School News

Commonwealth Charter Academy, a large, public, cyber charter school for all school-age children, plans to convert a nearly 47,000-square-foot, one-story building into office space for teachers and staff at 2200 W. Broad St.

Critics of the hiring process argued for a superintendent search instead of a direct appointment. Others said Karen Trinkle had more than proven herself ready to lead, and a search would be lengthy and costly.

Planned to open to students for the 2027-28 school year, the roughly $59 million project will go up on the same land as its predecessor facility, which dated back to the 1930s.

School directors voted 5-2 to approve Ethan Ake-Little’s resignation and settlement agreement. His resignation takes effect Aug. 31.

Southern Lehigh school directors appointed Karen Trinkle as chief of schools. They also approved a settlement agreement with Ethan Ake-Little, the HR director who filed discrimination and retaliation complaints against the former superintendent.

Ethan Ake-Little has been suspended with pay since June while the district investigated allegations about his job performance. Ake-Little previously filed discrimination, retaliation and fraud complaints against the former superintendent.

Additional cleaning and air quality testing remain underway at Sheridan and Ritter elementary schools, Allentown School District said in an update Sunday.

School directors are scheduled to vote Monday on whether to promote Assistant Superintendent Karen Trinkle to chief of schools. The proposed five-year contract comes a month after school directors voted to part ways with the previous superintendent.

Northampton Area School District’s inaugural Summer Career Mentorship Program exposed 50 high schoolers to careers in manufacturing, interior design, healthcare and more.

In an email, Allentown School District said mold spores were found in several elementary school classrooms. Remedial action has been taken, the district said in a release, and the classrooms will be tested ahead of the first day of school.

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.”

The nonprofit Community Action Lehigh Valley has worked for about two years to buy Cleveland Elementary School so it can turn into space for area youth.

Moravian University's loss on the 3rd day of the Division III College World Series capped an incredible 38-12-0 season that saw the Greyhounds make their fourth trip in program history to the NCAA Championship Tournament.

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.

The Lehigh County Conservation District and Dieruff High School are partnering to transform a vacant courtyard at the school into an urban garden.

Lance Wheeler, an Easton community activist and former Easton City Council candidate, has been charged with harassing three students while driving a Wilson Area School District van in 2022.

The 21st Century program is to help students with academic support and art and music enrichment.

The $3.75 million package deal includes one of the largest tracts of undeveloped land in South Side Bethlehem

The middle schoolers took the photos at a three-week class at the Easton Area Community Center.

Allentown saw almost 500 crashes where a pedestrian was hurt in the past five years, eight of which killed people. Federal funding is contributing $312,000 for a study to improve road safety.

The program started with 60 students in 2019, but the numbers have fallen off in the wake of the pandemic.