Sen. Nick Miller, D-14th announced Oct. 22 $5,384,818 in funding for public school facilities updates in Lehigh and Northampton counties.

“Having formerly served on the local school board, I know the realities of not being able to financially support a school facility’s upkeep needs,” Miller said. “It leads to bigger, more expensive fixes down the road, as well as unsuitable learning and working environments for our students and our staff. They deserve access to clean, safe buildings and I am proud to support this funding for our schools.”

The five schools Miller secured funding for from the Public School Facility Improvement Grant Program include:

• Allentown City School District: $2.5 million for a plumbing project at William Allen High School.

• Catasauqua Area School: $1 million for a roof repair project at Catasaqua High School.

• Parkland Area School District: $900,000 for an HVAC project at Cetronia Elementary School.

• Salisbury Township School District: $484,818 for a safety upgrade project at Salisbury Township Middle School.

• Whitehall-Coplay School District: $500,000 for a plumbing, HVAC, energy savings and safety upgrades project at Steckel Elementary School.

Miller has been a long-term advocate for improving local school buildings, having climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro in 2021 to raise more than $20,000 to refurbish the weight rooms at Allen and Dieruff high schools. Additionally, he moved $34 million of funding from the American Rescue Plan Act to upgrade some of the Allentown School District’s oldest buildings, including installing air conditioning in 10 of the district’s schools by next year.

“This funding goes toward fixing vital parts of our buildings, whether it’s plumbing, roofs or HVAC,” Miller added. “Our school infrastructure is aging, and we need to prioritize fixing our schools before they become unusable. These grants are the next steps to making our schools safer and healthier for everyone.”

“Knowing we need extensive work on our facilities the district has been intentional about seeking grant opportunities,” Salisbury Township School District Superintendent Lynn Fuini-Hetten said. “I’m thrilled our investment of time and human resources yielded these grant funds to make our school environment safer for our students and staff. Investing in an upgraded fire alarm monitoring system is a strategic move that significantly enhances the security and safety of the school district. The benefits of early detection, integrated safety systems, compliance with regulations, improved evacuation procedures and long-term cost savings present a compelling case for the necessity of this upgrade. Thank you to Bill Brackett for the time he invested in this grant application.”