School News

The Allentown School District Foundation awarded 77 scholarships to students graduating from Allentown high schools this year, totaling more than $65,000.

The awards recognize the students' academic records, leadership skills and commitment to community.

Starting this summer, the Bethlehem Police Department will use stop-arm cameras to capture and enforce illegal school bus passing in its jurisdiction.

Gracedale, the Northampton County nursing home, will convert the first floor of its vacant Southeast Wing into a day care center that will offer free services to employees of the facility and the county’s emergency operations and forensic centers.

Dieruff High School junior Faith Gross competed against other aspiring actors at talent auditions in Orlando. Gross said she got three callbacks, including from a music producer.

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

Gov. Josh Shapiro made a deal with Senate Republicans to include vouchers in the budget, angering Democrats and unions. He reversed that course of action after facing backlash and has promised to veto them.

The Bethlehem Area School Board kept secret the findings of an independent investigation paid with taxpayer funds. The probe focused on an incident involving the superintendent and a Liberty High School assistant principal at a football game. The assistant principal filed a civil rights lawsuit against Roy and the district.

The Supreme Court struck down 45 years of precedent when it barred affirmative action in college admissions on June 29. Officials at Lafayette College, Lehigh University and Muhlenberg College said they hope their holistic approaches will help them attract and retain diverse student bodies.

An effort to subject Pennsylvania’s cyber charter schools to stronger ethics standards and curb the amount of money school districts must pay them passed the state House of Representatives.

Lehigh Valley Health Network and the Easton Area Community Center’s St. Anthony’s Youth Center received state grants to support violence prevention and out-of-school programs. The $1.1 million in funding will enhance community efforts to reduce violence and grow youth development initiatives.

Shapiro highlighted his administration's historic investments in K-12 public education in the last two years before his budget address in the first week of February.

Francis Anonia, a former Parkland High School performing arts teacher, was arraigned in Lehigh County Court on Friday morning on charges he used his cell phone multiple times to secretly record a male student in a school changing room in 2022. If found guilty of all 19 charges, he could face up to 88 years in prison.

Robert “Bob” Smith Jr., 63, and Robert “Nick” Nicholoff, 29, will both seek spots on the Allentown School Board this election cycle. Both have board experience.

At the request of the Northampton Area School Board, the district administration provided options for where the district could save money as budget discussions for the 2025-26 fiscal year got underway.

School directors had to choose from seven options for updating Moore Elementary, ranging in cost from $15.5 million to $70 million.

There's an ongoing investigation into a sixth-grade assignment that asked students prompts about slavery, according to the school district superintendent.

Custodial and maintenance workers in Allentown School District voted Thursday to join Teamsters Local Union #773. They hope the Teamsters can help them negotiate a better contract.

Custodial and maintenance workers think the Teamsters could help them get a stronger contract when their current one expires in June. Allentown School District is recommending workers vote for no union representation.

Phoebe Harris, 59, first was elected to Allentown School Board in 2017. She has advocated for students and sometimes found herself at the center of controversy.

In the last year and a half, Allentown School District spent more than $1.4 million on new instruments and hired 34 educators to teach the related arts, which include band, choir and orchestra, among others.

Allentown School District's director of child nutrition services has added more culturally diverse options to school lunch menus. Students have noticed the changes, and they're happy about it.