Equity First – Senate Co-Sponsorship Memoranda

Allentown, Bethlehem and Easton School Districts are underfunded by $108.2 MILLION under the Basic Education and Special Education Funding Laws. According to the formulas, Bethlehem Area SD is underfunded by nearly $23 Million in this year’s budget. The whole Lehigh Valley is underfunded by $127.4 MILLION.

If half of these funds were invested in the school districts and the remaining half were distributed in immediate millage reduction in school property tax, that’s a $63 Million economic boost to the Lehigh Valley. It’s taxpayers and businesses; and stronger schools!
List of School Districts Underfunded by County: http://bit.ly/2jsynQj
Here’s the Plan:
  • $400 Million in New Basic Education Funding
  • $80 Million in New Special Education Funding
  • All new monies distributed per proposed Senator Mensch legislation (click to view memorandum)
  • Do this for four (4) straight budgets to get all districts close to fully-funded
What can you do?
  • Communicate on a personal level: Be courteous, kind and concise. Find Your Legislator on our website.
  • Call Your State Senator and State Representative and ask them to co-sponsor Senator Mensch’s legislation
  • Visit their office and make an in-person ask
  • Send an email, or contact them on social media
Sample Letter to Your Senator
BASD Proud Parents is strictly pro-public education. We are an independent group with no affiliations to the BASD school board or any political parties. Our goals are to help parents stay informed about educational policy discussions and to facilitate ways for any of us who would like the chance to have our voices heard, to get more involved in those policy conversations.