Back to School Guide

Orientation is designed to support Allentown School District students entering kindergarten and grades six and nine by easing the transition, building connections, and reducing first-day anxiety. Hence, students are more comfortable and better prepared. Orientation takes place on Thursday, August 20, 2026. All kindergarten families and students in grades 6 and 9 are expected to attend.

Orientation is designed to help students navigate their new school, understand schedules and expectations, meet key staff members, and provide an opportunity to start building relationships.

This orientation is a critical first step for a successful school year, and student attendance is expected. We look forward to partnering with you to make this an excellent year for your student.

• Elementary School Kindergarten Students - 9:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.
• Middle School Students in Grade 6 - 8:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.
• High School Students in Grade 9 - 8:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.

As we get ready to start the school year, we want to remind our families of our new partnership with Student Transportation of America (STA)! Families with questions about bussing can contact the STA directly at 484-209-0898. During the first week of school, we ask for your patience and understanding as we make this transition. 

Over the last two years, the Allentown School District's partnership with LANTA has provided safe and dependable transportation for thousands of Allentown middle and high school students.

Under the partnership, ASD middle and high school students can ride LANTA buses for free with their school ID. During the first week of school, students are not required to show ID while we wait for ID’s to be distributed to students. 

This fare-free access is only available to current ASD students and not transferable or extended to family members or other individuals.  In accordance with LANTA policy, riders under the age of 12 must be accompanied by an adult. An adult riding with an ASD student under twelve(12) years old will not be allowed to ride for fare-free access unless that adult is also a current ASD student and has a current-year ASD ID.

The service provides added flexibility for students arriving early or late for school, remaining for after-school, activities and sports, returning for evening activities, or getting to and from work, cultural events, internships, and dual enrollment opportunities. As evidence of its success, in the current school year, the average school day ridership for Allentown School District students on LANTA is approximately 2,000.

More information and a list of all direct routes can be found on the LANTA website: https://lantabus.com/routes-and-schedules/400s/  or the Transit App in the Apple or Google Play Store.

The start of a new school year brings new routines, new classrooms, and for many students, new challenges.

Anxiety, school avoidance, social stress, and emotional struggles often surface in the first few weeks—when students are most visible and most reachable.

The Allentown School District has partnered with Cartwheel to provide mental health resources and support for students and families.

Cartwheel offers:

• Individual teletherapy for students with a licensed therapist — appointments available within days, no waitlist
• Parent and caregiver guidance — practical support for navigating challenges at home
• Family therapy for transitions, stress, or ongoing challenges
• Psychiatric support, when appropriate
• Care Programs designed for specific challenges families often see:
  • School Avoidance — for students struggling with anxiety about attending school
  • Screens & Social Media — for students navigating the emotional impact of digital life
  • Big Behaviors, Big Feelings — for students experiencing emotional dysregulation or behavior challenges

Appointments are virtual, scheduling is flexible, and care is available in multiple languages. For students with Medicaid, care is completely free. Most private insurance plans are accepted.

Want to Learn More? Getting started takes just a few minutes. Fill out this simple interest form and someone from Cartwheel will follow up with you.

As we prepare for another incredible school year, establishing a consistent daily routine is a key step toward your student's success.

To keep our mornings and afternoons running smoothly across the entire district, Allentown School District operates on a staggered schedule tailored by school tier. Because these windows differ for elementary, middle, and high school students, we want to make it as easy as possible for you to find the exact times that apply to your home

⏱️ Navigating Our Schedules

Our official district calendar page houses all current time frames under a dedicated tab. When you click the link below, you will find:

• The "School Schedules" Tab: Click this specific section on the page to view regular school day hours, breakfast entry times, and final dismissal bells for your child's specific building.
• Printable District Calendars: At the top of the page, you can also download the complete academic year calendar in both English and Spanish to keep track of school breaks and holidays.
• Modified Days: The calendar also outlines adjusted hours for early dismissals and special academic rating periods.
   

📌 Quick Reminder for Families

Please remember to have your student at their building or bus stop with plenty of time to spare before the first morning bell. Getting to school early ensures they have time to visit lockers, grab a nutritious school breakfast, and settle into their classrooms ready to learn!

To view the specific start, dismissal, and early dismissal schedules for your child's elementary, middle, or high school, visit our calendar directory and select the School Schedules tab:

School Schedule

Need Assistance?

If you have questions about specific building opening times, morning bus routes, or drop-off guidelines, please reach out directly to your child's school main office or contact the Transportation Department.

The PowerSchool Parent Portal is a secure online portal where you can:

View your child’s class schedule

Monitor attendance

Check grades and academic progress

Making a PowerSchool Parent Portal account is a great way to stay connected to your child's education. You can use your phone or computer anytime. This helps you know how your child is doing in school. You can help your child do well in school by knowing their progress all year.

In order to access the portal, you will need a unique access ID and password from your child's school. 

Click here to sign up: https://allentownsd.powerschool.com/public/

We’re excited to share that we’ve adopted a new communication platform called ParentSquare to help us keep you better informed and more connected with your school community.

With ParentSquare, you’ll receive all school and classroom messages in one place and translated into your preferred language—whether by email, text, app, or web. You’ll also be able to:

• Stay up to date on news and events
• Send and receive messages with teachers and staff
• Fill out forms and permission slips
• Sign up for conferences and volunteer opportunities
• View calendar items and photos from your school

All school, grade-level, and classroom communications will now come through ParentSquare.

To get the most out of ParentSquare, we encourage you to download the free mobile app, available for iOS and Android.

Families can search for their school here: https://www.parentsquare.com/select_school/new 

Staff can access ParentSquare from a web browser at https://www.parentsquare.com/signin.

Starting this year, middle and high school students will be able to access StudentSquare, using their ASD username and password. Teachers can communicate directly with students in a safe and secure platform. This is a great way to stay connected to athletics and extracurricular activities! Students can log in here: https://www.mystudentsquare.com/signin

The Allentown School District Student & Family Handbook is an essential, day-to-day resource designed to help our entire learning community succeed. Inside, you will find clear, important details regarding district policies, school safety protocols, attendance guidelines, academic expectations, and student support services available across all our schools. We ask that all students and families take the time to review these guidelines together before the first day of school to ensure a safe, respectful, and highly productive academic year for everyone.

Student & Family Handbook

The goal of Allentown School District's Information Technology is to provide a robust and highly available infrastructure connecting our teaching and learning community to an array of instructional and informational resources necessary for advancing the District's mission. 

Allentown School District Device User Agreement - To support quality education and digital literacy, we provide your child with a computer and charger for use during the school day. We are also offering the option to take the device home to extend learning. To be eligible to take a device home, parent(s)/guardian(s) Must fill out this form.

For any technology support, please use GoFMX IT Tickets. Please sign in with your Allentown School District Network credentials.

You may also contact the IT Help Desk at helpdeskstaff@allentownsd.org or ext. 4357 (H-E-L-P).

Information Technology Support

Health Services Prepares for a Healthy Start to the School Year: As the Allentown School District prepares to welcome students back for the new school year, the Health Services team is working diligently to ensure students are ready to return to school healthy and up to date on required immunizations. In addition to our school-based immunization program, which offers vaccines daily, to support families in meeting immunization requirements, we are partnering with key community health providers to offer a series of vaccination clinics throughout August and early September.  In collaboration with the Allentown Health Bureau, the following immunization clinics will be available to ASD students:

• Monday, August 24, 2026, Dieruff High School: 11:00 a.m.-7:00 p.m.
• Wednesday, August 26, 2026, South Mountain Middle School: 11:00 a.m. -7p.m.
• Friday, August 31, 2026, Allen High School: 10:00 a.m. -5:00 p.m.
• Tuesday, September 1, 2026, Trexler Middle School  10:00 a.m. -5:00 p.m.
• Thursday, September 3, 2026, Allen High School  9:00 a.m. -3:30 p.m.

Please contact your school nurse to secure an appointment at one of these clinics.