ALLENTOWN, Pa. — After a challenging start to the school year, leaders in the Allentown School District want to restore the community’s trust.
The Allentown School District Board President is sending a message to the school community after a challenging first week back.
“We are doing everything we can to ensure that our families can trust us,” Andrene Brown-Nowell, school board president, said.
On Monday, William Allen High School received a bomb threat, sending students home on what was supposed to be the start of a brand-new school year.
‘Really? On my first day?’: Bomb threat at Allen High sends students who were headed back-to-school, back home
“Law enforcement moved in right away, we took every safety precaution to ensure that all the families and the children were safe, all the administration was safe, our school community was safe, and we made sure that we sent everyone home because we wanted to make sure that there wasn’t an actual threat,” Brown-Nowell said.
After a thorough investigation, authorities didn’t find anything suspicious.
The next day at Harrison Morton Middle School, the principal resigned.
ASD middle school principal resigns at beginning of school year
“There is no disruption in the school, education continues to happen at Harrison Morton,” Brown-Nowell said.
Interim Principal Frank Derrick has a 20-year educational history within the district, and he will serve in the role until they can hire someone. Derrick is taking over for former principal Spencer Cameron.
Despite a few setbacks this week, the board president says the district’s goal is clear.
“We’re doing everything that we can possibly do that can not only enhance education, enhance innovation in our school district, enhance our safety in our school district, we’re doing everything we can to ensure that families know that ASD is where you can take your children,” Brown-Nowell said.
The school board is holding a meeting at the district’s administration building at 6 p.m. It is open to the public.