K-12 News

This week, how to spot the first traces of the young crescent moon that marks the end of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan.

In a 29-second video, the Northeast Middle School teacher can be seen pushing a male student, pinning him up against a chalkboard and forcing him to knock into a desk. The Bethlehem Area School District and the county's Children & Youth division are investigating.

The fifth annual Be My Neighbor Day was held Saturday at Univest Public Media Center in Bethlehem. Children participated in crafts and gardening activities, interactive musical performances, and meet-ups with Daniel Tiger.

River Crossing YMCA announced it will manage the pool, at 3900 Jacoby Road, Coopersburg for the 2025 season. The pool will operate May 24 through Sept. 1, and be open noon-8 p.m. for general summer swim memberships.

YWCA-Bethlehem will hold its annual Pop-up Prom Shop this Saturday.

The BASD Superintendent’s Scholarship is in its 10th year. Every spring, a senior from each of Bethlehem Area's two high schools — Freedom and Liberty — is selected for the award.

Township zoners approved BCS’s special exception request to use a residential property at 5575 Green Pond Road as an office and work it into plans for a new school at the subject property.

Driver education programs have dwindled in public schools across Pennsylvania, but still offer benefits. In the Lehigh Valley, only 5 school districts offer instruction of some kind. The local intermediate units and private driving schools fill in the gaps.

Superintendent Jack Silva spoke about the district's opportunities for career readiness experiences. As for challenges, Silva said the Trump administration's executive orders have raised concerns for BASD.

Schweyer, chairman of the Pennsylvania House Education Committee, said the department handles many important functions for public K-12 schools and higher education institutions.

Easton Area School District took a preliminary look at the 2027 budget Tuesday, highlighting a prospective $7 million gap, alongside several cost-saving strategies intended to help EASD rebuild its reserves.

The third time was the charm for LoriAnn Fehnel, who was sworn in as a Whitehall-Coplay School District director on Tuesday.

With the approved state budget, Bethlehem Area won't have to draw as much money from its reserves as it initially anticipated. The state budget was late by more than four months.

The high school's Central City Project offers a monthly food pantry, drawing inspiration from the Catholic Worker Movement.

Ryan O’Connell and Scott Sheriff spoke to students at Saucon Valley High School about their music careers.

The Allentown K-8 Academy is set to offer more than 200,000 square feet of academic and creative spaces when construction wraps up during the 2027-28 school year.

The SAFECHAT Act would implement safeguards to protect minors from chatbots that could push them to engage in self-harm, suicide or sexually explicit behavior.

The proposed new K-8 school could also potentially serve as a replacement to Union Terrace Elementary School, but the district hasn't decided yet whether that school would close.

The field, which is on the site of a former quarry, was deemed unsafe in 2021, and Dieruff athletes have had to practice elsewhere since.

Central Elementary STREAM Academy students premiered a teaser of “Passport to Puerto Rico” at the Univest Public Media Center, celebrating Puerto Rican culture with food, Bomba music and dance. The student-made film debuts on PBS39 Dec. 13.

District officials plan to issue bonds to pay for the project, which could slightly increase property taxes.

Palmerton Area principal Ralph Andrews has declined an offer to become Hanover Elementary School principal, according to an agenda item on tonight's Bethlehem Area School Board meeting.