Facilities Services is responsible for the planning, development, and maintenance of the Allentown School District’s 30 buildings and grounds, located across the 17 square miles that encompass the City of Allentown.
Ensuring the upkeep and renovation of current buildings is the day-to-day priority and that includes the clearing of snow in all parking lots and sidewalks. We are also charged with providing leadership oversight of new construction projects.
Allentown education buildings must accommodate the needs of the District’s students and personnel in terms of space, equipment and function.
In addition to meeting the requirements of state, county, and city building codes, and the Americans with Disabilities Act, the District’s facilities seek Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certification when possible to enhance energy conservation and cost efficiencies.
To meet the changing needs of our students, the facilities office reassesses and updates current buildings and grounds as necessary, demolishes old buildings that are obsolete and no longer capable of serving the district to make way for new construction and to transform facilities when they are given a new use. The District’s 24 schools range in date of construction from 1874 to 2020, and it is our task to keep them all equally efficient and able to provide an optimal environment for learning and achievement.
Facilities Services takes its direction from the Allentown School District's School Board of Directors, based on recommendations made by the Superintendent and Executive Leadership Team. We tackle projects as large as constructing new buildings, and as small as installing new roofing and boilers or other HVAC equipment as well as keeping halls, auditoriums, gymnasiums, and classrooms well-lit, clean, fresh, and attractive.
This information is provided as partial fulfillment of AHERA (Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act) rules requiring annual notification of workers and building occupants or their legal guardians of inspections, response actions, and post response action activities, including periodic re-inspections and surveillance activities that are planned or in progress.
Every three years, the Allentown School District is required to update its AHERA Asbestos management plan. The purpose of this plan is to summarize previous abatement response actions, summarize findings and ACBM classification and recommend response actions. A copy of the plan is available in the Operations office at the Administration Building, 31 S. Penn Street, Allentown, PA 18102. Each school containing any asbestos containing materials also receives a copy of the plan to keep in their main office. The most recent three-year reinspection report was issued in October 2024.
The district continues to update and improve the AHERA Asbestos Management Plans. This work includes the sampling of materials that were originally assumed to contain asbestos. The improvements in the AHERA Asbestos Management Plans are intended to make them easier to use by District custodial and maintenance workers and outside contractors that perform work within district buildings.
If you have any questions regarding asbestos or the District’s asbestos program, please call Mr. Ethan Fick, Executive Director of Facilities Services at (484) 765-4890.
The Allentown School District (ASD) is committed to providing safe, clean drinking water for all students, staff, and visitors. As part of this commitment, and in accordance with Act 39 of 2018 of the Pennsylvania School Code as amended, ASD conducts annual lead-in-drinking-water testing in all schools and district buildings. Each year, ASD partners with a certified environmental firm to test all bottle-fill stations and other drinking water sources using U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) guidance. In August 2025, samples were collected from various sources and analyzed by a certified EPA/DEP laboratory. All samples were below the EPA action level for lead, and all ASD sources tested meet the federal drinking water standards.
Over the past several years, ASD has taken proactive steps to reduce potential exposure to lead in drinking water, including:
Replacing traditional drinking fountains with filtered bottle-fill stations districtwide
Establishing an annual testing program aligned with EPA’s “3Ts (Training, Testing, and Taking Action) for Reducing Lead in Drinking Water in Schools”
Immediately addressing any fixtures with elevated readings in prior years, including remediation or removal from service
Maintaining plumbing systems to support ongoing water quality
ASD will continue to complete required annual testing, maintain all drinking water systems, and report results to families and the community as required under Act 39. The district remains committed to providing a safe and healthy environment for every student we serve.
The Board allows parent and community groups to use district facilities for educational, cultural, recreational, civic, or social purposes when not in use for district programs. Facilities are available primarily to district residents and may include buildings, fields, parking lots, and equipment. All users of district facilities must be groups that are open to district residents without discrimination and comply with state, county, and federal laws.
