K-12 News

The Pennsylvania House passed a bill last week that would overhaul the state’s education funding system, sending millions to Lehigh Valley schools over the next seven years. But it faces an uncertain future in the Senate.

Youth bicyclists and their mentors traveled from across the country to learn and extend their network at the 2024 National Youth Bike Summit at Muhlenberg College this weekend.

Over the past 14 weeks, about a dozen Lehigh Valley teens participated in the pre-apprenticeship program at the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local Union 375 in Allentown.

On Sunday morning, the Zion’s Reformed United Church of Christ in Allentown will hold its reopening worship service for the first time since it closed in 2022.

The mural, by artist Mercedes Salazar, is a collaboration with Lehigh Valley Arts & Cultural Alliance, Community Action of Development of Allentown, The Chamber Foundation and Allentown Mural Arts.

The grant program would allow schools to recruit students, paraprofessionals and other community members to pursue a career in education. It passed the House with bipartisan support last year but has been stuck in committee in the Senate since then.

Opposing forces came to a head during a discussion about public use of Easton Area School District's Cottingham Stadium, with talks of potential costs, liability, and a connection to the public dominating the conversation.

The East Penn School Board approved the district's 2024-25 budget with a property tax increase of 4.12% It maintains existing programs and staff positions sought by school administrators.

A Democratic-sponsored proposal to boost public school funding by billions and impose stricter rules on cyber-charter schools is on its way to the Pennsylvania Senate after passage in the state House.

Says Cathy Leibensperger, Saucon Valley High School's wrestling scorekeeper for 44 years: “I look at the other inductees and I see people that have traveled the world, people that coached champions — I’m just a little scorekeeper from a little high school in Hellertown, Pennsylvania.”

Some Lehigh Valley school districts are reviewing their safety protocols for responding to injuries at area football games after Damar Hamlin's recent collapse brought renewed attention to the dangers of the sport.

Levinson was originally appointed to the East Penn School Board in September 2018 and was later elected to a full four-year term in 2019.

Parkland School Board Vice President Marisa Ziegler announced her reelection campaign Tuesday.

Christopher Schweikert, 27, of Coplay, who also is a teacher at Freedom High School, had a sexual relationship with the girl, whom he coached, according to Northampton County prosecutors.

The board had two vacancies due to the resignations of now-State Sen. Nick Miller and former Director Charlie Thiel.

The Allentown School Board will interview nine applicants to fill two board vacancies following the resignations of Board Director Charlie Thiel and state Sen. Nick Miller.

Some worry that supports for families at the schools could be lost.

Khalid Mumin, who has been superintendent of the Lower Merion School district in suburban Philadelphia for a little over a year, will be nominated for education secretary after Josh Shapiro is inaugurated on Jan. 17.

The appeal involves potential open meetings violations.

At the latest hearing for the proposed facility, both witnesses spoke about the need for recovery houses. "There's as much effort being made to get the drugs out there as to keep them also on the down-low, very silenced, so no one really can tell. And they're attacking our young population.” Julissa Pena, a witness for the applicant said.

The board may have violated transparency laws because key discussions about filling a vacancy did not happen in public, according to Melissa Melewsky, in-house counsel for the Pennsylvania NewsMedia Association.

This year, at least seven districts in Pennsylvania have dealt with public complaints and legal challenges related to LGBTQ issues.