As our students and staff wrap up the unprecedented 2019-2020 school year, it is time to turn our eyes to the upcoming school year and the “new normal.” We have […]
Author Archives: Adam Aurand
Op-Ed: Going through the obstacles
This post was originally published as a joint op-ed in LNP | LancasterOnline signed by me, school board president Dr. Edith Gallagher and Lancaster Education Association president Mr. Jason Molloy, […]
Furloughs are a last resort—now and always
Viewers of our recent school board meetings know that the board considered and approved a resolution authorizing the board to furlough employees for economic reasons, as LNP + LancasterOnline reported […]
Let local school boards decide what to do about taxes
The state Legislature recently considered an amended bill that would freeze local real estate taxes for the upcoming year in response to the COVID-19 emergency. We join PSBA, PASBO and […]
An Open Letter to the McCaskey Class of 2020
Dear McCaskey seniors and parents, Many of you have written and called to ask, have we thought about what will happen to commencement and prom? My answer: Every day. Every […]
Our equity work is necessary and meaningful
On Saturday, February 29, about 150 of my colleagues at SDoL gathered for the second day of training to improve equity, inclusion and excellence in our schools. I shared some […]
On Preparing for Coronavirus
Due to the extensive media coverage of the Coronavirus, we want to reassure our students, families and staff that the School District of Lancaster is diligently monitoring the situation and […]
Our School Board calls for charter school reform
On February 19, our school directors unanimously adopted a resolution calling on the General Assembly to enact meaningful charter school funding reform. As I have written before, our biggest financial […]
State budget update
The first piece of our budget puzzle has fallen into place. Gov. Wolf unveiled his proposed state budget on Tuesday, including his proposals for education funding. For the School District […]
Our budget outlook is challenging
Last week, our school board approved a preliminary budget for the 2020-2021 school year with a projected deficit of more than $10 million. It appears that this will be a […]
Fair Funding and SDoL
Last month, I updated our High School Parent Advisory Committee (PAC) on our school district’s legal case against the PA Department of Education and the idea of fair funding. We […]
How our students are saving $250K+ on college tuition
Last month, I invited Dr. Jeremy Raff, our coordinator of college & career services, to call for reforms that could help low-income, first-generation college students be more successful pursuing higher […]