FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:  Rick Galena | Citizens for Carlisle Schools

Email: hello@citizensforcarlisleschools.org

CARLISLE, PA — September 8, 2025 — Citizens for Carlisle Schools today sent a formal letter to State Representative Barb Gleim demanding plain, written answers about her proposal to eliminate property taxes, a plan the group says would devastate Carlisle public schools and betray local families.

“Homeowners deserve real property tax relief,” the group said in its letter. “But eliminating property taxes outright, without a fair and sustainable replacement plan, isn’t relief — it’s sabotage. It would pull the rug out from under our kids and devastate Carlisle schools.”

Property taxes currently provide nearly two-thirds of Carlisle Area School District’s funding. Without that revenue, the community would face teacher layoffs, overcrowded classrooms, gutted arts and sports programs, and falling property values. The group also noted that eliminating property taxes would strip Carlisle residents of local control, handing power to Harrisburg politicians instead of keeping it with locally elected school boards.

The letter posed seven key questions for Rep. Gleim to answer in writing, including how she plans to replace lost revenue dollar-for-dollar, how students would be protected from cuts, and why she voted against funding for public schools while supporting $1 billion annually for private and religious charters.

“Representative Gleim, these are not partisan questions,” the letter continues. “They are practical questions every taxpayer and parent has the right to ask — and every legislator has a duty to answer. Our kids’ future is worth more than empty slogans and broken promises, and our public schools deserve better than political stunts and reckless schemes from Harrisburg.”

About Citizens for Carlisle Schools

Citizens for Carlisle Schools is a nonpartisan group of parents, teachers, and taxpayers committed to protecting and strengthening public education in the Carlisle Area School District. The organization advocates for fair funding, local control, and promotes policies that put students first, respect parents and teachers, and unite our community to provide the best education possible for our kids.

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