K-12 News

East Penn School Board voted Monday to pause work toward realigning grades 5-8. District officials will again study possible alternatives.

The new school is expected to serve about 1,200 Allentown students in kindergarten through eighth grade. City Center is optimistic it will be ready for the start of the 2027-28 school year.

The free event runs from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 13. It is open to all Allentown students, families and staff. There will be free school supplies, including backpacks, available.

Allentown School District appointed Alicia Knauff as acting head principal in July. She replaced Frank Derrick, who had been leading the school in an acting role for the last two school years.

Allentown's 111th annual Romper Day celebration was held at J. Birney Crum Stadium on Monday night. About 400 students who participated in the summer playground program exhibited skills including dance and calisthenics.

Allentown students took part in STEM activities, including stepping into an airplane cockpit, when Captain Barrington Irving flew into town with some hands-on critical thinking activities from his Flying Classroom.

School directors voted 5-4 Tuesday to part ways with now former Superintendent Michael Mahon, who was on administrative leave for the last five months.

The Southern Lehigh School Board will hold a special meeting at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday in the boardroom of Southern Lehigh High School to vote on both a separation agreement and mutual general release agreement between the district and Superintendent Michael Mahon.

Allentown school directors approved the $1.14 million partnership Thursday. The agreement runs from next month to June 30, 2028.

Alicia Knauff will start as the new acting head principal of Allen on Monday. She was hired as the principal of the school's Ninth Grade Academy before being tapped shortly after for the acting head role.

The controversial political action committee Back to School PA gave $5,000 to the conservative Republican candidate group Elevate Education at an event Monday.

The state's Basic Education Funding Commission held its first meeting in Allentown to collect testimony on fixing Pennsylvania's school funding formula after a landmark court ruling declaring it unconstitutional.

Casa Jeanette wants to turn a former medical-office building near the Allentown Fairgrounds into what it calls a "great, great asset" for residents.

State Senate Republicans added vouchers back to the budget while cutting Level Up funding for Allentown and Bethlehem Area school districts.

Many teachers were nominated. The district whittled them down to three candidates, which were voted upon by Allentown School District staff.

The Satanic Temple sued the Saucon Valley School District after district officials reversed course and barred the After School Satan Club from meeting in district buildings.

The 17-year-old Allentown Central Catholic senior has been monitoring the creek's surface lead concentrations, and plans to continue researching.

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.

There's two new candidates in the Allentown School Board race and one in the Southern Lehigh School board race.

Communities in Schools of Eastern Pennsylvania targets forces outside the classroom that prevent student success. It provides resources to address those issues and operates in nearly 30 schools in Lehigh and Northampton counties.

The Lehigh Valley child care centers already have long waitlists, staffing shortages and high costs.

Easton Area School District will begin issuing digital report cards for elementary students this school year, starting in the second semester when they will introduce the concept to parents.