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.

Bethlehem Area School Board approved 2024-25 academic action plans for seven schools that the state Department of Education has declared are in need of performance improvement and support.

This week, news from the International Space Station, where the seven crew members have been hosting two unexpected guests for months.

Bethlehem Area School Board members Emily Schenkel, Winston Alozie and Kim Shively, as well as board President Michael Faccinetto, were celebrated Monday for their five- and 15-year tenures.

Teamster Local 773 Clerical and Secretarial Employees ratified a tentative agreement with the school district. It must be approved by the Bethlehem Area School Board to take effect.

Teamster Local 773 Clerical and Secretarial Employees reached a tentative agreement with Bethlehem Area School District on a new contract.

East Penn School District approved a new four-year collective bargaining agreement with its teachers union after extensive negotiations stemming from the association rejecting a proposal in July.

About 40 Bethlehem Area School District secretaries and supporters attended Monday's school board meeting, following their first day of striking for a contract.

Bethlehem Area School District released a statement on its website and social media Sunday night that some staff would go on strike Monday, Aug. 26 — the first day of school. Negotiations will continue, the district said.

Salvaggio Academy’s new building at 3145 Hamilton Blvd will help accommodate the school’s growing enrollment.

This is the second summer that Allentown School District has offered a paid internship program to high school students, placing them in jobs throughout the district and the city. They earn $15 per hour.

Allentown School Board's new board member will be sworn in next month and serve until December 2027, when former school director Daysell Ramirez's term was set to expire.

Parkland School Board on Tuesday hired Renee Mosser to fill the position of Director of Visual and Performing Arts for the district. She steps in following the resignation of Frank Anonia.