HARRISBURG, Oct. 22 – State Reps. Peter Schweyer, Mike Schlossberg and Josh Siegel, and state Sen. Nick Miller announced today state grant funding totaling $6.56 million has been awarded for several area school, emergency and community improvement projects.

“As a parent of a William Allen student, this funding is welcome news so my daughter and every student and teacher will have classrooms that are warm in winter and cool in the spring,” said Schweyer. “I want to thank my fellow legislators and Senator Miller for advocating with me on these projects which will keep our kids safe  and comfortable and keep our communities thriving.”

Added Schlossberg, “When we say, ‘they don’t build them like they used to’, William Allen High School comes to mind. It is both a stately building and a building in need of repairs to meet the needs of our community in the 21^st century. I am happy the Public School Facility Improvement Grant funding we approved for the 2024-2025 budget will serve students at Allen with the critical upgrades identified by Allentown School District leaders.”

“The combined work of Allentown’s legislative delegation secured historic investments in our region’s youth. The funding of improvements to Resurrected Life’s Children’s Academy will help ensure our youngest minds and future leaders have a nurturing and supportive foundation for success through quality early childhood education, while supporting the expansion of the Baum School of Arts will expand their mission of providing thousands of children in Allentown and the Lehigh Valley with access to arts programming and education investing in the next generation of artists,” said Siegel.

“Having formerly served on the local school board; I know the realities of not being able to financially support a school facility’s upkeep needs,” said Miller. “It leads to bigger, more expensive fixes down the road, as well as unsuitable learning and working environments for our students and our staff.

They deserve access to clean, safe buildings and I am proud to support this funding for our schools.”

According to the legislators, three of the grants originated from the Public School Facility Improvement Grant Program, which awards grants through the Commonwealth Finance Authority to public school districts and area career and technical schools for eligible facility improvement projects.

• Allentown School District: $2.5 million to upgrade the HVAC system at William Allen High School.
• Parkland School District: $900,000 to replace the HVAC system at Cetronia Elementary School.
• Salisbury Twp. School District: $484,818 to replace the existing fire monitoring system, installation of magnetic hallway door opens and installation of a new fire control panel.

The other grants awarded to the legislators’ districts all originated from the Statewide Local Share Account. 

• City of Allentown: $1,874,570 for the following projects:
  • $1,000,000 for renovations to the Baum School of the Arts.
  • $400,000 for the Allentown Police Athletic League to make renovations to both the interior and exterior of the Youth Education Center.
  • $250,000 for Resurrected Life Community Development Corporation to renovate the interior and exterior of the Children’s Academy building.
  • $150,000 to purchase a fully uplifted heavy-duty truck for city crews to use and repair needs.
  • $74,570 for the Allentown School District to create a master site plan for future development of two plots of land.

• Lehigh County: $358,662 for the following projects:
  • $290,662 to upgrade computers, monitors, and emergency equipment at the Lehigh County Emergency Operations Center.
  • $68,000 to acquire new cameras for the Coroner’s Office.
• Salisbury Township: $250,000 for the construction of a new salt shed and storage facility.
• South Whitehall Township: $150,000 to conduct a road safety audit of Hamilton Boulevard.
• Allentown Economic Development Corporation: $42,300 to continue their community improvement efforts.

Added Schweyer, “This funding will not only upgrade and improve our educational facilities to provide safe and comfortable learning environments for children, but also improve the quality of life in our community.”

“The Lehigh Valley’s economic well-being is deeply connected to Allentown’s future. Continuing to develop a strong place for small businesses to thrive by being connected to global growth engines, a competitive workforce, and a vibrant urban core will help the vitality of our region as we move deeper into the 21^st century,” added Schlossberg.

“I was proud to support funding for Allentown’s Master Plan for Andre Reed Park, making sure our children have access to first-class open space and athletic fields and supporting the Police Athletic League’s Youth Education Center renovation that helps mold young leaders and builds the bond between law enforcement and the community. These investments combined with efforts to build upon the economic momentum in downtown Allentown will help ensure the Lehigh Valley maintains the incredible and resilient cultural and social infrastructure that ensures every child can achieve their fullest potential,” added Siegel.

“The variety of these grants, whether it be updated technology for emergency operations, purchasing lift trucks for public works or renovating an art school,  show a continued commitment to public safety and economic development. Advocating for our cities and municipalities for necessary updates will continue the progress we have become accustomed to seeing in the Lehigh Valley,” added Miller.

Local Share Account funds released through the Commonwealth Finance Authority support projects concerning the public interest, community improvement and economic development. The LSA receives gaming money generated by casinos. More information about its programs is available here.

More information on the PSFIG grants is available here.

House Democrats are committed to promoting better jobs, better schools and better communities. Putting people ahead of politics, House Democrats are leading the charge to lower taxes, help workers save for retirement, put more teachers in local schools, and make communities safer. More information on these successful efforts is at pahouse.com/deliveringforpa.

 

Information provided to TVL by:
Thomas LeClair
Research Analyst
House Democratic Education Committee