Dear neighbor,

My office learned on Monday afternoon of the deeply disturbing revelations of abuse at the Chester Community Charter School, where 26 children, some as young as five years old, suffered unimaginable harm.

As a legislator and, more importantly, as a member of this community, I am outraged and heartbroken by the abuse these children endured. Schools should be places of safety, learning, and support – not fear and harm.

This tragic incident highlights the urgent need for comprehensive reforms in Pennsylvania’s charter school system. Schools, whether public or charter, must be held to the highest standards of student safety, staff training, and accountability. No school should operate without strong safeguards to protect the well-being of its students. When oversight is neglected, it is our most vulnerable who suffer the consequences. Every child deserves to be protected, and every parent deserves peace of mind when sending their child to school.

We stand with the victims and their families as they seek justice. Their courage coming forward exposes a flawed system that has prioritized profit and politics over the safety of our children. I commend the swift action taken by law enforcement, but we must do more to ensure this never happens again.

The time for reform is now and we must hold every educational institution to the same high standards of accountability and care. I am already working with my colleagues to strengthen oversight and improve reporting requirements at Pennsylvania’s charter schools, and to hold those who harm children fully accountable.

Today there was a brief status hearing with the bankruptcy judge in Texas about Crozer Health, but a longer hearing on a proposed Asset Purchase Agreement (a sale of the system) has been moved to Thursday to give the parties more time to negotiate. Last Wednesday, a lawyer for Delaware County told the judge that it was going to be a challenge to reach a deal by April 1 because Prospect Medical Holdings, the California-based hedge fund that owns Crozer, had not provided all the necessary financial info and the terms in the Asset Purchase Agreement were “surprising.” At the time, the judge directed all parties to continue to work toward a deal and directed Prospect’s lawyer to provide the missing information.

I have not yet seen a draft of the deal, but I’m not surprised that Prospect is causing problems again - that has been true for the past three years as they have extracted every resource possible from our health care system. I have repeatedly asked the Attorney General’s office to hold Prospect accountable and will be watching closely when they are back in court on Thursday.

Welcome Visitors!   

I always enjoy it when I get visitors from the district during our legislative session weeks in Harrisburg. Last week Neumann University President, Dr. Chris Domes, stopped by my office to say hello.

In related news, Neumann University was recently awarded $139,956 under the state’s Parent Pathways grant program, which supports parenting students with tuition assistance, emergency funding, and wrap-around services. The grants are designed to remove the financial and logistical barriers that often prevent parenting students from achieving their higher education goals. You can read more about that program here.

Property Tax/Rent Rebate Events and More

A big part of my job is making sure people have access to their state government and the programs and services available to them. My dedicated district office staff are by my side at local events, tabling community events with information and in the office each day helping to connect people with government resources.

We had a great turnout at the Village Green Senior Community for my Property Tax/Rent Rebate Event last week. My staff was on hand to file rebates and to assist with other state services. We also had a free pop-up farmer’s market provided by Sharing Excess.

Please check out the upcoming events at the bottom of my email each week to ensure you don’t miss a program or event that might be helpful or of interest to you!

A Well-Earned Retirement

I was happy to present Michael MacCall a citation in honor of his retirement from the Nether Providence Township Public Works Department after 48 1/2 years of service to the community!! Congratulations to Michael and best wishes for a well-earned retirement!

State $$ for Hurricane Ida Rebuilding

As we remember, Chester Township suffered significant flooding when the remnants of Hurricane Ida, a category 4 storm at its peak, hit southeastern Pennsylvania. The area is still repairing damage done by the storm. So, I was grateful to see $400,000 in grant funding awarded to the township to improve storm sewer inlets in continued recovery efforts. You can read more about that grant here.

REAL ID Days Ahead

In preparation for the May 7, 2025 enforcement of the REAL ID, PennDOT is holding REAL ID Days in our area to help residents get one. A REAL ID isn’t mandatory, but it may come in handy. You’ll need one if you don’t have a passport and want to board domestic flights or enter certain federal buildings that require one.

The first REAL ID Day coming up in our region is Monday, April 7.

Contact my office if you need help getting your PA birth certificate or if you have any questions about what is needed to apply for a REAL ID. Go here for more information.

Financial Aid Planning in April with PHEAA

PHEAA is holding free financial literacy webinars for financial aid planning with a Q&A.

The webinars will be held Tuesday, April 8 at noon and Thursday, April 24 at 6:30 p.m. To register for these webinars or find more information on other webinar events offered by PHEAA, please go to https://www.pheaa.org/virtual

LIHEAP Extended to April 18

The Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program application period was recently extended to April 18 to make sure all eligible families can apply for relief from the cost of this winter’s heating bills. This program provides a cash grant sent directly to your utility company to help with the bill. To see if you qualify and to apply, visit the LIHEAP website or contact my office.

I offer mobile office hours at multiple locations throughout the district to ensure that everyone I represent has access to the services my office provides. We look forward to seeing you at the location that is most convenient for you.

DCHA Fairgrounds on Tuesday, April 8

DCHA Kinder Park on Thursday, April 10

Medigap Webinar on Wednesday, April 23

10 a.m. to 11 a.m. online

This webinar will focus on supplemental Medicare plans, also known as Medigap. Call my office at 610-534-6880 or email RepKrueger@pahouse.net to get the webinar link.

License Plate Replacement Event on Thursday, May 1
4 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Gouley Park
101 Plush Mill Road, Media
 

Is your license plate hard to read, damaged or peeling? Don’t get fined for driving with an illegible plate! Local law enforcement will be at this event to determine if your plate needs to be replaced.

Drivers must bring an unexpired Pennsylvania driver’s license and current vehicle registration card. New plates are not issued at this event. Once your paperwork is processed, I will drive it back from Harrisburg and my office will call you to pick up your new plate. Registration is required. Call my office at 610-534-6880 or email RepKrueger@pahouse.net to register.

Free Shredding and Drug Take Back on Saturday, May 10

9 a.m. to noon
Upland Park, Brookhaven
Protect your identity and get rid of unneeded medications at this event I’m hosting with Sen. John Kane.

Delaware County Education Career Fair on Tuesday, April 8

Are you passionate about education and looking for a meaningful career? Whether you're a seasoned educator, a recent graduate, or someone interested in making a difference in schools, this is your opportunity to connect with local districts and find your next role!

The Delaware County Intermediate Unit is partnering with all 15 public school districts in Delaware County to host the Delaware County Education Career Fair. Learn more and register your interest here.

?? Tuesday, April 8, 2025
? 4 p.m. – 6 p.m.
?? DCIU Morton Education Center – 200 Yale Ave., Morton, PA

Parenting Rx with Nemours Children’s Health on Wednesday, April 9

Here’s an opportunity from Nemours Children’s Health for parents to ask a panel of experts about pediatric health concerns and get expert advice around topics like mental health, lactation and newborn health, gastrointestinal issues, asthma, ENT (ears, nose, throat) and more. The event will be held from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at Amada Radnor located at 555 E. Lancaster Ave. in St. Davids. Register here.

E-Waste Collection at Upland Park on April 23

The Pennsylvania Resources Council is holding an e-waste collection event on Wednesday, April 23 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.  at Upland County Park to provide Delaware County residents with a convenient and cost-effective method of responsibly disposing of electronic equipment. Please register for the event here. 

At no cost, individuals can drop off CPU (towers), laptops, mice and keyboards; home and cell phones; DVD players, VCRs, stereos and video game consoles; vacuum cleaners and other electronics. 

Televisions, computer monitors and printers can be recycled for a fee.

More details on what’s free and what has a fee can be found here.

As always, please feel free to reach out to my office for help with any state-related issues.
 
Sincerely,

Rep. Leanne Krueger
161st District, Delaware County

Pennsylvania State Capitol
512-E Main Capitol Building
Harrisburg, PA 17120
(717) 705-2567

Brookhaven District Office

115 E. Brookhaven Rd.
Brookhaven, PA 19015
(610) 534-6880