Chloe Nouvelle

School districts will establish their own policies in January.

Conflict and tension have ramped up at school board meetings amid the coronavirus pandemic.

More meals and a lag between delivery and reimbursement compound the problem.

A recent report from the state of Pennsylvania found child abuse and neglect-related fatalities and near fatalities rose in the commonwealth in the first 10 months of the pandemic.

In the first 10 months of the pandemic, Pennsylvania saw a significant increase in child fatalities and near-fatalities stemming from abuse and neglect.

The Allentown School District’s (ASD) new superintendent, John D. Stanford, is set to receive an annual salary of $230,000. Given the district’s financial challenges, some community members have called into question the amount allocated for his compensation.

Concerns over students’ mental health made headlines last year.

Just like businesses, school cafeterias are being hit by supply chain and labor shortage issues. Meaning in this pandemic, even the school lunch menu is TBD.

At a press conference on Sept. 30, Gov. Tom Wolf signaled the commonwealth’s school mask mandate will end when children under 12 can be vaccinated against COVID-19.

Over the summer, Pennsylvania state officials said school mask policies would be left up to local districts.