School News

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.

Local high school and college students — including first-generation college student biology major Rachel Apiolaza — received $1,000 scholarships from the Hispanic Center Lehigh Valley and the Latino Leadership Alliance in their first year presenting the awards since a merger.

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.

Bethlehem Area School District's board approved $47.6 million in contracts Monday to build the new Fountain Hill Elementary School — coming in nearly $3 million under budget.

In his latest budget proposal, Governor Josh Shapiro wants to allocate nearly $500 million to chronically underfunded school districts — and that includes several districts in the Lehigh Valley. But lawmakers have concerns around the fairness of the funding distribution.

H.B. 827 was proposed by State Rep. Robert Freeman, D-Northampton. The bill aims to establish a tutoring program in which high school students could receive academic credit for being tutors

Northampton Area School Board is discussing how it will balance its budget this year and in coming years. Solutions include tax increases and the postponement of the Moore Elementary project.

Southern Lehigh Superintendent Michael Mahon remains on administrative leave after the school board president publicly criticized his performance.

Northampton Area Superintendent Joseph Kovalchik will no longer retire at the end of this school year like he planned. The superintendent said it's not the right time for him to leave the district.

Allentown School Director Lisa Conover first joined the board in late 2017 and was re-elected in 2021. She will not run for re-election in the 2025 cycle.

After a maintenance issue closed Harrison-Morton Middle School for repairs in mid-February, students and staff learned virtually for eight days. Last week, they returned to in-person learning at temporary sites throughout Allentown.

The Northampton Area School Board approved Superintendent Joseph Kovalchik's retirement last November. The board, however, will consider rescinding his retirement during its Monday night meeting.

Southern Lehigh Superintendent Michael Mahon remains on administrative leave following public criticism of his performance from the school board president last week.

Partnering with Moravian University, ArtsQuest will hold summer art camps on the south campus of the college.

WASD approved their assistant superintendent job description on Monday evening, just about a month after confirming Amy Austin for the role which entails many of her former responsibilities.