K-12 News

Easton Area School District's board voted in favor of a health insurance buyout option that will offer employees $6,000 in lieu of coverage, offering potentially substantial savings to the district.

With the increase, the average taxpayer would see his or her annual property tax bill increase about $13.99 a month, or $168 total from the year before.

School directors voted 5-3 for a $140.7 million spending plan that includes a 4% tax hike, which would raise $3.2 million in additional revenue for the district.

A new version of Bethlehem Area School District's 2025-26 school year budget presented Monday includes a tax hike and a $5.9M fund drawdown ahead of a final June vote.

School directors voted 5-3 to continue funding the Northampton Area Public Library at its current level.

Isavel Mendoza will study theater at Pace University in the fall. He began writing poetry in first grade and comes from a family of artists in the Dominican Republic.

State Sen. Lisa Boscola and and state Sen. Nick Miller, both Democrats, voted in favor of legislation that would prevent transgender athletes from competing in girls' sports. State Sen. Jarrett Coleman, R-Lehigh/Bucks, also supported it.

A handful of bands scheduled to perform on the free Plaza Tropical Stage during Musikfest were chosen by high schoolers from Bethlehem Area School District.

The awards show is now in its 23rd year and will take place on May 22 at the State Theatre.

The Catasauqua School Board voted to continue the football team's annual Thanksgiving Day game against Northampton. The rivalry on the gridiron is 101 years old.

Lawmakers voted 46-1 on Senate Bill 1014, bipartisan legislation that would require public schools to adopt "bell-to-bell" policies restricting student use of smartphones and other internet-connected devices throughout the entire school day.

Guests enjoyed dinner Tuesday night at Bethlehem's United Steelworkers Union Hall before a panel of five women tried to make sense of rising costs for housing, groceries, healthcare and other essential needs.

Four $5,000 scholarships will be awarded to local union members by mid-February, officials said. The paraprofessionals must be pursuing a teaching certification in a high-need subject.

A record number of high schools in the Lehigh Valley and New Jersey will participate in this year's Freddy Awards — the State Theatre's annual recognition of Lehigh Valley high school musical theater.

Bethlehem Area School District will launch the semester-long Communications Pathways Internship this month. Student interns will write feature stories for the district website and post photos on BASD's social media accounts.

A man who identified himself as a Pennsylvania state trooper delivered one of the sharpest critiques Tuesday night during a telephone town hall on the automated school bus camera law.

Wilson Area School Board and administration recognized the careers of high school principal John Martuscelli and Buildings and Grounds Supervisor Daniel Sigafoos, who have both retired.

It was revealed at a School Board committee meeting Monday that the board on Jan. 26 will vote on a cost-sharing agreement among the project architect, prime contractor and project manager for the investigation.

Easton's band and orchestra took an incredible trip down to New Orleans for the Sugar Bowl High School Band Competition at the end of 2025, dominated the competition and enjoyed a bit of Big Easy culture.

The $11 million center is slated to be finished by December. It will have community resources for student enrollment, health care and workforce development.

State Sen. Jarrett Coleman, R-Lehigh/Bucks, has scheduled a telephone town hall at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 13, to hear concerns over the automated school bus enforcement program.

The Pennsylvania College of Technology, an affiliate of Penn State University, will provide instructor-led labs at Allentown schools to prepare students for in-demand jobs in manufacturing. The program starts this month.