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Lehigh Valley educators rally for lawmakers to increase school funding by at least $1.15B
Posted May 06, 2021
Lehigh Valley educators rallied for increased state funding for education May 6, 2021, at Marvine Elementary School. Bethlehem schools Superintendent Joseph Roy is seen speaking.Screenshot
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Pennsylvania educators gathered across the state Thursday to urge state lawmakers to increase basic education funding by at least $1.15 billion next school year.
At one of six rallies statewide, Lehigh Valley school leaders and board members gathered outside of Marvine Elementary School in Bethlehem to talk about how before the COVID-19 pandemic, skyrocketing employee pension, charter school tuition and special education costs left districts cash-strapped. Now to recover from the pandemic districts need sustained state funding to help them recover, speakers said.
Bethlehem school taxes likely to rise for the 1st time in 2 years to help close budget hole
Updated Apr 20, 2021;
The Bethlehem Area School Board endorsed closing an $8 million 2021-22 budget hole by tapping its savings account and raising property taxes for the first time in two years.
The board held a finance committee meeting Monday evening where it discussed its $305 million spending plan and a new state school funding reform campaign.
The school board has held the line on property taxes for the last two years, but it can’t afford to do that this year, board President Michael Faccinetto said. He suggested taking about $4 million to $5 million from the district’s $32 million fund balance and closing the rest of the gap with a tax hike. This keeps the savings account within a board-set threshold, while scaling back the increase in taxes, he said.