School News

Not long after being moved from Harrison-Morton, Allentown middle-schoolers situated at St. Francis School will be split and sent off to other buildings due to a mechanical issue.

The Parkland School District's board approved a comprehensive plan Tuesday, laying out the district's priorities for the next three years.

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.

Students at Dieruff High School were placed on a brief lockdown Tuesday morning after a teen was taken into custody by law enforcement, authorities said.

Northampton Area Board of Education said it would have been on the hook for about $9.5 million if construction contracts were cancelled for a new elementary school.

Bethlehem Area School District's board of education heard a presentation on a proposed charter school, the Bethlehem STEAM Academy, on Monday evening, with the new learning institution focusing on "integrated learning."

Pa.'s governor wants more students to take advantage of the universal free breakfast program in schools across the state. He is challenging administrators to promote the program and increase participation.

The school district denied the application earlier this year. STEAM charters are also applying for charters in Bethlehem and Whitehall.

A bill that would give Pennsylvania school districts greater flexibility to have shorter school weeks or longer days is headed to the governor's desk.

Capt. Jonathan Taylor's sword is on display at Nitschmann Middle School. He died in early 1863 after being wounded 105 days earlier at the Battle of Fredericksburg.

The newest iteration of the East Penn School Board had its first regular meeting, and established an agreement with Emmaus to hire elementary school crossing guards.

You are the Light is a recognition program in the Allentown School District that celebrates staff and students. The district randomly selects honorees each month to be featured on LehighValleyNews.com.

Former board members Nancy Wilt, Patrick Palmer and Evelyn Santana did not seek re-election.

A 54-year-old time capsule was removed from a cornerstone at Mosser Elementary School in Allentown on Thursday. A few alumni from the 1969 sixth grade class were in attendance.

Northampton Community College, Lehigh Carbon Community College and 13 other institutions have yet to receive operating funds authorized in the fiscal-year budget lawmakers approved over the summer.