $11,580.00
Lehigh Carbon Community College Foundation $810,569.00
Lehigh Valley Public Telecommunications Corp (PBS39} $100,000.00
Parkland Education Foundation $22,867.41
Salisbury Education Foundation $!06,985.00
Stepping Stones Learning Center $15,000.00
The Caring Place Inc. $10,000.00
Young Women's Christian Association (YWCA} of $10,000.00
TOTAL $3,686,405.65
Bernie you need to do more to expose the uniparty in the Lehigh valley, which includes Schlossberg.
You’ve been silent on Jarrett Coleman who has actually completely blown up the Lehigh Valley’s uniparty plans. All the hacks (MacKenzie(s), Mako, Schlossberg, Schweyer, etc have nowhere to go up to now.
It couldn't be the powers in Harrisburg made certain Allentown's state representative
enjoyed a sliver of Parkland included within the district map.
It is part of the district he is responsible for. I don’t understand why people hate so much. People are just jealous they can’t afford to buy a house.
It is a matter of micro vs macro economics. At a micro level you do what is best for your kids in that moment. It doesn’t mean at a macro level you aren’t fighting to fix the situation.
If Schlossberg submitted an open letter to the paper announcing his move to Parkland, at least he would have been an upfront guy. Obviously, someone leaked the news to Bernie and rightly so.
"Schlossburg ran, as most of us did. I also suspect he's job hunting as he knows his days as a public servant are numbered. I don't think he could survive the demographic change of the voters in his district."
July 8, 2022 at 2:07 PM
Maybe he'll become the government affairs officer for Air Products.
The chair of the Lehigh County Board of Commissioners is married, works for State Representative Schlossberg, and their spouse was (term ended at the end of 2021, they did not seek re-election) a director on the School Board for the Allentown School Board.
Anonymous Anonymous said...
It is part of the district he is responsible for. I don’t understand why people hate so much. People are just jealous they can’t afford to buy a house.
July 8, 2022 at 4:17 PM
Schlossberg portrayed himself as Mr. Allentown. He should have been upfront with city residents about moving out.
You will never know
You will never find out
If you think Schlossburg moving is him abandoning Allentown residents wait until you meet Beth Finch. She’s an uneducated opportunist who has tried to make a name for herself by going to all local school districts board meetings spouting q-anon conspiracy theories. You really think she cares about the kids in Allentown? I can assure you that someone who spouts nonsense about CRT being taught in schools doesn’t care about black and brown children. She’s also latched onto the other political opportunist Jarrett Coleman who never cared about serving Parkland SD, just wanted to make a name for himself to run for a bigger office. Neither of these people is playing with a full deck.
The Schloss is known for his BDE. !!!
We as voters accept migratory politicians. At least Schlossberg is doing it within his own district. He had minimal control over the redistricting but is taking of the options afforded to him.
Many politicians only move to a location/district so they can run for office there. Look at some of our illustrious politicians at higher levels who have not really been PA residents more then to campaign. There should be a minimum residency requirement in duration and there should also be a requirement for 181+ days in that residency. NOe of the let's use Mommy and Daddy's address or an temporary apartment address or a business office address. Many politicians are nothing more then vagabonds searching for what they think would be an easy win.
Then we have the BS of the Gerrymandering politics which is just as bad. The districts get carved and recarved countless time for no reason other then to fix the election and skew the areas to whoever happens to be in power. I think the thought behind it is not all that bad. However I believe that no district changes should be allowed to take place and more importantly go into effect until the incumbents who voted for it are no longer in office. That would really make some of them think a little closer about it
Although Schloss ditched Allentown he did nothing more then anyone of us would do if we could.
There are much bigger problems that we all have a tendency to ignore for an easy whiney target like this.
4:29 PM
https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=butwhatabout&=true
Mike is a great person. He gets some flak from haters due to his gender fluid stance as an individual. Time to move on people.
Because of redistricting, his district now includes 100% of S. Whitehall Township, a good chunk of U. Macungie and less of Allentown.
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