School News

Just about everything appears to be in order in regard to an agreement between Easton officials and the school district to revamp Vanderveer Park.

The Pennsylvania House passed a bill last week that would overhaul the state’s education funding system, sending millions to Lehigh Valley schools over the next seven years. But it faces an uncertain future in the Senate.

Over the past 14 weeks, about a dozen Lehigh Valley teens participated in the pre-apprenticeship program at the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local Union 375 in Allentown.

The mural, by artist Mercedes Salazar, is a collaboration with Lehigh Valley Arts & Cultural Alliance, Community Action of Development of Allentown, The Chamber Foundation and Allentown Mural Arts.

The grant program would allow schools to recruit students, paraprofessionals and other community members to pursue a career in education. It passed the House with bipartisan support last year but has been stuck in committee in the Senate since then.

Opposing forces came to a head during a discussion about public use of Easton Area School District's Cottingham Stadium, with talks of potential costs, liability, and a connection to the public dominating the conversation.

Bethlehem native Julianna Rodrigues, who has a form of muscular dystrophy, was the keynote speaker at the inaugural Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Collaborative at Moravian University, on Tuesday morning.

The East Penn School Board approved the district's 2024-25 budget with a property tax increase of 4.12% It maintains existing programs and staff positions sought by school administrators.

A Democratic-sponsored proposal to boost public school funding by billions and impose stricter rules on cyber-charter schools is on its way to the Pennsylvania Senate after passage in the state House.

Says Cathy Leibensperger, Saucon Valley High School's wrestling scorekeeper for 44 years: “I look at the other inductees and I see people that have traveled the world, people that coached champions — I’m just a little scorekeeper from a little high school in Hellertown, Pennsylvania.”

Allentown high school students learn all about data analytics during an eight-week summer program with DeSales University in which they earn a stipend and college credits.

Allentown School District is one of 19 districts from across the United States that will participate in the Chronic Absenteeism: Insights and Innovations program.

Allentown School District will partner with Valley Health Partners Community Vision Center during the 2024-25 academic year to offer students comprehensive eye exams. More than 2,300 students failed vision tests last year.

Allentown School District elementary students have spent the summer learning how to play chess while practicing positive affirmations.

Lt. Gov. Austin Davis joined local legislators at the Boys & Girls Club of Allentown on Friday to talk about the BOOST Program that will fund after-school programs across Pennsylvania. State Rep. Mike Schlossberg, D-Lehigh, developed it.

Allentown school directors will hold public interviews in August for candidates interested in filling a board vacancy created by the recent resignation of Daysell Ramirez.

After a school board member submitted their plans to resign, citing "bullying" and "issues with transparency," the Allentown School Board must make it official in a vote at its Thursday meeting.

Whitehall-Coplay School District's board of education seemed pleased with a report of 2023-24 goals on Monday, with the superintendent pleased to report the results play into a series of even longer-term missions.

Whitehall-Coplay School District invited the community into the newly completed Gockley Elementary School on Sunday with an open house.

Gov. Josh Shapiro said he wants all Pennsylvania students have the resources they need to learn and grow, from early childhood through adulthood. That desire will have local impacts too.

While Easton Area School District opted to vote against a proposal to open up Cottingham Stadium so community members can use it for walking, the matter may reappear in the board's future.

Lehigh Carbon Community College might end its intercollegiate athletics program as soon as this year if it can't find an athletic trainer before the 2024-25 academic year begins. That could change, but nothing is official yet.