BETHLEHEM, Pa. — Parents and residents of the Bethlehem Area School District can weigh in on how the district uses its school buildings and draws attendance boundaries at five community meetings Wednesday, Nov. 4, through Friday, Nov. 6.

The meetings are part of District Design, the district’s long-range planning process for its 22 school buildings. The district cites declining enrollment, rising operating costs and aging buildings. Enrollment is 12,041 this fall, down 12.9%, or 1,783 students, from 13,824 in 2013-14, according to figures Jane Coughenour of Steps to Achieve, the firm facilitating the meetings, presented Oct. 13 at a District Design Committee meeting. The count does not include pre-K.

Steps to Achieve says it will produce five options for attendance zones, consolidation or construction. The school board makes the final decision, advised by a committee of school directors, administrators and community members. The district says the last district-wide redistricting was in the early 1990s, with a neighborhood-specific one in 2017.

The meetings are listening sessions. Coughenour said Oct. 13 that community input comes first and options are developed afterward. “No decisions have been made about any school or schools,” the district said in a release Friday.

All five offer the same presentation, so families can pick a time. Each runs about two hours, according to the district’s flyer:

  • Wednesday, Nov. 4, 6 p.m.: Northeast Middle School auditorium, 1170 Fernwood St. (virtual option)
  • Thursday, Nov. 5, 9 a.m.: Nitschmann Middle School auditorium, 1002 W. Union Blvd.
  • Thursday, Nov. 5, 1 p.m.: Bethlehem YMCA, 430 E. Broad St.
  • Thursday, Nov. 5, 6 p.m.: East Hills Middle School auditorium, 2005 Chester Road (virtual option)
  • Friday, Nov. 6, 9 a.m.: Broughal Middle School auditorium, 114 W. Morton St.
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The flyer asks attendees to bring a smartphone for real-time feedback activities, and the district said people can listen and take part in their native language. Children are welcome if a parent or guardian supervises them. Virtual attendance is available only for the two evening meetings, at Northeast and East Hills, through two QR codes on the flyer, one for each school; the release gives no web address.

A slide titled What Is the Feasibility Study lists four parts: 10-year enrollment projections, building capacity and utilization, boundary and scenario options, and community engagement.
A Steps to Achieve slide shown at the Oct. 13 District Design Committee meeting lays out the study’s four parts. (Screenshot by Jai Smith / Lehigh Daily)

At the Oct. 13 meeting, which the district streamed on YouTube, Coughenour tried out the format on committee members, mixing phone polls and open discussion. Coughenour called it a trial run and asked committee members for feedback, saying the questions could change. Among the questions tested:

  • What worries you about boundary or consolidation changes, and what information would ease that worry?
  • What would have to be true before you could support closing or consolidating any schools?
  • Would you accept a longer bus ride for smaller, more balanced classes?
  • With fixed funds, should the district renovate several older buildings or invest in fewer newer ones?
  • If an option affects school taxes, what would you need to know to judge whether it is worth the cost?

Committee members questioned the bus wording, and Coughenour said “more balanced classes” might be dropped. The district’s frequently asked questions page says the district has made no decisions on closures.

The slides say each option will be judged on the same criteria, including keeping each building at no more than 90% of its functional capacity and weighing bus routes and travel time.

The district’s timeline lists a committee progress review in December, followed by public presentation meetings in February 2027 and a final committee review in March 2027, all led by Steps to Achieve. The district says the process runs through 2027 and ends with a final plan the board approves.

District residents and taxpayers, district employees and enrolled students can speak during public participation at monthly committee and board meetings. The next School Board Facilities Committee meeting listed is Monday, Nov. 2, and the next full board meeting is Monday, Nov. 16.

Bar chart of Bethlehem Area School District October enrollment falling from 13,824 students in 2013-14 to 12,041 in 2026-27.
A Steps to Achieve slide shown at the Oct. 13 District Design Committee meeting charts the district’s October enrollment since 2013-14. (Screenshot by Jai Smith / Lehigh Daily)

Coughenour said the enrollment numbers should be final by November. The slides show every school but Calypso lost students since 2013-14, with the largest drops at Liberty High (344 fewer), East Hills Middle (272) and Farmersville Elementary (138).

Charter schools are also part of the picture. From 2013-14 through 2024-25, resident students in charters rose 41% to 2,243 while district enrollment fell 8.5%, and 15.1% of resident students now attend charters, up from 10.3%. The slide notes charter growth equals 56% of the district’s decline, “not a measure of cause.”

A March committee presentation slide titled “Current School Utilization” listed five schools with fewer than 250 students: Calypso (221), Hanover (200), James Buchanan (229), Thomas Jefferson (214) and William Penn (230).