Berwick Area School District

Welcome to News Voices, a weekly feature where members of the WVIA News team will talk with each other — and sometimes sources — about key things we've learned in recent stories we have been working on.

After passionate pleas and statements from advocates of the LGBTQ+ community, Berwick school directors approved policies that detail when staff can refer to students by their preferred names and pronouns, and what bathrooms or locker rooms students can use.

Pennsylvania health insurers are proposing higher premiums for coverage in 2026. That means people who buy plans through Pennie – the state’s Affordable Care Act marketplace — could end up paying more each month to stay insured.

The name and bathroom policies are the latest attack on students within the LGBTQ+ community, advocates say. In October 2024, the board banned employees from displaying most flags on district property, including the Pride flag.

This week's heat wave couldn't stop a group of teens in Berwick from feeding their neighbors with a summer food drive. And the field of Republican candidates for governor is taking shape ahead of next year's election.

Teens distribute food to families with the group For the Cause, a nonprofit dedicated to youth leadership in Columbia and Luzerne counties.

A university closed. Teachers learned a new language. A school district expanded to meet growing enrollment. In Northeast and Central Pennsylvania, education included both addition and subtraction in 2024.