Site noted as \u2018intersection of history and education\u2019<\/p>\n
The site for the East Allen Elementary School and Education Center has a storied history in education and the founding of Northampton County.<\/p>\n
The significance of the school\u2019s location at 7200 New Seemsville Road at Route 329, East Allen Township, was highlighted during a ribbon cutting July 27 for invited dignitaries from Northampton Area School District.<\/p>\n
The celebration commemorated the school, which opens to students Aug. 24 for the district\u2019s first day of classes for the 2026-27 school year, and the Northampton Area School District Education Center and Technology Department, which has already been in service since July.<\/p>\n
Twelve-month staff members worked remotely June 22-July 5. District buildings reopened July 6.<\/p>\n
The ribbon cutting became an unofficial event in the 2026 celebration of America250 because of the site\u2019s historic significance.<\/p>\n
\u201cToday we are at the intersection of history and education in East Allen Township,\u201d Robert Mentzell said to the estimated 100 attendees seated in the education center vestibule. \u201cThis township\u2019s roots harken back to the very beginning of Northampton County and education in this county.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mentzell worked as a Northampton Area High School history teacher for 38 years before retiring and is a former NASD Board of Education director.<\/p>\n
\u201cToday, with this dedication, we celebrate the return of elementary education to East Allen Township for the first time in over 60 years,\u201d Mentzell added.<\/p>\n
Mentzell noted East Allen School District joined six other school districts to form Northampton Area Joint School District, June 1, 1962.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are situated on the edge of what was the Craig Settlement,\u201d Mentzell said.<\/p>\n
The Craig Settlement is named after James Craig, leader of the Scotch-Irish group that settled in what is now Weaversville, in 1728, \u201clong before this county was established and 13 years before the Moravians got here,\u201d Mentzell said.<\/p>\n
The Moravians founded Bethlehem in 1741.<\/p>\n
\u201cLess than one-fifth mile away is Horner\u2019s Cemetery, the oldest in the county. Buried [there] are most of the notables of the Scotch-Irish community,\u201d Mentzell said. \u201cIt would be a great tribute to those settlers-patriots if some of the roads around this school [could] be named in their honor.\u201d<\/p>\n
A groundbreaking ceremony for the $75.8 million school project was held Sept. 19, 2024. Construction had begun in November 2023.<\/p>\n
Jaindl-Watson Development paid for $4.5 million in infrastructure improvements at the 92.32-acre site, including a realigned Seemsville Road, traffic light, stormwater facilities, water and sewer lines extension and retention pond.<\/p>\n
Farming will continue on the site\u2019s undeveloped land. A conservation district includes what is said to have been the site of a Native American settlement.<\/p>\n
Joseph S. Kovalchik, NASD superintendent of schools, talked about the more recent history of the East Allen Elementary School site.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think the most amazing thing is back in 1994, I was asked to serve on a committee to build a school on his site,\u201d Kovalchik said of his early years of district employment. \u201cAnd now, 37 years later, I\u2019m standing here as the superintendent to open the education center.\u201d<\/p>\n
Kovalchik emphasized the opening of the East Allen Elementary School and Education Center marks the closing of four NASD buildings \u2014 Moore Elementary School, Franklin Elementary School, Washington Technology Center and the NASD administration building.<\/p>\n
\u201cMoore dates to 1957. It served the community very well. It was the hub of the community,\u201d Kovalchik said. \u201cFranklin and Washington date to 1908. Those two buildings served the district for 100 years. The district administration building was constructed as a hospital by Atlas Cement going back to the 1900s. These buildings were tremendous in serving the district.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s far more than an education center and school. It\u2019s truly monumental for East Allen Township and the school district,\u201d John Becker, NASD Board of Education president, said. \u201cThis beautiful school is yours to fill with students.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201c\u2018All roads lead to NASD\u2019 is a phrase I hear Joe [Kovalchik] say,\u201d Arif Fazil, CHA Consulting senior business development leader, said. \u201cIt\u2019s been a very long road, but now all roads do lead to Northampton Area School District.\u201d<\/p>\n
Also in attendance was James Clough, KCBA Architects founding principal, which designed the 159,000-square-foot building that can accommodate 650 kindergarten to fifth-grade students. There will be a staff of 50.<\/p>\n
The two-story school has a central courtyard, STEAM suite, TV studio, art and music classrooms and multipurpose room for athletics and performing arts.<\/p>\n
The education center has training rooms, support spaces, administration offices and an IT data center. The campus has separate bus and parent circulation loops, parking for events, playground and athletic field.<\/p>\n
East Allen Elementary School community open houses are set for 5:30-8:30 p.m. Aug. 21 and 8 a.m.-noon Aug. 22.<\/p>\n
East Allen Elementary School and Education Center is located at 7200 New Seemsville Road at Route 329, East Allen Township.<\/p>\n
PRESS PHOTOS BY SCOTT M. NAGYA ribbon-cutting ceremony July 27 officially marked East Allen Elementary School and Education Center as ready for students.<\/p>\n
Northampton Area School District dignitaries and local leaders attend the July 27 ribbon cutting for the new East Allen Elementary School and Education Center, located at 7200 New Seemsville Road at Route 329, East Allen Township.<\/p>\n
NASD Superintendent of Schools Joseph Kovalchik talks about the school site\u2019s recent history.<\/p>\n
NASD Board of Education President John Becker addresses the attendees at the ceremony.<\/p>\n
PRESS PHOTOS BY SCOTT M. NAGYThe NASD Education Center has training rooms, support space, administration offices and an IT data center.<\/p>\n
Robert Mentzell shares information about the history of the school site.<\/p>\n
The new building has spacious rooms and offices.<\/p>\n
Collaborative spaces and meeting areas are ready for the building to open.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Site noted as \u2018intersection of history and education\u2019 The site for the East Allen Elementary School and Education…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":259928,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[14],"tags":[153,155,154],"class_list":["post-259927","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-bethlehem","tag-bethlehem","tag-bethlehem-headlines","tag-bethlehem-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/259927","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=259927"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/259927\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/259928"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=259927"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=259927"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=259927"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}