School News

U.S. Sen. Dave McCormick appeared at Lehigh University on Friday for a "fireside chat" in which he shared his vision to bring AI infrastructure investment to Pennsylvania — and win an "existential battle" with China.

At a Thursday reorganization meeting, the school board selected its president and vice president. Five school directors also were sworn in at the meeting, including four who are brand new to their roles.

The Whitehall-Coplay School District held its third annual Zephyr Holiday event at the Burlington store in Whitehall. Twenty-four elementary and middle school students from challenged families were given $200 gift cards to shop for holiday gifts for family members. Members of area law enforcement accompanied the children during the event.

Bethlehem Area School District is tapping one of its own to lead Hanover Elementary School. The new principal comes to the role with nearly two decades of experience in BASD.

In addition to board officer elections, four new school directors were sworn in Tuesday after having won their seats last month.

At their annual reorganization meeting Tuesday, Parkland School District's board chose new leaders and swore in four winners of last month's election.

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.

Members of Carly's Cause have spent the past several months building plans to meet with colleges and universities to forge new partnerships focused on off-campus housing safety.

Steve Wozniak, who in 1976 with Steve Jobs founded Apple Computer Inc. with Wozniak’s Apple I personal computer, and Ariana Huffington, who founded HuffPost, will headline Lehigh University's Compelling Perspectives series.

Allentown received $1.5 million in grants from the Lehigh Valley Transportation Study to address transportation safety and carbon emissions in the city.

In January, a majority of faculty approved a no-confidence vote for Lafayette College President Nicole Hurd. This week, the college board of trustees approved an extension to her contract lasting until 2030. She joined Lafayette as its leader in 2021.

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.

The American Association of College Professors has censured Muhlenberg College over its firing last year of Professor Maura Finkelstein, who shared her views on the Israel-Hamas war on social media. On Thursday, the AAUP said more and more institutions nationwide are punishing faculty for their views.

The Allentown-based entrepreneurship program trains Lehigh Valley residents on how to successfully acquire and maintain rental properties.

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.