K-12 News

The East Penn School Board approved changes to the middle school calendar as recommended by teachers and administrators.

The East Penn School Board gave final approval to its 2023-24 budget and set a tax rate lower than initial projections. The new budget retains administrative priorities such as 7 reading interventionists and 6 learning support staffers.

Take a look at stories that ran throughout the week of which we are most proud, had a profound impact on readers or that you might want to look at again.

The Allentown School District said the STREAM Academy at the new science center at Eighth and Hamilton streets will be the first non-charter, non-private, theme-based school in the Lehigh Valley.

For 50 years, Ray Boris taught Theology at Bethlehem Catholic High School. He showed up shortly after 6 a.m. every day and didn't leave until he graded the last test.

The Bethlehem Area School District plans to appoint Maureen Leeson as assistant superintendent and chief academic officer, to take the place of Jack Silva, who will be the next superintendent. Esther Lee, president of the Bethlehem NAACP, said the district should have hired a Black candidate.

State House Democrats approved adding $1.7 billion more education spending, including more money to the poorest districts. The final budget will be negotiated with Senate leaders and the governor's office.

The nonprofit Community Action Lehigh Valley has worked for about two years to buy Cleveland Elementary School so it can turn into space for area youth.

The Lehigh County Conservation District and Dieruff High School are partnering to transform a vacant courtyard at the school into an urban garden.

A team of students from Bangor Area High School placed ninth in this year's statewide Envirothon competition, essentially a scholastic scrimmage for environmental science. The team placed first for the wildlife station.

Through a partnership with Da Vinci Science Center, Allentown students from Central Elementary School will regularly visit the museum's new Hamilton Street location to learn about manufacturing, artificial intelligence, the human body and the environment.

Barbara Clymer, communications coordinator for the Bethlehem Area School District, is a finalist for the inaugural National School Communicator of the Year Award.

The Young Playwrights' Festival features scripts written by 13 elementary and middle school students from Bethlehem. The show will take place on Sunday at Northeast Middle School.

Palmer Township police Officer John Smoke, the school resource officer at Easton Area High School, waived his preliminary hearing in Palmer Township on Friday.

Students from Broughal Middle School popped their way to the top at the sixth annual "What's So Cool About Manufacturing" (WSCM) contest Wednesday in Harrisburg.

The Saucon Valley School Board is set to make a decision “in the coming weeks” on whether or not to keep a school resource officer on campus, according to Lower Saucon Police Chief Thomas Barndt.

Costas Alestas, a former Bethlehem police officer and soccer coach at East Hills Middle School, intends to plead not guilty to multiple sex-related crimes involving two middle school students, his attorney said.

Parkland School Board approved a preliminary budget Tuesday that would take the millage rate from 16.30 mills to 17.12 mills — an increase of 5%. A final vote on the budget is pending.

In the midst of budget season, Easton Area School District is examining figures to trim a tax increase and bridge a multimillion dollar gap between revenue and expenditures.

The Bethlehem Area School Board passed a preliminary 2024-25 budget at a Monday special meeting. The district plans to increase taxes and pull from a surplus fund to balance the budget. The final budget will be adopted in June.

Parkland School District is likely taking on two expansion projects at Parkland High School and Orefield Middle School. More details are now coming to light about what they will look like — and how much they will cost.

Forty international students from around the globe are finishing up their school year spent in the Lehigh Valley and surrounding area soon, then will head back home to their families. International Host Family Week celebrates exchange student programs.