{"id":136543,"date":"2024-10-22T18:51:18","date_gmt":"2024-10-22T22:51:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thevalleyledger.com\/?p=136543"},"modified":"2024-10-22T18:51:18","modified_gmt":"2024-10-22T22:51:18","slug":"allentown-lawmakers-applaud-over-6-56-million-in-state-funding-for-local-school-emergency-projects","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thevalleyledger.com\/?p=136543","title":{"rendered":"Allentown lawmakers applaud over $6.56 million in state funding for local school, emergency projects"},"content":{"rendered":"

HARRISBURG, Oct. 22 \u2013\u00a0<\/strong>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.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs 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,\u201d said Schweyer. \u201cI want to thank my fellow legislators and Senator Miller for advocating with me on these projects which will keep our kids safe\u00a0 and comfortable and keep our communities thriving.”<\/p>\n

Added Schlossberg, \u201cWhen we say, \u2018they don\u2019t build them like they used to\u2019, 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 21st<\/sup>\u00a0century. 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.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe combined work of Allentown\u2019s legislative delegation secured historic investments in our region\u2019s youth. The funding of improvements to Resurrected Life\u2019s Children\u2019s 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,\u201d said Siegel.<\/p>\n

\u201cHaving formerly served on the local school board; I know the realities of not being able to financially support a school facility\u2019s upkeep needs,\u201d said Miller. \u201cIt leads to bigger, more expensive fixes down the road, as well as unsuitable learning and working environments for our students and our staff.<\/p>\n

They deserve access to clean, safe buildings and I am proud to support this funding for our schools.\u201d<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n