ALLENTOWN, Pa. – The Allentown School Board of Directors said goodbye to five board members Thursday night.
Board members LaTarsha Brown, Lisa Conover, Phoebe Harris and Jennifer Hartnett will soon be replaced by new board members Evette D’Amore, Cereta Johnson, Dianne Michels and Denzel Morris, who were elected to four-year terms in November.
“We thank you not just for the many hours spent at meeting tables but for the years of dedicated service you have given to the children of our city,” board President Andrene Brown-Nowell said.
Superintendent Carol Birks spoke about the outgoing school directors’ impact on the district.
“You’ve left footprints in the new initiatives, footprints in the strongest policies, footprints in the students who may never know your name, but because of you, they’ve been given the opportunity to excel, succeed and shine and make a difference in the lives of so many others,” Birks said.
Longtime school director Phoebe Harris offered words of thanks and gratitude to the district she’s served.
Harris, who Brown-Nowell called the “Queen of Allentown,” was first elected to the board in 2017. She chaired the Policy Committee and the Building Committee and was a member of the Finance and Athletics committees.
She also represented the district on the board of the Allentown Public Library as vice president.
Hartnett, a district parent first elected to the board in 2021, offered gratitude to the district and its families.
“Thank you for believing in me and trusting in me,” she said.
As for the future, she said she was confident in the district’s path and was excited for its future.
“We’ve built a strong foundation. I know the new leadership and future board will continue to push for excellence,” Hartnett said.
Outgoing board member Lisa Conover spoke to the position’s rewarding nature.
“In eight years, I didn’t get a check, but I got paid in outcomes,” she said.
She briefly addressed her fellow board members: “Your legacy isn’t measured in the length of your term but the depth of influence.”
“The world will know that you were here. Well done,” she said.
Conover sat on the Education, Legislative and Policy committees as well as the Safety Task Force. She also represented the district on the Lehigh Career and Technical Institute Joint Operating Committee.
For her part, school Board Member LaTarsha Brown said that if she had it to do all over again, she would.
“Thank you all for the good days and all the bad days, but today is the last day, and I can give myself back to my family,” she said. Brown served on the Safety Task Force.
New Family Engagement and Resource Center
In other news, the board approved bids for the new Family Engagement and Resource Center planned for the Bridgeview Academy site.
CMG of Easton will serve as the general contractor with a bid of roughly $8.5 million; Albarell Electric for approximately $1.187 million for electrical construction services; and JBM Mechanical Inc. of Nazareth will provide plumbing construction services for $516,000 and mechanical construction services for $1.187 million. Combined, the quotes are $1.7 million less than initially expected.
“We like less,” Harris said.
The center would offer a variety of programs, including enrollment and registration, a family and community hub for mental and physical health, workforce development, ESL classes, and family and social services, as well as flexible programming through multiple meeting spaces.
The 13,750-square-foot building will be partially funded by a $522,205 Pennsylvania Broadband Development Authority competitive community grant.
Potential property acquisition
The Allentown School District is planning to make a $1.9 million land purchase in Union Terrace, if all goes well during a 120-day due diligence period.
The board also voted to authorize the execution of a $1.9 million potential property acquisition at 1940 W. Fairview St. According to district Chief Operating Officer Robert Whartenby, the move allows the district to expand its presence on the city’s east side and will help with overcrowding.
“It’s our continuation of doing good things for these students,” Whartenby said.
According to board documents, the agreement is subject to a 120-day due diligence period during which environmental testing, title review, survey work, zoning verification and evaluation of the site for future educational or operational use will be completed.
Mental health services
Lastly, the board voted to hire Hazel Health for $240,000. The platform provides mental health telehealth services free of charge to district students and families.
According to officials, the majority of students utilizing the services are in fourth, fifth and eighth grades. Last year, there were 410 total referrals for the service, 676 therapy sessions, and 143 students are still active.
The contract with Hazel Health includes technology and equipment training and ongoing support for staff, clinical services not billed to a third party, and care coordination services.
Officials said students requiring mental health services will have locally licensed providers available within 15 days of referral.
Those services are designed to reduce symptoms related to mental health conditions, which will serve to improve social-emotional, attendance and academic outcomes.
The service will be paid for through general funds and Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency grants.