Official website ↗Pop. 40,144
Last indexed Apr 19, 2026
Queued for update soon
Most recent record is from 2025-01-13 — this township may not have been scraped recently. Request an update.
Jan 13, 2025
The Wilkes-Barre Area School Board held a regular meeting on January 13, 2025, with all nine members present. The board approved minutes from the November 4, 2024 meeting and heard reports from the Superintendent regarding increased enrollment requiring adjustments for the upcoming year and from the District Engineer on facility maintenance activities across multiple school buildings, including completion of 166 work requests over two months with 62 additional work orders currently in progress. The board also held a closed executive session prior to the meeting to discuss employee relations, labor negotiations, and litigation matters.
AI summary
The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission Damage Prevention Committee held a meeting on July 9, 2024, to review damage cases in an omnibus session. The agenda included a safety moment and roll call, followed by case reviews of 13 incidents involving facility owners such as PECO, UGI Utilities, National Fuel Gas, and Philadelphia Gas Works, along with various contractors and project owners across multiple Pennsylvania counties, dating from September 2022 through March 2023. The cases addressed damage prevention issues related to excavation and construction projects at locations throughout Pennsylvania, including Chester, Dauphin, Lancaster, and Philadelphia counties.
AI summary
May 26, 2022
At the May 26, 2022 regular board meeting, Board President Joseph A. Caffrey presided over eight members present, and the board approved the April 11, 2022 meeting minutes. The superintendent reported that Wilkes-Barre Area High School's 591-member senior class met graduation requirements and will receive diplomas at a June 10, 2022 ceremony at Mohegan Sun Arena, with no attendance limits. Superintendent Costello presented the 2023-2024 budget overview, noting that the district remains underfunded by $33 million, with the majority of revenue directed to instructional services, along with support services, facilities, and debt service, while facilities management reported ongoing maintenance and improvement projects at multiple school buildings.
AI summary
Feb 14, 2022
On February 14, 2022, the Wilkes-Barre Area School District Board held a regular meeting where Superintendent Costello announced a new partnership with Special Olympics' PA Unified Champion Schools program, which will include hosting a spring track event to promote inclusion among students with and without disabilities, with transportation donated by the district's bussing company. The board also reviewed district maintenance projects including switchgear replacement at Heights-Murray Elementary scheduled for summer 2022, elevator repairs expected to begin within one week, and roof replacement at Leo E. Solomon Elementary planned for spring completion. The meeting included approval of January 2022 minutes and discussion of prior executive sessions focused on employee relations, labor negotiations, and litigation matters.
AI summary
On July 20, 2015, the Wilkes-Barre Area School District Board held a regular meeting with 8 of 9 members present, where they approved minutes from prior special meetings and discussed an unresolved motion regarding appraisals of district-owned properties for potential sale. Eleven citizens addressed the board with concerns including requests to relocate meetings to larger, air-conditioned venues; questions about a geotechnical report and flood zone location for the planned new high school; and concerns regarding class sizes, sports programs, and the future use of the Meyers High School site following consolidation with Coughlin High School. The board also held a closed executive session prior to the meeting to discuss employee relations, labor negotiations, and threatened or actual litigation.
AI summary
The City of Wilkes-Barre's 2023 budget, presented by Mayor George C. Brown, reflects recovery and operational improvements following the COVID-19 pandemic, with significant support from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding. ARPA funds enabled multiple community initiatives including business and non-profit assistance programs, home improvement and down payment assistance, resident stimulus packages, infrastructure repairs, street paving, equipment purchases, and recreational enhancements such as the new Special Needs Playground at Kirby Park. The budget document outlines the city's governmental structure, departmental organization, and comprehensive financial planning across general funds, debt statements, salary schedules, and specialized budgets for liquid fuels and Kirby Park operations.
AI summary
The Wilkes-Barre Area School District Board held a regular meeting on February 24, 2025, where the Curriculum/Administration Committee recommended two approvals: authorization for the WBAHS FBLA to attend the State Conference in Hershey, PA from April 6-9, 2025, with 87 students and 3 teachers at an estimated cost of $40,705 (of which $14,000 will be reimbursed by the club), and approval of an agreement with Active Day of Plains to provide adult day services to a special education student for 2 days per week from November 12, 2024 through June 2, 2025 at a rate of $100 per day.
AI summary
Mayor George C. Brown's 2025 budget address for the City of Wilkes-Barre identifies two major fiscal challenges: the potential loss of approximately $750,000 in annual real estate tax revenue from Commonwealth Health Wilkes-Barre General Hospital and an over 11% increase in employee healthcare costs. To offset these challenges, the administration expects increased construction and building permit revenue from major development projects including the Wright Center expansion, Meyers High School renovation into apartments and retail, the First National Bank Building purchase, and Sphere International's mixed-use development, along with anticipated increases in Earned Income Tax. The budget emphasizes cost-cutting measures in overtime and contract work, continued staffing priorities for Fire, Police, and DPW departments, infrastructure improvements including $1.1 million in Solomon's Creek flood protection and $1.5 million for Brookside Levee protection, and quality-of-life initiatives such as community policing programs and street repairs.
AI summary
Wilkes-Barre Township provides information on its compliance with Pennsylvania's Right-to-Know Law and procedures for submitting public records requests. The township requires specific document requests (not "any and all" language), does not accept anonymous requests, and notes that not all emails qualify as public records. Residents seeking records should complete the Commonwealth's standard Right-to-Know Request Form and submit it to the Agency Open Records Officer, with special forms required for police recordings under Act 22 of 2017.
AI summary
The Wilkes-Barre Zoning Hearing Board scheduled a public hearing for March 20, 2024 at 4:30 p.m. to consider six zoning appeals, including requests for special exceptions and variances. Applications included KB Worship Centre International Ministries seeking to establish a church with shared parking in a mixed-use building, Braulio Rodriguez requesting conversion of a residential property to a 4-unit dwelling, Alberto Rodriguez proposing expansion of an auto repair business to include body work and used car sales, Juan Felix Restituyo Tejada seeking increased building coverage for a garage, Moon Beams Daycare Center requesting permission to operate a home daycare, and Bulldog BBQ Sauce, LLC (details incomplete in document).
AI summary
Wilkes-Barre Township is a Home Rule Municipality of the First Class located in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, covering 3 square miles with an approximate population of 3,000 residents and a daytime business population of 50,000–100,000. The township has experienced significant recent development, including the expansion of retail centers like The Arena Hub and Wilkes-Barre Township Commons, and is home to the Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza, which hosts the Penguins Hockey team and various entertainment events. The township is strategically positioned along Interstate 81/Route 309, making it an emerging retail hub for Northeastern Pennsylvania with diverse dining, shopping, and entertainment options.
AI summary