ALLENTOWN, Pa. — It’s unclear whether Allentown Schools Superintendent Carol Birks lives in the district she leads.
Members of the public questioned Birks’ residency on social media in recent weeks, and school directors brought up the issue at Thursday’s school board meeting.
When LehighValleyNews.com asked about the topic, Birks declined to say whether she lives in Allentown.
“There’s nothing in my contract that says I have to live in Allentown, and I don’t have to talk about where I live."Carol Birks, Allentown Superintendent
“There’s nothing in my contract that says I have to live in Allentown, and I don’t have to talk about where I live,” she said.
“I have a demonstrated track record of my commitment to the students and families of Allentown,” she said. “My record speaks for itself.
“My heart is here.”
Birks lived in Connecticut when she was hired as ASD’s acting superintendent in 2022.
She was appointed to the superintendent position in March 2023 with a four-year contract that did not include a residency requirement, but that granted the reimbursement of moving costs if she decided to relocate to Allentown.
The contract said the district would reimburse Birks for moving services up to $15,000 if she relocated to a residence in “the City of Allentown, and also within the limits of the Allentown School District.”
Social media comments lead to tension
Bob Smith, a former Allentown school director, made comments about Birks’ residency on a Facebook page that he runs dedicated to discussing the Allentown School District.
“I don’t know why you wouldn’t want to live in the great city of Allentown,” Smith told LehighValleyNews.com.
Smith is running to rejoin the school board in the upcoming election. He previously served on the board for 16 years, from 2003 to 2019.
Smith said that in past interviews with Allentown superintendent candidates, school directors suggested to applicants that they live in Allentown.
Smith also said he would support a district policy requiring the superintendent to live in Allentown.
“I’m more upset with the board members,” Smith said. “Shame on them for not putting it on the contract.”
However, ASD solicitor Jeffrey Sultanik told LehighValleyNews.com Friday that the Pennsylvania School Code would not allow for a district policy nor a contractual agreement that requires a superintendent to live in a given area.
He said there's an exception for home rule school districts, such as those in Philadelphia or Pittsburgh. Those districts operate under a local charter and are granted it greater autonomy and self-governance.
Allentown is not that type of district, so residency requirements aren't legal.
Sultanik said districts like Allentown can offer incentives for superintendents to live in the district or a certain geographical area, such as a moving reimbursement.
At Thursday’s meeting, school Director Phoebe Harris said anyone “complaining about where [Birks] lives” should “shut up.”
“If I read another word, I’m coming for you,” Harris said. “I only got three, four more months" on the school board.
Harris’ term expires in December. She is not running for re-election.
Harris said the public should focus more on the good work that Birks does. She pointed to a new ASD partnership with The Juilliard School in New York City that was announced Thursday.
“This nonsense with the comments going on about Dr. Birks on Facebook and social media — it has to stop,” school Director Jennifer Hartnett said.
“And just because people don't agree with how we vote or the decisions we make, you don’t get to question our integrity as a board. We all care about this district.”
