It’s not good news that for taxpayers in the Palmerton Area School District, who’ll be footing the bill for a 4.7% tax increase to cover rising expenses in the 2026-27 budget.

What makes it worse is that a portion of that bill will pay for a crisis they aren’t allowed to understand.

That’s because the truth at the center of its superintendent’s extended paid administrative leave, some Title IX findings against a sitting school board member and the legal silence surrounding both can’t be discussed openly.

Superintendent Angela Friebolin has been out on paid leave since April 2. The board approved it in April, then extended it through Dec. 31.

Each time, the agenda listed “employee #735.”

Each time, the solicitor reminded residents that the matter could not be discussed.

And each time, taxpayers were left to do their own math.

At $550 per day, the leave will cost roughly $33,000 through June. On July 1, the per diem jumps by about another $20 through June 2027.

The extension pushes the total far higher when legal fees, administrative strain and the possibility of a contract buyout kick in.

But through all this, taxpayers haven’t received an official explanation, except for one thing.

Last year, an outside Title IX probe found board member Earl Paules responsible for multiple violations — no speculation about it. Those conclusions came from a formal process.

There’s been no public airing of the controversy — how those conclusions are tied to the superintendent’s leave — because the law forbids it.

Title IX confidentiality rules prohibit the district from talking about the complaint, the findings, the respondent, the complainant or any actions to correct any of it.

And the community is forced to watch — and pay — without being told the cause.

Adding to the situation is that the superintendent — the person who filed the complaint — is out of the administration building while the board member found responsible for violations remains in his seat.

The board is powerless, except for a vote to censure, which is essentially a slap on the wrist.

Here in Pennsylvania, since board members are elected officials, they can’t be suspended, disciplined or removed by their colleagues.

Whether it’s misconduct or Title IX violations, it just can’t happen. And it won’t, except for a criminal conviction or a court order.

Board members can only be replaced by the courts or the voters, so even if every board member wanted Paules gone, they could do nothing about it.

They can’t even publicly discuss the findings that implicate him.

They can’t explain why the superintendent is out and can’t defend any decisions.

They can’t reassure taxpayers about anything because they’re legally gagged.

The only thing legally binding at this point is that taxpayers are obligated to keep paying.

Paules himself asked at a recent meeting why the school board was voting on a leave agreement he didn’t understand, the solicitor replied with the only answer he could give: “We do not discuss personnel in public.”

It’s become a mantra, and it’s infuriating.

Taxpayers are forced to trust a process they cannot see, pay for something they can’t learn about and accept outcomes they can’t question.

The superintendent’s leave, as reported, is “not disciplinary.”

But the public can’t be told what it’s about.

None of that bodes well for the board, or the district, or taxpayers.

Rumors begin to circulate, differences of opinion stiffen and the school board takes another hit.

It’s nothing new in Palmerton, a district where many past decisions have been questioned. In the past, silence on any issue was an option.

In this case, silence is mandatory.

Confidentiality needs to be maintained. A board member at the center of the controversy can’t be removed, and legally, taxpayers can’t be told about its details.

But the law says nothing about relief for those carrying the financial pressure.

Secrecy — though mandated — is not something the taxpayers need.

They need a clear explanation of what the board can say, even if it isn’t much, about the legal handcuffs the issue creates.

They don’t need confidential details. They do need confidence in knowing that someone is looking out for them.

Right now, the meter’s running and Palmerton Area taxpayers are scratching for extra cash to pay what’s essentially a surcharge for silence.

They deserve better than that.

ED SOCHA | tneditor@tnonline.com

The foregoing opinions do not necessarily reflect the views of the Editorial Board or Times News LLC.