Northern Lehigh committee proposes standing Curriculum Committee, adds Juneteenth to draft calendar

The Northern Lehigh School District’s education committee on Tuesday reviewed a plan to establish a standing Curriculum Committee and considered administrative recommendations for the 2024–25 school calendar, including adding Juneteenth as a paid district holiday.

Doctor Link, presenting the committee plan, said the new Curriculum Committee will translate internal curriculum council work into public recommendations and support continuous review of curriculum renewal. "Curriculum leaders are, Mrs. Snyder has been assigned as the chair and Mr. Curran as a co‑chair," he told the committee, and administrators will serve as liaisons, naming the district’s director of educational technology, curriculum and instruction, Mr. Pine, as the administrative contact.

Administrators proposed three regular curriculum‑committee meetings each year — October (soon after the school year starts), January (course selection and related reviews) and April (to align purchasing recommendations with budget timelines). Link said the schedule is intended to keep curriculum work visible without duplicating policy‑committee meetings: "We're recommending not to have policy meeting those evenings that we would do curriculum committee," he said, and asked for committee feedback.

The committee also reviewed the proposed 2024–25 calendar. Link highlighted new‑teacher orientation dates in August and three Act 80 data days; he then recommended adding Juneteenth (June 19) as a district holiday. "That holiday is Juneteenth. That is the day that commemorates and recognize as the end of slavery in the United States," Link said, noting more than half the county districts are including the day. Administrators clarified the addition would mean district offices and summer employees who otherwise would have to work that day would be off, and emphasized it would not reduce required annual workdays for people covered by summer schedules so long as total required workdays remain unchanged.

Board members raised contract and operational questions. One member asked whether adding the holiday would require a memorandum of understanding with unions; Link responded that the board has purview over the calendar and, provided employees still meet required annual workdays, the holiday can be paid without a contract violation. Administrators reiterated a caveat that in an extreme scenario (significant building failure or extended outage) the calendar could be extended.

The committee also discussed snow‑day planning and the district’s use of flexible instructional (virtual) days. Link summarized this year’s approach: "We've done four this year," and noted the district can use one more flexible instructional day without triggering the pre‑published make‑up days; if six flexible days are exceeded, the calendar’s makeup dates would be used.

The curriculum committee and the calendar item will return for additional committee and public updates before appearing on the full board agenda for consideration.