ALLENTOWN, Pa. — Allentown School Board Director Lisa Conover won’t seek a third term in 2025, she told LehighValleyNews.com on Monday.
“My commitment to ensuring that every child has access to a high-quality education and a supportive learning environment remains steadfast, even as I step away from this role,” Conover said in a statement.
Conover, a Democrat, first joined the board in late 2017 and was re-elected in 2021.
She’s a parent of Dieruff High School graduates and works a day job as a real estate agent.
There are five seats up for grabs on Allentown School Board this election cycle.
Conover is the second school director to announce she will not run to keep her seat. School Director Phoebe Harris announced in January she wouldn’t seek a third term.
School Director Robert “Nick” Nicholoff said in January he hopes to remain on the board and will join the 2025 race. He was appointed to his position in August to fill a board vacancy.
School Directors LaTarsha Brown and Jennifer Lee Ortiz have not responded to previous comment requests by LehighValleyNews.com about whether they’re running for re-election. They did not answer Monday phone calls inquiring about the same.
Former longtime school director Robert “Bob” Smith told LehighValleyNews.com in January that he plans to run for a seat on the school board.
Tuesday, March 11, is the last day for Lehigh County candidates to circulate and file nomination petitions.
Conover critiques district, board leadership
Conover, a former board vice president, is among the few members of the current school board who don't shy away from public debate and discussion.
“During my tenure, I have witnessed both the challenges and opportunities within the district,” Conover said in her statement.
“During my tenure, I have witnessed both the challenges and opportunities within the district."Lisa Conover, Allentown School Board member
“While systemic barriers and external influences have often complicated the path forward, I have always stood firm in my belief that students, families, educators and the community must be the top priority.”
Conover has regularly spoken out during times she thought the school board or the district itself could do better.
When the president of the Allentown Education Association raised concerns this past fall about the leadership of Superintendent Carol Birks, Conover joined another board member in calling for an investigation into staff turnover.
The investigation never came to fruition.
Last summer, Conover also raised concerns about whether certain fellow board members created conflicts of interest by working for organizations set to participate in Allentown School District’s summer programming.
At the time, the discussion mainly centered around board President Andrene Brown-Nowell and her youth arts nonprofit organization, Fine Feather Foundation.
Controversy outside the board room
Conover’s comments and actions have sometimes caused controversy outside of board meetings, too.
Conover was named in a lawsuit against the district and other board members last summer.
A former ASD employee claimed the district violated his civil rights when he was punished and ultimately fired after he attended President Donald Trump’s Jan. 6, 2021, "Stop the Steal" rally.
“As I close this chapter, I do so with a sense of resolve and purpose."Lisa Conover, Allentown School Board member
His lawyers claimed Conover encouraged members of the public to come speak against the employee publicly at a board meeting.
Conover was ordered to pay the former employee $6,000 for “maliciously and wantonly” violating his rights, according to court documents at the time.
In 2022, when former Superintendent John Stanford parted ways with the district, Conover publicly decried the actions of her fellow board members, who voted for an allegedly mutual separation agreement with Stanford.
Conover was among three school directors who voted against the agreement. In response to Stanford leaving, Conover called for a 30-year forensic audit of the district.
She also protested the board’s decision at an NAACP rally in which attendees levied accusations of racism at ASD. Stanford was the district’s second Black superintendent.
In her Monday statement, Conover also said local and national divisions threaten progress in the school district, but she still believes transformation is possible for ASD.
“I remain hopeful and prayerful that Allentown School District and its community can become a model of collaboration, equity, and success for others to follow," she said.
“As I close this chapter, I do so with a sense of resolve and purpose.”
Conover said she will continue advocating for children, families, educators and the community. She did not mention any specific plans for future ventures.
She will continue serving on the board until the end of 2025.
