School News

Some Lehigh Valley school districts are seeing an increase in chronic absenteeism and truancy following the COVID-19 pandemic. And what was already an issue before COVID appears to have reached a level of urgency in some schools.

The Allentown School District made school uniforms optional this year for the first time since 2013.

Schools in the Lehigh Valley are about to start. Here's a roundup of the 17 school district's important dates and things to note.

Bethlehem Area School District teachers hit the streets on the city's South Side to help students feel comfortable transitioning to a new school experience.

A federal court judge is allowing the assistant principal who filed the civil rights lawsuit to amend his complaint. It stemmed from an altercation at a high school football game last fall.

Last year, Bethlehem Area and Allentown school districts were waitlisted to get rebate funding through the Clean School Bus program. Another round of applications for this fiscal year is open until later this month.

The Parkland School District now has two final options for how it will address projected overcrowding in its schools. A decision could come within the next two months.

The school was designated with a state Targeted Support and Improvement designation due to lagging performance by its cohort of economically disadvantaged students. Officials laid out plans to improve the issues present.

The new makerspace at Slatington Elementary School will help students learn STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art and math) skills. It will primarily be used by an after school program called Schools & Homes In Education, or SHINE.

The Whitehall-Coplay School Board approved a slew of new personnel, including full-time teachers and substitutes, along with day-to-day subs, at Monday's meeting.

The dance troupe entertained middle school and college students at a free performance on Thursday, April 13.

Muhlenberg College announced its second academic partnership with Villanova University today. This partnership will allow Muhlenberg prehealth students to earn a second bachelors in nursing at Villanova’s M. Louise Fitzpatrick College of Nursing in an accelerated time frame.

It would potentially take one of the pills used in a medication abortion off the market

The developer of Allen Flats hopes the building's first residents can move in by the end of 2023.

The Allentown School District has placed William Allen High School Principal Cheryl Clark on administrative leave after months of complaints from staff, students and parents about her leadership style.

Joseph Roy, the superintendent of the Bethlehem Area School District, is being sued in federal court by Liberty High School Assistant Principal Antonio Traca. Roy says he has never struck a district employee. Read the complaint here.

Hamid will discuss his 2017 book, 'Exit West' and share his thoughts on migration and immigration at 7 p.m. Tuesday, April 11.

Emmaus field hockey Coach Sue Butz-Stavin has more than 1,000 wins and over a dozen state titles in her 47-year career. 'You have to play until the clock runs out,' she says as she looks forward to season No. 48.

Take a look at stories throughout the week of which we are most proud, had a profound impact on readers or that you might want to look at again.

School district officials aren't publicly saying who is the current principal at William Allen High School. District spokeswoman Melissa Reese said Thursday it was a personnel matter and the district was unable to comment.

A spate of threats and false reports of shooters have been pouring into schools and colleges across the country for months. Schools in Pennsylvania were the latest targeted by so-called swatting.

BASD is scheduled to approve a purchase of the system on April 24. Other area students, as well as the ones at Freedom High School, could also experience the immersive learning.