Allentown’s 132nd Pa. state House candidates square off at town hall days before elections
Written by Victoria Scialfa on October 30, 2020
Allentown’s 132nd Pa. state House candidates square off at town hall days before elections
By Genesis Ortega
October 30, 2020
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With Election Day just days away, candidates for Allentown’s 132nd Pa. state House race faced off at a town hall meeting to convince voters they would be the right choice.
The Allentown Young Professionals held a virtual town hall this week between Democratic incumbent Mike Schlossberg and challenger Michael McCreary, who is a Republican and local business owner.
Participants submitted questions for the candidates. The big topic? Education, education funding, charter schools and remote versus in-person learning.
On the topic of reopening schools, McCreary wants to see the district offer a hybrid format like Parkland.
“Obviously the decision comes to the district, but I am in favor of in-class learning with sensible restrictions involved to keep everyone safe,” said McCreary.
Schlossberg says it should be up to the district. He argues Parkland has the resources to support hybrid learning, but in Allentown things are different.
“About 80% of my district is located in the Allentown School District, and the ASD is closed right now because half of their buildings don’t have air conditioning,” Schlossberg said.
He says inequities in school funding are at the heart of the problem. McCreary agrees more resources are needed, but the two candidates have different ideas for how to secure funding.
The town hall happened amidst a spike in COVID-19 cases across the Commonwealth.
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