Dear Learning Community: 

I trust this message finds you healthy and safe. As you are aware, on Friday, April 5, 2024, at approximately 10:23 a.m., many in the Allentown area felt the 4.8-magnitude earthquake that affected a majority of the East Coast. 

The earthquake lasted a few seconds and out of an abundance of caution, all Allentown School District’s schools were temporarily evacuated. We commend our staff and students for their exemplary response and for following our emergency evacuation procedures. 

While we do not believe there has been any structural damage to our schools, the earthquake came as a surprise in an area where this type of event is very rare. As a result, some of our students may have been disturbed by this incident. We encourage students to speak with a school counselor or social worker if they need any help processing what took place today. 

Following recommendations from our professional structural engineers, our Safety Teams have conducted perimeter checks of each school. Our Facilities Team & engineers will conduct a full inspection of our schools & District Offices over the coming days to check for structural concerns. At this time, we do not anticipate the need to delay or cancel school next week. We will inform you immediately if this changes.

Thank you for your ongoing support and dedication to our Learning Community. I am honored to serve as your Superintendent. We get better together! All of our strengths are needed! 

Best, 

Dr. Carol D. Birks

Superintendent / Chief Executive Officer