Hazleton Area School District

Photojournalist and WVIA News Contributor Aimee Dilger takes a look back at 2024 in photos.

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.

The Hazleton Area School District has a record number of students for whom Spanish is their first language. While these students are learning English, some teachers are now learning Spanish, so they can be of greater help to their students. WVIA's Sarah Hofius Hall discusses the program on Morning Edition with Sarah Scinto.

Los profesores (teachers) become los estudiantes (students) on Tuesdays in Hazleton. With 1 in 4 Hazleton Area School District students learning English, about 50 teachers stay after school weekly for Spanish language lessons.

PennEnvironment, which wants schools to replace drinking fountains, looked at practices in nine school districts.

Hazleton hopes to expand Newcomer Center to additional English-learning students in coming years.