K-12 News

Allentown School District held a kickoff event Thursday at South Mountain to tell students and families about the Verizon Innovative Learning Schools program that gives each student an iPad for the school year.

The Lincoln Leadership Academy Charter School in Allentown held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for its $16.8 million school for fourth-to-eighth graders on Friday morning.

Commonwealth Charter Academy, a large, public, cyber charter school for all school-age children, plans to convert a nearly 47,000-square-foot, one-story building into office space for teachers and staff at 2200 W. Broad St.

Critics of the hiring process argued for a superintendent search instead of a direct appointment. Others said Karen Trinkle had more than proven herself ready to lead, and a search would be lengthy and costly.

Planned to open to students for the 2027-28 school year, the roughly $59 million project will go up on the same land as its predecessor facility, which dated back to the 1930s.

School directors voted 5-2 to approve Ethan Ake-Little’s resignation and settlement agreement. His resignation takes effect Aug. 31.

Southern Lehigh school directors appointed Karen Trinkle as chief of schools. They also approved a settlement agreement with Ethan Ake-Little, the HR director who filed discrimination and retaliation complaints against the former superintendent.

Ethan Ake-Little has been suspended with pay since June while the district investigated allegations about his job performance. Ake-Little previously filed discrimination, retaliation and fraud complaints against the former superintendent.

Additional cleaning and air quality testing remain underway at Sheridan and Ritter elementary schools, Allentown School District said in an update Sunday.

School directors are scheduled to vote Monday on whether to promote Assistant Superintendent Karen Trinkle to chief of schools. The proposed five-year contract comes a month after school directors voted to part ways with the previous superintendent.

Cast, crew, students and community gathered at the Univest Public Media Center, home to Lehigh Valley Public Media, for a red carpet premiere of the BET+ film celebrating local talent and the next generation of creatives.

Lehigh Valley Planning Commission this week took a look at a proposal for new construction and improvements to Wilson Area School District's athletic facilities.

Parkland High School's planned $68 million, five-building expansion project is expected to begin early in 2026 and be completed by August 2028.

Teamsters Local Union No. 773 represents the workers, whose last contract expired June 30.

Bethlehem Area School Board on Monday approved a four-year contract with its support personnel that will boost hourly wages at least $3 by 2030.

In the first episode of “Lighting the Way with Dr. Carol D. Birks,” a Bridgeview Academy student talks about his experiences with AI at his school.

The media center replaced the school's old library, which students said they didn't use. The new space has modern books and makerspaces for art and science projects.

After setting aside a realignment plan in fall 2025, East Penn School District now is exploring a $142 million redistricting project that would see hundreds of students moved to different schools, and building renovations.

This year’s theme is about encouraging drivers to keep a safe distance from plows, as well as other vehicles, during winter weather, according to a Monday news release.

Nearly 800 students at Southern Lehigh's Joseph P. Liberati Intermediate School spent a week learning to write, address, and mail handwritten letters through the Dearist literacy program — sending holiday messages to local seniors, veterans and nonprofit groups.

Wilson Area LINCS will hold its fourth annual Photos with Santa event at the high school Saturday, offering kids a chance to meet the big man and get a photo, pick out presents and so much more.

At a Thursday reorganization meeting, the school board selected its president and vice president. Five school directors also were sworn in at the meeting, including four who are brand new to their roles.