School News

LehighValleyNews.com and PBS39 will host a community conversation on the future of Allentown School District tonight, bringing together stakeholders to address issues facing educators, students and public education.

Dieruff and Allen high schools and Trexler Middle School were locked down Monday after multiple unsubstantiated threats of mass violence were made to the district. Additional threats were made to Lehigh Career & Technical Institute, which also closed for the remainder of the day.

Muhlenberg College senior Alex Wagner praised Lehigh Valley political candidates who were present and engaged with college students well before the midterms approached. He said it helped push young voters to the polls, and made a difference in several key races.

Rangina Hamidi, Afghanistan's former Minister of Education, will give this year's Wallenberg Tribute Lecture

LCTI students were either evacuated from the building or sent back to home schools if en route

The protesters spoke on the need for transparency and worry about corruption in the Allentown School District in the wake of John Stanford's removal.

The 77-year-old motorist received two citations and will not face serious criminal charges in the death of teacher's aide Angela Yowakim, the Lehigh County District Attorney's Office said.

Community members supportive of ASD Superintendent John Stanford protested his firing by the Allentown school board Wednesday morning at the Lehigh County Courthouse. Stanford's last day on the job is Friday.

Allentown school board approved a separation agreement with Superintendent John D. Stanford at Thursday's school board meeting. The terms and reason for the dismissal have not been disclosed.

The Lehigh Valley Academy Regional Charter School is well on its way to moving in to its new location on Avenue C in Bethlehem by next school year.

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.

Governor Josh Shapiro stopped by Farmersville Elementary in Bethlehem Twp. Monday to rally support for a program offering stipends to student teachers.

A Lehigh Valley student has taken the top spot for a Pennsylvania poetry competition. In May, Isavel Mendoza will move on to the national finals in Washington, D.C., to represent Pennsylvania.

In June, alumni of PBS39's long-running "Scholastic Scrimmage" high school quiz show will come together for networking and a screening of a documentary to celebrate the 50th anniversary.

At the Allentown Art Museum on Saturday, Dr. James Nangeroni was gifted a painting he entered into a Crayola children's arts contest when he was a third-grade student at Dodd Elementary in 1992.

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.