School News

Students, parents and area residents responded to a pledge by some Republican candidates to out transgender students and censor "woke" curriculum in the Southern Lehigh School District.

The East Penn school board heard proposals as part of the budget process to hire 7 reading interventionists for elementary school students in the 2023-24 school year while also seeing presentations for policy amendments and a presentation on middle school grading procedures.

The board's preliminary budget for 2023-24 includes a nearly $7 million funding gap, plus $1.7M in staff positions covered by one-time grants.

Just days after Superintendent Joseph Roy announced he will retire in July, the Bethlehem Area School District announced Assistant Superintendent Jack Silva will be considered for the top job. A school board vote is set for April 24, according to a district statement.

Warmkessel's legislative priorities include transparency in the board, not raising taxes and "lowering standards" for academics in the district. She says school staff are now "more concerned with kids' pronouns and their feelings" than curriculum.

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

The students of Lehigh Valley Charter High School for the Arts in Bethlehem are planning a mental health awareness social media campaign.

The move comes after secret investigation wrapped up last month without findings released

Commuters and students can complete classwork or attend virtual classes at DeSales Allentown, which will also be open to residents, businesses and alumni.

Parkland School District may add five full-time and 12 part-time positions next year. A final decision will be made as a part of budget discussions, which will happen in the coming months.

Stephen DeWeerth, professor and dean of the P.C. Rossin College of Engineering and Applied Science, called the endowment “a testament to the commitment of our alumni community in advancing Lehigh's mission of inspiring future makers."

Staff members also said a teachers' union representative told them they could lose their jobs if they spoke to reporters about the building challenges.

A proposed 25,800-square-foot childcare center in Salisbury Township would be named in memory of Monsignor John P. Murphy, long-time cleric in Allentown who died in 2023 at age 86.

Students have been learning online since last Wednesday. Teachers are reporting to other schools throughout the district to lead their online classrooms.

Bethlehem Area, Northampton Area and Saucon Valley will all continue sending their students to the vocational-technical school. This agreement comes after months of tense debate about the school's future.

The Whitehall-Coplay School Board on Monday accepted a letter of retirement from Director of Athletics Bob Hartman. Hartman has served in that role for 23 years. His retirement is effective in August.

The donations will go toward family engagement, peer mentoring and elementary athletics programs as a long-term strategy for preventing crime and drug use.

The Allentown School Board approved the purchase of land for a new K-8 school Thursday. School directors faced critiques of the land's price tag and the construction management firm it chose for the school project.

Superintendent Carol Birks said compliance with federal guidelines will focus on the language ASD uses rather than a complete overhaul of its programs.

Cedar Crest College will use a $608,000 grant from the U.S. Justice Department for creation of an Expert Witness Training Center and Crime Scene Lab.

If the policy is approved, Bethlehem Area would become the fifth district in the region to put a generative AI policy on the books.

Also citing presidential executive orders, NASD could up going over its coursework with a fine-tooth comb.