School News

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.

The Allentown School District said the STREAM Academy at the new science center at Eighth and Hamilton streets will be the first non-charter, non-private, theme-based school in the Lehigh Valley.

Lehigh Carbon Community College is now offering an accelerated program to get nursing students to a higher degree faster. The program is offered through a partnership with an online institution.

Allentown school board is considering whether Raub Middle School would benefit from a $1.2 million grant where several community groups would work with at-risk middle school students over two years, under a proposed plan.

For 50 years, Ray Boris taught Theology at Bethlehem Catholic High School. He showed up shortly after 6 a.m. every day and didn't leave until he graded the last test.

The Lehigh Valley is under a code red alert. Here's what you should know about Thursday's municipal and school district activity cancellations and reopenings.

The Bethlehem Area School District plans to appoint Maureen Leeson as assistant superintendent and chief academic officer, to take the place of Jack Silva, who will be the next superintendent. Esther Lee, president of the Bethlehem NAACP, said the district should have hired a Black candidate.

State House Democrats approved adding $1.7 billion more education spending, including more money to the poorest districts. The final budget will be negotiated with Senate leaders and the governor's office.

Some parents and residents are asking schools to take books off library shelves. Others want a parental consent policy for children to take out some books.

Fewer than 25 percent of NCAA athletic departments are led by women. But in the Lehigh Valley, four of the seven four-year colleges have a woman at the helm. Each had a different path but faced similar challenges in their careers. Said one: “It’s really, really special to see it.”

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.

Northampton Area School Board approved its role in the deal, while Bethlehem Area School Board is up for the same vote in the coming weeks.

A draft version of East Penn School District's budget for the 2025-2026 school year includes a 0.84-mill tax hike. The district has raised property taxes nine times in the past 10 years.

V Spehar became famous for UnderTheDeskNews, explaining complex topics in a conversational, to-the-point fashion. On Thursday night, Spehar gave a Q&A with Lehigh President Joseph J. Helble.

The interim principal will take over for Harrison Bailey III, who has accepted the position of superintendent of the Wilson Area School District. A search is underway for someone to fill the job permanently.