Equity—

Equity is at the heart of public education. Public schools open their doors to all students in their district regardless of where in a district a child lives, their family status, or ability. As the Board President, I’m focused on ASD’s obligation to cultivate the potential in every student, helping them thrive intellectually, emotionally, and socially.

During my tenure on the Board, Abington School District has made important changes to how we teach literacy in our grade schools, how we engage more students in mathematical thinking, and how we dramatically increase access to AP courses.

This past year, nearly 1/3 of our high school students (829) took AP exams. 84% of those students earned a 3 or higher. You can learn more about these historic results here: https://www.abingtonsd.org/article/3035637

This year, ASD moved from 14th to 11th among Montgomery Count Public Schools and is in the top 10% of schools in PA.

Community Connections

As Board President and a community leader, I have emphasized the Board’s role as an extension of the Abington/Rockledge Community and have historically increased the President’s presence at both school and community events. In no particular order, you’ll find just a few of the events I’ve attended.

  • Teacher protest against Trump administration cuts to federal funding to Education

  • Trunk or Treat

  • Ground-breaking for the Ash Carter Memorial Garden

  • Rockledge Car Show

  • Roslyn Car Show

  • NAACP Unity Day

  • Pink Out Breast Cancer Awareness Football Game

  • Glenside 4th of July Parade

  • Glenside Porchfest

  • Montogomery County Black Democratic Women Brunch

  • Montgomery County Democratic Committee Women’s Leadership Initiative

  • ASHS plays and musicals

  • McKinley Play

  • M3 performances

  • Briar Bush “Feather Our Nest” Fundraiser

  • PTO/PTA meetings

  • AEF Casino Night

  • Annual Exhibit of Student Art

  • “Mystery Reader” drop-ins at grade schools

  • Multiple Referendum Information sessions at AMS, Ardsley Civic Organization and First Baptist Church of Crestmont

  • One Book, One School Celebration

  • PSA’s and Board Statements on the following topics: Referendum Support, Against Bigotry, Supporting our Students’ 1st Amendment rights, Against Cyber Charters, Regarding Lunch and Learn pause, Annual Graduation Remarks.

Curriculum and Advocacy

  • Spear-headed the “Abington Reads” poster Campaign, featuring members from different aspects of the District Community

  • Approved new reading curriculum K-5, returning literacy instruction to evidence-based phonics instruction

  • Board Representative to the Superintendent’s Committee on 6-12 ELA curriculum

  • Board Representative to the MCIU Legislative Committee

  • Board Representative for “America 250” Committee

Cyber Charter Reform

Cyber Charter Schools are “public” in name only. They lack any oversight by publicly elected Boards and are beholden only to their Boards of Trustees and the PA Department of Education.

Act 88 (2002), which established cyber charter schools as “public” set up a funding formula that is deeply damaging to local governance of brick and mortar public schools. Essentially, the per pupil cost to educate a student in a given district becomes what the cyber charter receives to educate the student. Let’s say it costs $15,000 to educate a student in ASD, that $15,000 leaves the District where the student resides follows the student to the cyber charter.

In 2025, the Auditor General released a damning report, documenting that between 2020 and 2023, the 5 biggest PA cyber charters had accumulated a collective fund balance of $425 million dollarshttps://www.paauditor.gov/auditor-general-defoor-releases-cyber-charter-school-performance-audit-and-calls-for-major-reform-to-how-they-are-funded/

That’s $425 million of taxpayer money that should be staying in local school districts. Imagine what actual public education could do with that.

Between 2020 and 2026, ASD’s cyber charter costs have doubled, leaving the district without $2.7 million that we could put into student education and/or property tax relief.

Budget and Finance

There are 21 school districts in Montgomery County. Abington is the 3rd largest.

It’s base property tax rate is in the middle third for the County.

  • Between my first budget year (2020-2021) and (2025-2026), the District has faced a 23.7% cumulative rate of inflation.

  • Under PA’s Act 1 Index, which sets the ceiling for how high District’s may raise property taxes, we have been permitted to raise taxes 22.4%.

  • By investing wisely and controlling costs, ASD has stayed 3% under that maximum.

  • We have raised the property tax rebate for low income seniors from 40% to 60%

  • You can learn more about the District’s rebate program here to find out whether you qualify. https://www.abingtonsd.org/o/abington/page/senior-citizen-tax-rebate-program