From administrative changes to facility upgrades and community engagement, Palmerton Area School District’s efforts to enhance education and infrastructure were met with both optimism and scrutiny in 2024.

Leadership transitions

One of the most notable events of the year was the appointment of Angela Friebolin as the district’s new superintendent. Friebolin, formerly the director of personnel for the Whitehall-Coplay School District, assumed her role on Dec. 2 under a three-year contract extending through June 2027. Her starting salary was set at $135,000, with annual increases of 3.5% and eligibility for performance-based bonuses.

“When you come in as a new superintendent, the thing not to do is just make huge changes and sweeping changes,” Friebolin said. “You should employ “listen, learn, lead,” she said, outlining her short-term goals for the district.

Dr. Jodi Frankelli, who had served as superintendent since 2020, left Palmerton to become the executive director of early learning at the Allentown School District. Her starting salary at Allentown was $142,500, less than the $145,000 she was scheduled to make in 2023-24 at Palmerton.

Friebolin’s appointment followed a contentious selection process. Many community members and staff had voiced their support for Ryan Kish, the district’s business manager and interim superintendent since July 6.

“I was prepared for that,” Friebolin said, “and I knew that there are a lot of very strong opinions and feelings. I do respect that and I don’t hold any ill will to anyone who spoke out on behalf of Ryan. He’s a wonderful person, and I am very much looking forward to working with him.”

Facility upgrades and renovations

Infrastructure developments were another major focus for the district in 2024. Renovations at S.S. Palmer Elementary School, aimed at enhancing safety and security, faced delays that led to a postponed start to the school year.

Initially scheduled to begin on Sept. 3, the first day of school was pushed back to Sept. 9 to allow construction crews more time to complete critical work.

“We were told the front doors are delayed right now,” Kish said in the days leading up to the originally scheduled start date. “That means our inspection for the occupancy permit will also be delayed. For the safety and security of our students, this is the best path forward.”

The district had been planning the renovations prior to March 2020, but the COVID-19 pandemic forced it to pump the brakes on the project.

Palmerton approved $1.4 million in contracts in March for a project that is transforming the appearance of the building’s front entrance and enhancing security.

One month later directors awarded the electrical construction bid for the renovation project to West Side Hammer Electric of Bethlehem at a cost of $168,750, and awarded the bid for a roof replacement project to Centre Roofing & Coatings LLC of Belleville at a cost of $434,000.

Changes included relocating the school’s office suite from the second level to the ground floor. The large existing staircase that greeted visitors upon entry has been removed. Renovation plans feature a secure vestibule at the entrance and an ADA accessible ramp added to the front entrance.

Despite the delays, now Board President Earl Paules expressed optimism about the project’s long-term benefits.

“The whole reason we are doing this project is for safety,” he said. “At this time next year, this will all just be a memory.”

Feasibility study

The district also initiated its first feasibility study in 25 years to evaluate potential restructuring of grade levels, facility improvements, and security measures.

RLPS Architects, at a cost of $18,000, was tasked with conducting the study.

During a town hall meeting in October, Mike Savage, the lead architect on the study, outlined a one-, three- and five-year recommendation.

An initial proposal would have eventually sent all kindergarten through third grade students to Towamensing and all fourth through sixth grade students to S.S. Palmer. The proposal sparked significant community input, with concerns raised about transportation logistics, the impact on students’ educational experiences, and the preservation of neighborhood schools.

By the end of 2024, that proposal had seemingly been scrapped and an option that would keep K-5 students at their current schools based on their area of residence, but move all sixth grade students to the junior high school complex, was placed on the front burner.

A public feasibility study town hall meeting is scheduled for Jan. 14 at 6 p.m. in the high school auditorium.

One item from the study that the district is preparing to move forward with quickly is the addition of a secure entrance at the front of the high school.

“The security of the high school needs to happen right away,” director Earl Paules said. “We need time to get the permits and land a construction guy. That should be our first focus in all of this.”