[{"_1":2,"_112":-5,"_113":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6528034,"mediaKeyId","3460656-6dcf78a57a50ca1a901f302554770d35","parentId",3460656,"title","Allentown selected for Verizon Innovative Learning Schools cohort; devices, training to be distributed","audioSeconds",167,"startMs",10626000,"endMs",10793000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3460656-6dcf78a57a50ca1a901f302554770d35&start=10626&end=10793","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3460656-6dcf78a57a50ca1a901f302554770d35/thumbnail_10626000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6528034/Pennsylvania/Allentown-selected-for-Verizon-Innovative-Learning-Schools-cohort-devices-training-to-be-distributed","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6528034-0f3d4b921ac469b1d206a48c8f8b238d/orig.mp4?Expires=1775131542&Signature=Htzb98c6U7BiXPWnmGSKBhL3sRk9RoTDnweAy19UT5k9Kz6aEWlqw3GLTvSaawD9kWlEe6uvF5q~LVUZuwJhlHShk00~1I0FIvyE1fuAR4iI76fFJkb0RtOT-pdDNsaBGW82ydXR61SbL57dMapihTY63TZzVi65lS4l5178P2T5vlsX88GbIS55xZSa5FbtOb8yvBL5qVnMAW79zJI78D67e-EBGwtXyloFuITMotce7YJrGCmH6lqjVfQGXPJYVpjS4wsosM6gKu2ypU0St-7Whi4TXLWFhEWeEIi9~JPvOoiHs~HxEIJ7DZnBxCPMmXTfiLvOh~gB8rNYinBiEg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Allentown School District","date","2025-05-21T13:27:43Z","article","Allentown School District officials announced on May 22 that five district schools have been accepted into Digital Promise’s Verizon Innovative Learning Schools program and will receive devices, professional learning and technical supports as part of a four‑year commitment.

The district will hold a public kickoff on June 5 at Cedar Crest College’s Alumnae Hall to launch the program for cohort 12. Each participating student will receive an iPad and keyboard along with 24/7 connectivity options identified by the program; staff who work with students at those sites will also receive devices. The initiative will fund instructional‑technology positions, provide software to support MTSS programming, and supply teacher professional learning and local technology teams.

The superintendent said the pilot covers four middle schools and the district’s new Bridgeview Academy for Health Science, Innovation and Technology. The district described the program as aligned with its strategic plan and said the Digital Promise–Verizon partnership will also support student technology teams at participating schools.

The district encouraged staff and families to attend the June 5 kickoff and said it will circulate details and invitations.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","ASD Committee of the Whole / Regular Board Meeting 05/22/2025","oneSentenceSummary","The district will be part of Digital Promise’s Verizon Innovative Learning Schools cohort; five schools will receive iPads for students and staff, technical support and professional learning starting with a June 5 kickoff at Cedar Crest College.","taxTitle","Allentown City SD, School Districts, Pennsylvania","taxId",12919,"location","Pennsylvania","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6528039,"Board seeks data on Valley Youth House partnership after past case concerns",759,8515000,9274000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3460656-6dcf78a57a50ca1a901f302554770d35&start=8515&end=9274","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3460656-6dcf78a57a50ca1a901f302554770d35/thumbnail_8515000.jpg","/articles/6528039/Pennsylvania/Board-seeks-data-on-Valley-Youth-House-partnership-after-past-case-concerns","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6528039-fd947ff21708570de642ac7f4c3650ee/orig.mp4?Expires=1775131542&Signature=MQzxKgwcQlvLgyqwIqvhlmNUEA9FhAnbUheNfCCA8McOB~RMnUCRxyiYkrfl3pJyQUPc2mEtAgfOv6wZ37YCUvVTzPGqwXBbIGf2CLxEm2u~SeG-38KdiOJgWXKkaIIWiS-PZ4LFmEEqT0gLUxRWZ3WYIEAx3xaAm7mb3ayDNcvHo2ymmGkoDlAFzW8blxpUljClo19sm078TRyXtR8mBCUIJgz3PufndVcgyAVvlbPo2tNyGvkujMGyj4Bt1J86TB35y6EkptrkDqxVjzoEn60o-jzbate~TqiWFegKQpr3S9W1-~r0YBM3nWMiHkaZCXCbRmTqc6EwQxiXS-iJZQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Several board members raised concerns about the district’s ongoing partnership with Valley Youth House during the education committee meeting on May 22, citing a previously reported student safety incident and asking for contract deliverables and performance data.

A board member asked when Valley Youth House’s contract is up and whether the memorandum of understanding or contract requires data reporting and incident logs. “I don’t want us to be bullied again like we were last year,” the member said, referring to public pressure and a high‑profile dispute the board discussed in a prior year.

The superintendent and program leads said the district has revised how it manages community partners and is increasingly asking partners to demonstrate alignment with the district strategic plan in requests for proposals. Doctor Birx said the district has been moving to build internal capacity for student mental‑health services and recently hired 16 social workers to reduce reliance on outside providers; she also confirmed that partner reporting requirements will be checked against the MOU.

“Once we receive that report, we will share it with the school board of directors,” Doctor Birx said when asked whether aggregate reporting would be provided to the board. Board members requested documentation of the partnership’s deliverables, incident reporting, and how principals or school staff are involved in evaluating partner performance.

Several members urged separating past personnel matters from current contract decisions while still seeking accountability. The administration said it meets with partners regularly and will check the existing MOU for reporting requirements and provide the board with the requested aggregate data.","Board members asked the administration for contract deliverables and incident reporting from Valley Youth House, citing a previously reported student safety incident; administration said it will request and share aggregate performance data.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6528043,"Allentown board committee moves 2025‑26 budget forward, approves insurance broker and SRO MOU to next meeting",1992,5400000,7392000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3460656-6dcf78a57a50ca1a901f302554770d35&start=5400&end=7392","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3460656-6dcf78a57a50ca1a901f302554770d35/thumbnail_5400000.jpg","/articles/6528043/Pennsylvania/Allentown-board-committee-moves-202526-budget-forward-approves-insurance-broker-and-SRO-MOU-to-next-meeting","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6528043-69dacb9a3ef9a433c7bea9269d8c915c/orig.mp4?Expires=1775131542&Signature=NNQJaeYnb9Chi4xnisMdKgQdvGW8dN2cVKcwUId2SLZ83vyICq5dDLAJj0sYKsKCZZIPWPErfL8fjaNgf9lOZNe8Bp3axQy8nnVWrJq8wvpLTppEHDsaq-AYfHXXIFE4HJltjn0M6~U1oWEB1HEhQB-hIAJYO5DUg6A3ELISFpz-0ZJpd3eFhzPrtDP1dYsetVHxM~bsRTAYJtTivumclL67SKiLSj5mV6PYkvo0jZznj5ZfWVEuRn9NL61vvK8DRdKIKbr~L6ocTE~4ZbY9i1cDyTMqb1awRdh84Ng9ohg4DBk8QFyuzFqM9Wqr3EQj27SmBQkzi5iqTwsSJ0oLkw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Allentown School District finance committee on May 22 advanced three action items to the regular board meeting: the proposed 2025‑26 fiscal year budget, a contract to retain insurance broker Arthur J. Gallagher, and a memorandum of understanding with the Allentown Police Department for school resource officers.

During an informational portion of the meeting, district staff reviewed a PFM budget projection and outlined key assumptions. On the revenue side, presenters said the projection assumes no increase in real‑estate tax rates. The presentation included multi‑year staffing and turnover slides drawn from the Skyward personnel system.

Committee members made motions to move each action item forward; each motion received a second and carried by voice vote. The committee held an executive session before the public meeting to discuss confidential personnel and investigatory matters, real‑estate and land acquisitions, and bargaining‑unit contract schedules, the chair said.

The retention of Arthur J. Gallagher and the SRO memorandum were presented as standard action items. Doctor Whartonby presented the SRO agreement and committee members moved it forward; the chair recorded that “motion carries and it will move forward.” There was no public card comment on agenda items during the finance segment.

All items will appear on the board’s next regular meeting for final votes and any roll-call tallies.","At its finance committee meeting, the board moved the proposed 2025‑26 budget forward to the full board for approval, approved retaining Arthur J. Gallagher as broker, and advanced a memorandum of understanding with the Allentown Police Department on school resource officers.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6528048,"Allentown board presses HR on turnover data, FMLA reporting",2308,2720000,5028000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3460656-6dcf78a57a50ca1a901f302554770d35&start=2720&end=5028","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3460656-6dcf78a57a50ca1a901f302554770d35/thumbnail_2720000.jpg","/articles/6528048/Pennsylvania/Allentown-board-presses-HR-on-turnover-data-FMLA-reporting","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6528048-a47437bf3e36e8c72049019e515f0482/orig.mp4?Expires=1775131542&Signature=gyHO0ws1wkDogP3gT9JQ3DnbbSdmhTLW7ikf0pFBseYDBZzgzVW9KCoLyFBpWk~tNmFJ285zwosesba3spdBkNJq3CGXO0kFEHP4x04oSk-CSVzNICUUMnmU4TAUm9bYB0nn~wfbMzFItSNvJg-JioFsjeplyuW1wI9I5U7mFNsCqZvTedzryEjGJoY94DsC35CArrY7y-mn5Y3Hc-8iyjrnG6wA250O4aqf-GoKdk7Om3E3tLdAmMFexqFrR7qfZzlxLe1SeR3yQEUSfBl~YH2wnCewzxR3aiublkonIsci3l9fwDCnkY42s5YYchU9n6uvpkbWCZ4fHOI-oDL37A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Board members of the Allentown School District pressed human-resources officials Thursday over whether the district’s turnover data and Family and Medical Leave Act filings capture employees whose leave stems from workplace conditions.

The discussion followed a personnel report by district talent staff showing a post-pandemic spike in separations and a gradual reduction in turnover back toward pre-pandemic levels. The presentation said total district employment rose from 2,576 in 2019 to 2,690 in the current year and that national data from the National Center for Education Statistics show staffing strains remain for paraprofessionals and mental‑health professionals.

“Is the information being captured?” Board President Miss Brown asked during a sustained question-and-answer exchange. “I want to know if the situations that have happened within the district relating to certain employees that have had work related issues is included within the data that is presented in front of us.”

Mister Noble, who the superintendent introduced as the staff member supervising employee benefits and the district’s FMLA process, told the board that federal FMLA eligibility is limited to statutorily enumerated categories — such as an employee’s own serious health condition or family caregiving — and that “work‑related conditions are not in and of itself a category that’s enumerated under federal law.” He said employers typically record the FMLA category (medical, family, military, bonding) rather than labeling a case “work‑related” and that the district captures leave dates and termination/ separation dates through its Skyward employee information system.

Board members asked whether cases that they understand to be triggered or worsened by workplace stress are nevertheless counted in the slides presented as “medical” separations. “I just want to know if that information is included in the numbers because the numbers do not seem accurate,” Miss Brown said.

Noble and talent-management staff member Mister Singh said the district can only report what employees and their medical documentation provide and that privacy laws limit public disclosure of identifiable health information. The administration agreed to provide the board a written breakdown explaining how FMLA cases are coded in Skyward and whether those entries would appear in the categories shown on the turnover slides.

Board members and administration also discussed retention efforts the district is pursuing, including internal pipeline programs, professional learning, Spanish classes for staff, leadership development, and the district’s recent decision to hire additional social‑work staff. The superintendent and talent staff said those efforts aim to reduce separations and to offer supports that could prevent some employees’ issues from rising to the level of long FMLA leaves.

The board requested a follow‑up email with the FMLA‑coding explanation and the underlying data counts; the administration said it will provide that information to board members.","School board members pressed district HR officials for clearer data on staff turnover and whether Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) records capture work-related causes; administration agreed to provide more detail.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Allentown selected for Verizon Innovative Learning Schools cohort; devices, training to be distributed

Board seeks data on Valley Youth House partnership after past case concerns

Allentown board committee moves 2025‑26 budget forward, approves insurance broker and SRO MOU to next meeting

Allentown board presses HR on turnover data, FMLA reporting