Whitehall High School - Whitehall Yearbook (Whitehall, PA)

Page 16 text:

AIDES FCfl EUEAVCDE Transportation for private and parochial schools causes some controversy in district. Public aid to private and parochial schools was an issue that inflamed taxpayers in all portions of the country. In the Whitehall-Coplay School District, the aid was restricted mostly to transportation and the controversy was much more subdued but present nonetheless. Under Act 372, effective July 1, 1973, explained Dr. George Steckel, school superintendent, Pennsylvania school districts must provide or contract to provide transportation for all students living in the district and attending a non-public school within a 10-mile radius. Whitehall High School students became aware of the law when they noticed Allentown Central Catholic students on the buses at the start of the school term. I think busing Central kids was a good idea, stated Karen Kline, Whitehall junior, so long as the buses didn't become overcrowded. Many students expressed complaints concerning the extra bus passengers. The Whitehall-Coplay School District bused about 170 Central students. These pupils were picked up at regular stops, taken to the high school building, and then dispatched to Central. If those riding the buses had realized that the seats were supposed to hold three, pointed out director of transporation Thomas Sodl, there wouldn't have been complaints at all. There was no overcrowding and if there was we would have surely done something about it. The bulk of students covered under Act 372, however, were not from Central. Pupils attending 17 other schools received rides from the district. They included 13 Catholic schools, the Jewish Day School, and three private institutions. These schools included about 850 pupils living in Whitehall and Coplay. Of these, approximately 420 availed themselves of the transportation furnished by the school district. The others were within walking distance or had their own transportation. The district conveyed these children either by direct busing or contracting to provide rides. Three schools and two private firms supplied contracted transportation. Total cost of the contracts was $210 per day. An additional $40 per day was spent in extra bus mileage and depreciation, bringing the total to $250 per day. One argument for Act 372 was offered by Central senior Tony Andretta when he said Busing is not a privilege, but rather an equal right due to all taxpaying citizens of a particular community. The cost of public busing is far less than the cost of completely educating all non-public school students. 12

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Student Council Dance Cross Country — Dieruff JV Football — Southern Lehigh Varsity Football Hellertown — Golf — StroudslxB — Student Council Assembly — Freshman Football — Nazareth — Golf — Emmaus — Girls' Field Hockey — Northampton 1 C — Varsity Football — I Notre Dame — Cross Country — Northampton — Golf — Lehighton — Girls' Field Hockey — Emmaus — School Board Meets — Cross Country — Lehighton — Freshman Football — Palmerton — Golf — Catasauqua — Girls' Field Hockey — Lehighton Freshman Football — Bethlehem Catholic — Varsity Football — Palmerton — Varsity Football — Nazareth

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Three in a seaf is a light fit for anyone. The influx of Central students added 170 bodies to the limited seating space on buses. cr 372 required public school districts to provide transportation for nonpublic school students like Central's Harry Mellinger, right. He and junior Ron Peters board a homeward bound bus. 13