School News

A new program hitting Pennsylvania high schools is just one of many ways the state is responding to a teacher shortage that’s created cascading staffing challenges across the Commonwealth.

Central Bucks South High School librarian Matt Pecic said a principal told him to take down four posters with a quote from Holocaust survivor and author Elie Wiesel.

The changes were previously criticized by one board member as 'hippy-dippy, woke stuff.' On Thursday night, they passed unanimously.

Superintendent Joe Roy says no violation of law or regulation was found. But the Pennsylvania Auditor General's Office said the district had other options at its disposal rather than relying on taxpayers.

Easton has been struggling with a shortage of school bus drivers for at least the past few years. Students were getting to school late or getting home late, so the district purchased software last year to design bus routes instead of doing them by hand to find efficiencies.

District Business Administrator Robert Saul presented a draft preliminary 2023-24 budget that shows a $7 million increase in projected expenditures, primarily driven by wage, benefits and service cost increases.

Under the proposal, history would be taught in themes instead of chronologically. ASD Board Director Phoebe Harris called it "woke" and opposes the change.

Director Patrick Foose has recently clashed with other board directors and has been the lone dissenting vote on several issues related to transparency on the board.

Lehigh president Joseph J. Helble said "racist language" was used, but the assault was not racially motivated.

Some Lehigh Valley school districts are reviewing their safety protocols for responding to injuries at area football games after Damar Hamlin's recent collapse brought renewed attention to the dangers of the sport.

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.

Parents and teens say bathroom access at Building 21 is unpredictable as many of the facilities are closed all day at times.

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 Saucon Valley School District refused to host Satan Club programming. It was a reversal from an initial decision to allow it. Now it's the subject of a legal fight.

Former educator Mike Millo is running for the Parkland School Board again after withdrawing from the race in 2020. He said his legislative priorities are listening to resident concerns, fiscal responsibility and transparency.

Rep. Peter Schweyer, chair of the House Education Committee, said a short timetable will likely limit how much lawmakers can change basic education funding in Gov. Josh Shapiro's first budget.

Authorities say several schools were targeted, including Allen High School in Allentown and Catasauqua High School. Police and parents rushed to the schools.

Leaders of the Lehigh Valley's two largest school districts say Gov. Josh Shapiro's education budget doesn't go far enough.

Students, parents and area residents responded to a pledge by some Republican candidates to out transgender students and censor "woke" curriculum in the Southern Lehigh School District.

The East Penn school board heard proposals as part of the budget process to hire 7 reading interventionists for elementary school students in the 2023-24 school year while also seeing presentations for policy amendments and a presentation on middle school grading procedures.

The board's preliminary budget for 2023-24 includes a nearly $7 million funding gap, plus $1.7M in staff positions covered by one-time grants.