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.

Brad Klein and Ryan Gaylor go behind the scenes on Gaylor's recent story on the ‘After-School Satan Club’ controversy in Saucon Valley School District.

Volunteers read to elementary school students across the Lehigh Valley for Read Across America Day on Thursday. The United Way of the Greater Lehigh Valley and Lehigh Valley Reads coordinated the effort.

A Thursday morning panel discussion at Univest Public Media Center in Bethlehem focused on a new statewide report showing that early childhood care teachers earn less than $12 an hour and are planning to leave the industry for higher-paying jobs.

At a school board meeting Tuesday, superintendent Jaime Vlasaty defended the decision not to allow the after-school Satan club to meet on campus, saying the group violated district rules.

20-year-old Ceu Uk, of Charlotte, allegedly threatened a shooting in the Saucon Valley School District in response to an after-school Satan club being allowed to meet on district property.

Joanne Dillman, a former educator and a North Whitehall resident, is running for a seat on the Parkland School Board.

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

As interest in the education field continues to decline, the report recommends systemic changes. A hearing of the state Senate Education Committee to examine the issue is set for this week.

The district superintendent said she was reversing course and rescinding approval for the club to use Saucon Valley Middle School. She said a violation of school board policy sparked the move.

Bethlehem Freedom High School's new Wellness Center is an area where students dealing with any type of emotional issue can go to either decompress alone and/or speak to one of four on-site therapists.

The Parkland School Board recognized student Tushar Mehta after he was chosen as the 2022 Congressional App Challenge Winner for the 7th District.

The Saucon Valley School District authorized use of its facilities to the After School Satan Club. Superintendent Jaime Vlasaty said the law prohibits the district from discriminating against religious groups wishing to use space.