[{"_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",6426571,"mediaKeyId","5900532-4d1ff8cced5590f522a82a9bc8f8e6f1","parentId",5900532,"title","Bethlehem Area SD reports early compliance as electronic device policy rolls out","audioSeconds",1654,"startMs",1493000,"endMs",3147000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5900532-4d1ff8cced5590f522a82a9bc8f8e6f1&start=1493&end=3147","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5900532-4d1ff8cced5590f522a82a9bc8f8e6f1/thumbnail_1493000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6426571/Pennsylvania/Bethlehem-Area-SD-reports-early-compliance-as-electronic-device-policy-rolls-out","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6426571-2f25615cd01bcaa4c31cccd7a290d96f/orig.mp4?Expires=1770844350&Signature=Se~CW-xWDIWdUPHL~kYHULLeB7JoqZtyxoJUVhbeYRgSb6D8bqtEZwX4EeSyLbO-aMjeUZBolcl~SIA6QZvGQoAr9w4aDnSJXDCs~2VBTsk3gL4PvHjAJhf3JpmmONh~Ww-nSRXq0JisEZPrjgUfi1O6z0rikqNYv6P5fST~spOxhyftR8rngOGXybcHhD3R2RsTSLCMDFjC9YuNNu8OUQhuHHciRoQ6MGy-n35t7Gn7DbcBIEYo03yFbDkEmiioPFdCp6Go7ZfMxCCTmscF6qra~E3qBaP7P789IKvDrKaKQffxU7UV39eYTjW61zTMMwXAsvOvx5JepA9f-hjSlQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Bethlehem Area School District","date","2025-10-07T00:04:11Z","article","The Bethlehem Area School District on Oct. 6 told the board its districtwide rollout of a new electronic device policy has produced low observed in-class device use and generally positive early feedback from students and staff.

Assistant Superintendent and Chief Academic Officer Dr. Leeson introduced the update and asked technology supervisor James (presented in the meeting as “mister James”) and building principals to report on implementation. James said the district had completed 2,189 “learning walks” as of the morning of Oct. 1 and used those visits to record whether electronic devices were visible during instruction. He said the district observed devices during instruction 5.5% of the time at the secondary level and 2.3% at the elementary level, for a combined 4.3% rate.

“The learning walks are not evaluative. It's really for us to kind of gain perspective,” James said during the presentation.

Liberty High School Principal Horlick told the board that although some high school students initially resisted the change, communication over the summer and school-level messaging produced “pretty favorable” compliance in September. He said district and school surveys showed roughly 808 students responded (about one-third of the school’s students), and those respondents reported effects such as “over 35%” saying they felt somewhat or much more focused in class, just over 30% reporting somewhat or greatly increased participation, and roughly 28–29% reporting somewhat or greatly improved academic performance or relationships with teachers and classmates.

Dr. Quinones, principal of Northeast Middle School, said the rollout there “was the key” and emphasized that the policy is “not a cell phone policy. It's a focused learning policy.” He told the board most middle-school incidents are hallway or cafeteria reminders rather than in-class incidents; he provided counts for his building that showed most repeat offenses were rare (for example, only one student in his eighth grade had three offenses reported).

Freemansburg Elementary Principal Mrs. Woodson said elementary families largely supported the policy during open houses and that schools have seen only occasional devices in book bags that staff quickly remedied.

Board members asked several operational questions: whether the student and teacher surveys were random (the recorder asked whether the survey was random and the board was told the student participation number), how staff would handle students using district-issued Chromebooks to message classmates during instruction, and how the district handles students who bring personal laptops. Presenters said district-issued Chromebooks are managed with GoGuardian classroom-monitoring tools; teachers can redirect or restrict devices and district staff can place devices in a “penalty box” limiting access to noninstructional sites. Staff said students generally do not connect a personal laptop to the district network, and personal devices are not permitted except for rare, approved educational reasons.

Dr. Silva (district leadership present during the discussion) told the board he had received zero complaints from parents about the device policy so far. The district also reported September discipline referrals were down by about half compared with prior reporting, a point the middle-school principals associated, in part, with fewer phone-driven incidents.

Presenters and board members acknowledged the implementation is early and cautioned “honeymoon” effects may fade and some students will push boundaries. Administrators repeatedly emphasized consistency in enforcement across staff and schools as the primary support for sustained compliance.

The district said it will continue to monitor device presence via learning walks, follow up on cafeteria and hallway compliance, and provide additional parent workshops on social media and mental health in coordination with school staff.

For reference, the board discussion on the electronic device policy appeared as information item 3.01 on the Oct. 6 curriculum meeting and included presentations from assistant superintendent and chief academic officer Dr. Leeson; James, supervisor of professional learning and technology integration; and principals Horlick, Dr. Quinones and Mrs. Woodson.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","BASD School Board Special Meeting and Facilities and Curriculum Committee Meetings - October 6, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","District administrators told the school board that early implementation of a new electronic device policy has produced low in-class device presence and positive survey results; principals reported most violations are in hallways and cafeterias rather than during instruction.","taxTitle","Bethlehem Area SD, School Districts, Pennsylvania","taxId",12921,"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},6426547,"Facilities committee previews energy contract timing and upcoming fleet purchases",496,5771000,6267000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5900532-4d1ff8cced5590f522a82a9bc8f8e6f1&start=5771&end=6267","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5900532-4d1ff8cced5590f522a82a9bc8f8e6f1/thumbnail_5771000.jpg","/articles/6426547/Pennsylvania/Facilities-committee-previews-energy-contract-timing-and-upcoming-fleet-purchases","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6426547-074c6abeff5fac5afce19b27b0063122/orig.mp4?Expires=1770844351&Signature=GBWE529VQ4dEp6ZR6FVhWP4EaB1kUuOuVGnnK6SqvgWnrcMMYVaHBcR~NUb8DskEqJCI6vSjwK~1WrbTVpsxRE6qlYsbNWdUwB27xpqes17KbF9rokYgtAmQuYKVflZNnGQRO~Yrz8I~4vIML4en4FgFicmsHDbE7i2DxQh6Hw~U58Iv-puWOOGfkDEplndy1~ut0Pxvnmmj03TAsuTOrMls~rg9pLLbTJp560M3dkHt-l6-SlLYYLCEErmHr7A7NKNaHwyhaDR72F1K4CX87eNOOqD415M9whAsu8k6YG2q2a1EmqlX9udtiycB7lH1~fTT2MYrYSHLm5XV4yibFA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Facilities staff reported on Oct. 6 that the district’s natural gas supply contract will expire soon and that staff are watching market conditions to determine whether to lock a 12‑ or 24‑month extension.

The facilities committee received the update and discussed three agenda items that will appear on the Oct. 20 regular board meeting: a service agreement for uninterruptible power supply (UPS) maintenance to support the district data center and bids for maintenance fleet vehicles, including a pickup with utility body and a dump truck for snowplowing operations. Staff noted one incumbent vendor provided a considerably lower price in the UPS bids but identified the incumbent as an existing provider and said they were satisfied with current service.

The committee also reviewed purchases of smaller campus utility vehicles (described as golf‑cart style utility vehicles) for Freedom High School and East Hills Middle School and discussed fleet-aging issues. One committee member asked about the oldest vehicle in the fleet; staff said they would provide that information.

Facilities staff said the district handles natural gas buying independently (not through a joint purchasing consortium) and will decide on an extension in the coming weeks as the market settles into fall prices. The committee had no objections to placing the UPS and vehicle items on the Oct. 20 agenda for board consideration.","Facilities staff told the committee the district’s natural gas supply contract is approaching renewal and that the Oct. 20 regular meeting will include bids for uninterruptible power supply service and several maintenance and utility vehicle purchases.",{"_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},6426554,"Board approves separation agreement, motion carries 8‑0",43,1385000,1428000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5900532-4d1ff8cced5590f522a82a9bc8f8e6f1&start=1385&end=1428","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5900532-4d1ff8cced5590f522a82a9bc8f8e6f1/thumbnail_1385000.jpg","/articles/6426554/Pennsylvania/Board-approves-separation-agreement-motion-carries-80","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6426554-224e4fd20f30c4f43e6389e8c56852be/orig.mp4?Expires=1770844351&Signature=ZntvwGnYoek-5Bus2A9Qqjmj2OaljZNUw8z-dU1uo-EgPbkTHAcwKLwSzxDyChpFxy91Sc3W64pQ6DPWC12MOUw3MaT3IeJHbmRDTb0xmlUa8G1YtOEhWBuqj0~O2cKxcdm9h1t284aXoL02NOgBXbESVDL0ep7gEfTbb~0PzTszt0KXIfbj1lJ1f2DnlTFkoNCTTjMA7MJoUeocOTw3Wnv7tJO7gtGfLyp9~eAcTA5oPEuHnOxby4srWK1Bgz66oEHZU~iQUffdUU-iwHsAizU5L8A5RNeul8F3XylyWQjJe4F8RKjBaT2GaF5ELTzgFOeXu86b5hhDVB1RwOycIw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Bethlehem Area School District Board voted unanimously on Oct. 6 to approve agenda item 8.01, a separation agreement.

Board leadership moved to the action during the meeting. After a call for a motion to approve item 8.01, a motion was made by Doctor White and seconded by Doctor Shively (as recorded in the meeting transcript). The board secretary performed a roll call and the following votes were recorded as “Yes”: Doctor Beck Pooley; Doctor White; Mrs. Levy; Mr. Fasci Neto; Mr. Alozi; Mrs. Schenkel; Mrs. Patrick; and Doctor Schaible. The board president announced, “Motion carries 8‑0.”

The meeting minutes did not include additional detail about the terms of the separation agreement during the public portion of the transcript. No further action or discussion on the item was recorded in the available transcript.

The vote was taken during the district’s Oct. 6 meeting and recorded on the public meeting transcript.","The Bethlehem Area School District board voted unanimously to approve agenda item 8.01, a separation agreement; roll call recorded eight yes votes and the motion carried.",{"_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},6426561,"Bethlehem Area SD reports gains in math and reading on beginning‑of‑year benchmarks",1218,3156000,4374000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5900532-4d1ff8cced5590f522a82a9bc8f8e6f1&start=3156&end=4374","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5900532-4d1ff8cced5590f522a82a9bc8f8e6f1/thumbnail_3156000.jpg","/articles/6426561/Pennsylvania/Bethlehem-Area-SD-reports-gains-in-math-and-reading-on-beginningofyear-benchmarks","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6426561-2cdf09e076da7ee752d10836dbf5d12c/orig.mp4?Expires=1770844351&Signature=Xo9XZC2rp7vEz80ez6Tah4JeMsH89tQmOgUBL3O1aKwVOOAHCBQVi5Bvg1iCAI6u1xVpN5-rlboqw1iVjsYXIW7txfpsLc9f4vE3LJIhn8xkIb7RvbAZRUBNMTgl3O7yX1yRuxoVhzKxb7VObwS2l-qpfbD70xpH5sCmnvSFvUyPMZCBWsndNy0e-gLDLolFaKgvnOAEUElOu-K8CNU96IVLlOK0MpPrzAgXjxUM8Zs4HVFssSBk4~XyRzyU22AbpEMvVHyr-arrJD4hRWaCx54xYKWqFOhD2FxpEXcQ~1Fm-K25EqlkHFU~cIE~mZqP6a1q97UtvPRFCMB8Syh~VQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Bethlehem Area School District administrators reported to the school board on Oct. 6 that beginning-of-year benchmark assessments show gains in math across multiple grade levels and steady literacy starts in K–5.

District data presenters — Mrs. Harper (literacy lead) and Mr. Amato (math lead) — presented abbreviated, district-level summaries of the results and said detailed worksheets were provided to board members for review. Mrs. Harper highlighted kindergarten and first-grade literacy improvements at several schools, citing Thomas Jefferson first grade at 73% as a notable early result.

On math, Amato summarized multi-year gains tied to the district’s adopted math curriculum. He reported that first-grade readiness improved from about 50% in 2022–23 to roughly 83% in 2025–26, and second grade improved from 45% to 68% over that period. For grade 3 the district reported an increase from 35% to 60%; grade 4 from 26% to 49%; and grade 5 from 18% to 49% compared with the 2022–23 baseline. Middle school cohort gains were also presented: sixth grade from 11% to 41%, seventh from 18% to 50% and eighth from 17% to 34%.

Presenters said the district is using multiple measures (classroom assessments, IXL and state measures) and coaches to support teachers, and they emphasized that some schools show particularly large year-over-year growth: one example cited was Donegan, where the fifth-grade beginning-of-year percentage rose from about 1% in the initial baseline year to 26% in the current report.

Board members asked about whether the results reflected all students and about students with IEPs or emergent English learners (level 1 ESOL). District staff said almost all students are represented; exceptions are a very small number of students whose IEPs or language access needs make the selected assessments inappropriate (these students are excluded from specific measures by established assessment rules).

Several trustees encouraged continued reporting on coaching outcomes and requested ongoing cadence of updates. Presenters said the district will revisit the data at midyear and will continue showing cohort and disaggregated results to track sustained growth.

The board received the informational presentation; no action was taken at the meeting.","District presenters told the board the start‑of‑year benchmark data show notable gains across grade levels in math and steady literacy results in K–5; administrators credited curriculum, coaching and classroom instruction for the improvements.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Bethlehem Area SD reports early compliance as electronic device policy rolls out

Facilities committee previews energy contract timing and upcoming fleet purchases

Board approves separation agreement, motion carries 8‑0

Bethlehem Area SD reports gains in math and reading on beginning‑of‑year benchmarks