Taxes, community involvement, school safety and the district’s thorny realignment plan were some of the topics discussed Tuesday night by six candidates seeking four seats on the board of the East Penn School District.
They expressed their opinions of the topics at a forum held at the PBS Channel 39 studio in Bethlehem, which was arranged by the League of Women Voters of Lehigh County. It wasmoderated by league member Barbara Williams.
The six candidates were Paul Barbehenn, incumbent Michael Felegy, Rita Perez, Christine Price, Melissa Stiavelli and Alicia DuPlooy, who participated remotely by way of a Zoom feed. Not present was candidate William Whitney.
On the topic of taxes, all the candidates agreed there was no getting rid of taxes, with Perez saying, “They are a fact of life.”
Most said to keep tax rates in check, there needs to be balance and regular examinations of individual programs to determine whether they are worth the cost.
“You need to look at taxes as a line-by-line exercise,” said Stiavelli, while Barbehenn said, “Budgeting needs to be a constant process.”
Perez said each program needs to be examined to find whether there is a “return on the investment.”
Felegy said he agreed there needs to be a balance between academics and tax increases, adding he never voted to raise taxes to the state allowed maximum under Act 1.
East Penn realignment plans
About the district’s proposed middle-school realignment and high school renovation plans, all candidates were pleased they have been put on pause.
Perez said on the surface it seems like a good idea but is concerned with the cost. “I would need to know more about how educational programs will look … it’s time to reflect and dig deeper about the financial aspects,” she said.
Perez is also concerned with the cost of the realignment plan, which rose from $66 million to $100 million, as well as a better understanding of the impact a realignment will have on students.
“I like the spirit of the realignment and like the idea of equity,’’ she said, but the cost is a major concern.
Barbehenn said he would vote no on asking taxpayers to bear the entire cost of the project and feels it leaves “no clear path forward on how to address the high school.’”
DuPlooy agreed with pausing the project and should it move forward, she said there should be a breakdown of costs.
Felegy said he originally voted in favor of the project, “But the problem is the cost.”
“I can’t go out there and ask taxpayers to a tax increase to the Act 1 index for the foreseeable future … people will feel they are getting taxed out of the district,” he said.
An option he said might be to explore adding to the two elementary schools to absorb a forecasted rise in the student population.
Community engagement and school safety
How to get citizens engaged in district affairs brought agreement among candidates who said the district is already doing a good job of communicating with the community.
DuPlooy said if what is already being done isn’t working well, “Try different ways and one of them should work.”
Barbehenn said parents aren’t engaging themselves enough and to change that, “We need more face-to-face with parents.”
Price thought personal emails to parents about student events and district issues could bring greater involvement.
School safety is an ongoing concern, which Price said, “There is violence we are all well aware of all over the country.”
Stiavelli said students and staff are already prepared for the possibility of violence along with having all school buildings secure.
All candidates stressed students need to know school is a safe and welcoming place, while Barbehenn said safe schools are a cultural condition requiring parental engagement andsupport to staff and teachers.
He said he’s been told teachers find the administration lacking in backing their safety concerns.
Perez said along with regular safety checks, there is the “mental health aspect and how students cope with stress.”
Board members working together and setting aside politics was seen as essential to all the candidates.
“This is a nonpolitical position that needs to be lived up to everyday,” said Stiavelli, with Felegy adding, “This is not about politics … it’s what can we this team of 10 [board members] do.”
“The best boards have a really interesting diversity,” said Barbehenn, where members bring a wide array of skills and background.
Price said a board is a team of 10 that must maintain a level of trust and respect and most importantly, “Keep our goal in mind, developing successful learners.”
AI in schools
Artificial intelligence in the classroom was another point of discussion, and all agreed it’s a reality, but one that needs parameters.
All were in agreement that while AI has its place, students must use their minds to conclude their decisions.
Felegy called the advance of AI “a different journey coming up”’ with its use set by district policy.
“We’ve been adjusting to issue around technology starting with the computer for as long as I can remember,” said Perez, so using AI properly needs to be taught since students have itavailable outside the school.
She said AI should not be allowed to overtake students ability to be critical thinkers.
Price agreed parameters for AI need to be clear but the concern is, are students really learning to think for themselves and continue to “use their brain as a muscle.”
While Stiavelli said AI should be used as a tool and not something to totally rely on, adding students need to know “what’s real and what’s made up by AI … to use it as a tool not acomplete takeover from their own mind.”
The one-hour forum will be aired on Channel 39 at 6 p.m. Oct. 9 and 4 p.m. on Oct. 14 and is on YouTube.
