Dr. Arthur Abrom Memorial Scholarship Fund

Update 9/29/23

We are deeply touched by the overwhelming support we've received in honoring our father's legacy and fulfilling his dream of helping children through the Dr. Arthur Abrom Memorial Scholarship Fund. Today, we are thrilled to share an exciting development in our journey.

We are proud to announce a partnership with the Cedar Foundation of the Lebanon School District, where our beloved father served as Superintendent of Schools. The Cedar Foundation is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization (EIN: 31-1658689), and together with them, we will ensure that every contribution counts towards supporting deserving students for generations to come. We have thoughtfully outlined our intentions in a tentative written agreement with representatives from the Lebanon School District, which is available upon request.

As we move forward, we will provide further details on how the funds raised from this campaign will be carefully collected and invested, with annual interest disbursed to support deserving scholars. Furthermore, this collaboration allows us to expand our efforts and offer the opportunity to make all donations tax-deductible. For those interested in receiving a donation receipt, we kindly ask you reach out to us directly for additional information.

Stay tuned for more updates and thank you for being a part of our mission to carry forward our father's legacy and make a meaningful impact on the lives of countless students.

About Dr. Arthur Abrom

My name is Amanda Abrom, and I’m the daughter of Dr. Arthur Abrom. I’m writing on behalf of our family, including our mom, Joanne Abrom, and my sisters, Emily and Hope Abrom. Our dad served the Lebanon and Lancaster School Districts and left an incredible mark on the hearts and minds of these communities.

During the past nine years, we watched as he valiantly battled cancer with unwavering determination and grace. He demonstrated power in the face of adversity and resilience with kindness, courage and faith.

To honor his legacy, our family has decided that in lieu of flowers, we will be creating a Dr. Arthur Abrom Memorial Scholarship that aims to keep his spirit alive for generations to come.

Contributions will support a Lebanon School District Dr. Arthur Abrom Scholarship Fund for students who are pursuing their educational dreams, just as our dad would have wanted. Specifically, all proceeds will be offered to scholarship recipients pursuing degree programs in education or music. These interests and passions align closely with our dad’s legacy – the power of education to change lives.

We have set an ambitious goal to raise $100,000 thus creating an endowed scholarship fund for years to come. Throughout his journey, his motto was H.O.P.E. Help One Person Everyday – whether that was at the cancer center, at school, or at home. This scholarship fund will bring his vision of HOPE to the future.

For those unfamiliar with our father’s medical history, he was first diagnosed with colon cancer in August of 2014. Afterward, he underwent an aggressive 6-month chemotherapy treatment to fight the highly-staged disease. He faced serious side effects including irreversible peripheral neuropathy in his hands and feet, but he continuously persevered and pushed forward so that he could continue to serve his school, church, and community, as well as pursue his passions as an educational leader. Five years after being diagnosed with cancer, his oncologist shook his hand and said that he was cancer free. However, the next day, the oncologist called back with grave news that his charts seemed off. This began an arduous process for our family of numerous doctor’s visits to see where the cancer had returned. In 2020, he underwent multiple new treatments including surgeries, as well as had infusions at the cancer center every two weeks. He continued with these treatments for three consecutive years. Despite all of this, our dad remained an inspiration to us. He never gave up or hesitated to try the next treatment, looking for his miracle. He endured all of this so that he could continue supporting his community, church, students, district, and us. We know that he truly believed in the power of prayer and was looking forward to going back to doing everything that he loved.

Our dad dedicated 20 years to the School District of Lancaster before joining the Lebanon School District in 2017. He wasted no time in setting a new vision for Lebanon's 5,000+ students, focusing on five key priorities: community connections, data-driven culture, college and career readiness, student-centeredness, and a culture of reading. His colleagues have told us that they remember him as a servant leader who prioritized literacy and students. He improved transparency through monthly messages to staff and initiated the Community Schools program, expanding access to services for students in the evenings and weekends, beyond regular hours. He played an instrumental role in building a new junior high school to alleviate overcrowding at Lebanon Middle School, and the new building is set to open in August 2024. We are so proud of his legacy – one of transformative leadership and unwavering dedication to education.

At the School District of Lancaster, he held numerous roles ranging from the Director of Elementary Education, the Director of Student Services, the Coordinator of School Improvement and Federal Programs, and the Principal of Lafayette Elementary school. He raised millions of dollars for both students and staff. In his role as an administrator, he oversaw programming for 1,900 Special Education and Gifted Students; developed before, after, and summer programs; ran programming for 900+ homeless students and families; and launched multiple student assistance programs, focusing on drop-out prevention and counseling to ensure students remained in school ready to learn. As a school principal, he developed the “Principal-In-Action” school training program, and other new initiatives such as “Helping One Student to Succeed” “Core Knowledge” “Everyday Math” “Second Step” “Soar to Success” “Foss Science Kits” and “First Day of School”. He also established a family center for parents to better support their kid’s educational attainment. He successfully raised test scores in both Math and Reading for students on PSSAs, winning an award for the highest gain in the county.

Dad loved music and the arts. He was a man of great faith and enjoyed serving in church as a musician. He played 5 instruments; loved to play golf; served on the worship team; was an avid NY Giants fan; and traveled together with us all over the world. He loved his family and encouraged others to put God and family first.

We know that one of his visions was to help create a pipeline of students pursuing education degrees that would then become teachers that would service the Lancaster/Lebanon community. This scholarship will further uplift that vision and honor his memory and legacy. Thank you to all of our friends and family for making a donation to honor our dad’s life, give back to the community, and make a difference in the lives of his students.