partnerships to prepare students for success in college, careers, and beyond. For Dr. Brian Uplinger, Superintendent, and Dr. Michelle Zukoski, Director of Federal Programs, everything begins with a simple but powerful philosophy: keep students at the center.“Everything we do is student-focused,” Uplinger emphasizes. “Our goal is to provide every child, regardless of background, with the best education and the tools they need to succeed—whether that’s in higher education, the workforce, or the military.” BUILDING FOR THE FUTURE The district’s most visible effort to meet growing enrollment is its ambitious capital outlay plan. A new school for grades one through five is under construction, with a capacity for 1,500 students. Once complete, it will be the second-largest building in the district, helping to reduce class sizes and give students more individual attention. Alongside this project, the Early Learning Center is being reconfigured to better support younger learners.Additional expansions are being considered at Freeland Elementary Middle School to meet the needs of a steadily rising student population. “This growth is driven by both our success and the economic development of the region,” Uplinger explains. “As new industries bring jobs and families to the Hazleton area, our schools must expand to serve them.” ADDRESSING THE TEACHER SHORTAGE Like districts across the nation, Hazleton faces a significant teacher shortage, with 80 emergencycertified teachers currently filling classroom needs. Rather than accept this as a long-term reality, the district has developed a partnership with Luzerne County Community College (LCCC) to encourage more students to pursue teaching as a career. Through the program, students can earn an associate’s degree and then complete their teaching certification while remaining in the Hazleton area.A special emphasis is placed on developing bilingual teachers to better serve the district’s large and growing Hispanic population. 215 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 06, ISSUE 10 HAZLETON AREA SCHOOL DISTRICT
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