School News

Parkland High School teachers reported suspected misconduct by ex-performing arts administrator Frank Anonia more than a decade before his arrest on charges of secretly recording a student in a dressing room, a former teacher testified. Anonia is due in court for a criminal trial this week.

The Lincoln Leadership Academy Charter School in Allentown held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for its $16.8 million school for fourth-to-eighth graders on Friday morning.

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.

Art students from Liberty and Freedom high schools will be spending their Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons through the end of the school year bringing color to the Moravian Village retirement community.

Afterschool Satan Club is asking a federal court to be let back on campus.

Eight candidates are running for three seats in the Pen Argyl Area School Board. Three other openings on the board are uncontested.

East Penn School Board on Monday discussed adding special needs and support staff to the district in continued budget discussions.

The Bethlehem school was closed for two days after the wall on an exterior stairwell collapsed Monday.

The Bethlehem Area School District formally accepted Superintendent Joe Roy's resignation and hired assistant superintendent and chief academic officer Jack Silva for the role.

William Penn Elementary School closed on Monday following a wall collapse on an exterior stairwell structure, according Bethlehem Area School District officials.

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.

A Children First report looked at Allentown, Pittsburgh, Chester-Upland and Philadelphia school districts.

Allentown schools Superintendent Carol Birks said she plans to form a task force find ways to enroll more young children into early learning programs, with families on waitlists across the Lehigh Valley and statewide.

Saucon Valley schools Superintendent Jaime Vlasaty took the stand for nearly three hours Thursday, defending her decision to revoke permission for an after-school Satan Club to meet on school property.

South Whitehall commissioners granted preliminary/final approval to plans for the new Parkland School District operations center at their meeting Wednesday.