Bethlehem Area School District’s Board of School Directors President Michael Faccinetto addressed Bethlehem City Council Jan. 15 to urge a “yes” vote on a resolution titled “Fair Funding Formula for Pennsylvania Schools,” which was on the agenda. The resolution was sponsored by Councilman William Reynolds, who is a teacher. The draft resolution requests that the state “pass legislation in support of the full implementation of the Fair Funding Formula by rerouting all or substantially more state basic education dollars through the formula.”

It also calls for the state to address what the resolution describes as “the practice [that] perpetuates historic funding inequities between wealthier and poorer school districts.”

The Fair Funding Formula is, according to information provided by the Pa. House Appropriation Committee, a method that after starting with an “accurate student count, the BEFC [Basic Education Funding Commission] formula applies a series of weights to categories of students. The added weights for certain groups of students is a recognition of a higher cost to educate that group. The resulting weighted student count is then adjusted based on district factors to arrive at a weighted and adjusted student count. Finally, a district’s share of funding under the BEFC formula is simply its share of the statewide weighted and adjusted student count.”

Faccinetto said it costs BASD $13,785 per student per year to teach a student. There are 15,726 students in the BASD, which also includes Fountain Hill, Bethlehem Township, Hanover and Freemansburg. The school district has 17 elementary schools, four middle schools and two high schools.

He quickly cited some statistics to show that BASD will benefit from “Fair Funding Legislation.”

For example, BASD’s $285 million to $290 million budget is 71 percent funded by local citizens and businesses. He said that is a higher percentage than that paid by neighboring Allentown School District (35 percent) and Easton Area School District (68 percent).

Council later in the meeting unanimously approved the resolution, which will be sent “to elected state officials in the Lehigh Valley asking for support of such measures.”

Fady Mobader, the owner of the Sultana Hooka Lounge at 3 E. Third St. complained to council that patrons of the BYOB H2O Hooka Lounge at 15 E. Third St. are costing him business because his client base is afraid to be in the area where at least one shooting incident occurred in December.

The council commiserated with Mobader and referred him to Bethlehem Police Chief Mark DiLuzio. He and the police chief discussed the issue in the hallway outside the council meeting room.

This the second council meeting where the after-hours rowdiness and drunken behavior of patrons of H2O Hooka Lounge have been the subject of citizen complaints. Previously, Tyler Buck, a resident of nearby apartment building, brought similar complaints to council.

In other business, the council approved mayoral appointments to several boards, commissions and authorities: Maureen Leeson Pany, Irene Follweiler, and Robin Metzler to the Recreation Board; Roger Hudak to the Historic Conservation Commission; Lynn Collins Cunningham to the Bethlehem Parking Authority; Thomas Donchez to the Bethlehem Authority; Jessica Lee to the Fine Arts Commission; Charles Harris to the Sister City Commission and Terry Novatnack to the Zoning Hearing Board.

An online auction of city vehicles will be held within the next 60 days. All vehicles listed have mechanical problems or are badly rusted.

Council gave preliminary approval to the transfer of 9-1-1 equipment to Northampton County as part of the transition of 9-1-1 operations from the city to Northampton County. The move is in compliance with Pennsylvania Act 12 of 2015, according to documents submitted to council.

Mayor Robert Donchez in his state of the city address explained the 9-1-1 transition. “Per state mandate, Bethlehem and Allentown are required to consolidate their 9-1-1 centers with Northampton and Lehigh County, respectively, by July 1, 2019. Our transition with Northampton County is a complex mission filled with many challenges, but I am happy to report that it is moving ahead on schedule, with the cooperation and professionalism of our dedicated staffs.”