School News

Kids are singing more frequently and playing more instruments in city school classrooms, thanks to beefed-up state funding, according to educators. Cooking, nutrition and financial literacy also are getting more attention.

The debate will be held in Kirby Sports Center on the Easton campus. Additional details, including the format and moderators, will be announced as they are identified, college officials said.

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 U.S. Department of Education has launched investigations into seven schools, including Lafayette College, over alleged incidents of antisemitism and Islamophobia.

The Senate unanimously passed the legislation on Nov. 16 which Gov. Shapiro, a Democrat, signed a day after it passed.

The court settlement resolves a longstanding dispute between the school district and the After School Satan Club.

East Penn School Board voted Monday to realign grades K-8 as the decision making process to expand district facilities continues, planning to put grades 5-6 in one building and 7-8 in another once renovations are complete.

Lehigh University hosted a DEI and global education expert, Amer F. Ahmed, Ph.D., at an International Education Week event on Monday.

Coleman filed the transparency lawsuit in 2021 before becoming a Parkland School Board member, and ultimately, a state senator representing parts of Lehigh and Bucks counties.

School board races were among the most prominent contests Tuesday across the Lehigh Valley.

Allentown School Board approved the contract Thursday. Members of the Allentown Federation of Paraprofessionals, Local 1716, ratified the contract Wednesday in a 56-21 vote, with two abstentions.

Families who pay tuition for schooling are on the receiving end of more than $200,000. The Bridge Educational Foundation is giving scholarships to those who meet the income qualifications at two area schools.

Colonial Intermediate Unit 20 in Forks Township celebrated the grand opening of Colonial Cafe 71, a coffee shop which helps teach employment and life skills.

Easton Area School District officials stated an agreement to improve Vanderveer Park may be up for a vote at their September 24 meeting, in addition to the board considering improvements at Paxinosa to establish a walking path.

Superintendent Jack Silva will work to improve academic achievement and attendance this school year. He also spoke about his goals for the next few years.

Robert Steckel became superintendent of the Whitehall-Coplay School District in 2021. “I’ll have more to say at a later meeting, but I am here to assist the board with the search process and ensure that a smooth transition occurs to whoever the successor is," he said.

In appreciation for the early intervention services he received at Colonial Intermediate Unit 20, Nazareth Area High School junior Brody Muthard, 16, has chosen to build a playground there for autistic children for his Boy Scout Eagle Scout project.

Over the next five years, Muhlenberg Inside-Out will collaborate with Promise Neighborhoods of the Greater Lehigh Valley and Lehigh Valley Technical Institute on re-entry initiatives for people returning home from jail or prison.

Governor Josh Shapiro came to a growing district in the Lehigh Valley — East Penn School District — to celebrate an increase in public school funding through the 2024-25 Pennsylvania state budget.

Sergiy Kyslytsya, Ukraine's ambassador to the United Nations, said bad actors like Russia are abusing their place in the world order. But until a viable alternative exists, responsible citizens must engage in systems like the U.N. to work toward a better future.

On Aug. 23, ASD's solicitor rescinded a cease-and-desist letter sent to the Allentown-based, anti-poverty nonprofit organization more than two years ago.

Bethlehem Area School Board approved 2024-25 academic action plans for seven schools that the state Department of Education has declared are in need of performance improvement and support.