More than 100 Bethlehem Area School District students, parents, educators, taxpayers, and community members are calling on the district to provide a more complete financial plan before deciding the future of its elementary schools.
An open letter released this week asks the BASD to determine whether the school closures they’re considering are necessary through a district-wide analysis. The district plans to select five possible scenarios for more detailed evaluation.
Organizers say information released so far includes school-level repair estimates and enrollment figures, but does not provide a consistent comparison of long-term costs per student across elementary schools. That comparison, they say, should account for capital investments over their useful lives, transportation, building maintenance, staffing and other expenses.
The letter also raises concerns that years of discussion about renovation, consolidation, or closure of Thomas Jefferson and William Penn Elementary Schools could potentially place them under greater scrutiny than other schools. Dan Sobrinski, a district parent and community member with experience in planning and advisory services, says smaller enrollment and major repairs due soon do not necessarily mean a school costs more to operate over the long term.
The letter asks the district to examine alternatives to closure, account for the full financial impact of consolidation, compare schools using consistent criteria, and consider the effects of closures on the community as a whole.
Organizers want the district to explain in writing how their five selected scenarios will be chosen and what financial information will guide the decision. They say they are not taking a position on whether any particular school should remain open, but want the district to establish the need for closures through complete evidence and meaningful public input.
BASD District Design community meetings are scheduled for November 4-6 at Northeast, Nitschmann, East Hills, and Broughal Middle Schools and the Bethlehem YMCA. More information can be found at basdschools.org.
