BOYERTOWN PA – The possibility of creating an all-day kindergarten program is being further explored by the Boyertown Area School District (BASD).
A legal notice published Monday (July 21, 2025), as well as on July 7 and 14, asks businesses qualified to conduct a feasibility study on the subject to submit bids by Aug. 1 (Friday). Bids are being received by school board Secretary Patricia J. Denicola at the district education center.
The board during April was asked by the administration “to consider proceeding with a plan to implement full-day kindergarten by the fall of 2027,” according to a report by Allentown-based WFMZ-TV. A committee of administrators and teachers studied the issue, and made an earlier recommendation favoring it.
The notice reports the district is looking for a single-contract proposal, based on requirements available on its website. Proposals remain active for and cannot be withdrawn during a 90-day period following the August deadline, it adds.
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Business: Online Sports Bets Reshape Consumer, State Finances
COLLEGE PARK MD – The legalization of online sports betting in Pennsylvania, as well as 37 other states and the District of Columbia, may be producing a variety of side effects, a new study proposes.
Researchers at Southern Methodist University (SMU), the University of Maryland, and the University of California at San Diego (UCSD) suggest that “online sports betting is reshaping consumer behavior, state finances, and public health.” News about their findings was released Friday (July 18, 2025).
Pennsylvania was among the first states to legalize online sports betting. Since then, the practice has become an active facet of gambling in the TriCounty region. The nearby Valley Forge Casino Resort in King of Prussia PA (Montgomery County) partners with FanDuel Sportsbook. The Hollywood Casino in Morgantown PA (Berks County) is affiliated with ESPN BET.
Pennsylvania bettors also can rely on several other web-based sportsbooks.
The study relied on “anonymized financial-transaction data” to track outcomes for more than 700,000 gamblers across 11 states. It cited these potential findings:
- Spending soars. “Legalization increases gambling spending by 369%, and irresponsible gambling rates by 372%;”
- States benefit fiscally. Gambling tax revenue brings in about 78 cents per capita monthly;
- Impacts aren’t equal. “Lower-income individuals experience disproportionately higher rates of problematic gambling;”
- Physical casinos are not harmed. “The data shows legalized online betting may not hurt and could actually help casino spending in many cases.” This could be reassuring for states that “have historically remained on the sidelines because of concerns that online sports betting could hurt” entrenched casino businesses; and
- Spill-over consequences. They “include a 20% increase in alcohol consumption, and 75% more calls to gambling helplines.”
Researchers acknowledge results can vary by state, social and economic circumstances, existing governmental policies, and other factors. Congressional legislation is already being considered to create some type of uniform consumer-protection standards for online betting.
“Legalization delivers real fiscal benefits, but it also expands the pool of people betting beyond their means,” says Maryland’s Daniel McCarthy, associate professor of marketing. He co-authored the work with Wayne J. Taylor at SMU and Kenneth C. Wilbur at UCSD.
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“Local Business News” is a feature from The Post Publications and its Travels With The Post edition. It covers news specifically about businesses located within western Montgomery, eastern Berks, and northern Chester counties. On occasion, it also covers state and national news that affects or impacts local businesses.
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