Allentown School District Woes

Allentown School District bombarded with applications for new charter schools
By Colin McEvoy | The Express-Times

"Allentown School Board President Robert Smith Jr. said this is the heaviest concentration of charter school applications he has seen in his 10 years on the board."For or against privatization the low down on all of this is 1,000's of students are or shortly will be educated outside of public school buildings. It costs the same to heat and maintain these buildings little dependant on the number housed in them. It also requires the public school administration to provide oversight adding to the costs for the ASD.

There is also some basis for argument whether it costs more for public school educator's pensions over that of the profits that can be made by these private charter schools.

The matter of separation of church and state also becomes another factor for many who either support or don't support private education. Should taxpayers be required to pay for students who are receiving an education at a religiously affiliated chartered school?


"Pa. state Rep. Mike Schlossberg talks with Superintendent Dr. C. Russell Mayo about how the Allentown School District is facing the challenges of educating children with reduced funding and competition from charter and cyber schools."