ABINGTON, Pa. (AP) - The superintendent of a Philadelphia-area high school told parents she understood why they opposed renaming the school after an alumnus who made a $25 million donation, but then told the billionaire she was disappointed in their reaction.
The Philadelphia Inquirer obtained emails from Superintendent Amy Sichel of the Abington School District to Blackstone Group CEO Stephen Schwarzman in response to a Right-to-Know request filed last month. Sichel didn’t immediately return a request for comment Friday.
Abington Senior High School was to be renamed Abington Schwarzman High School. After backlash in March, the district announced it reversed its plans.
Aaron Dorfman, president and CEO of the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy, say the emails show that private cash infusions into public schools can lead to “divided loyalties” among officials who should be putting taxpayer interests first.
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