Whitehall-Coplay School Board, during its meeting Feb. 26, voted unanimously to deny an application for Lehigh Valley STEAM Academy Charter School.

In November of 2023, the application for the school was filed by Michael Makhoul. The plan was for the school to sit at 215 Quarry St., giving space to 600 students in kindergarten through eighth grade.

STEAM Academy’s website explained the curriculum would have emphasized the synergy of Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics. The goal was to prepare students for the real world by “cultivating critical thought, fueling creativity and sharpening problem- solving abilities.”

In other news, one parent attending the meeting raised her concerns about the new mascot for the district.

At the school board’s Jan. 8 meeting, district representatives announced they planned a physical mascot for their students. The mascot will be a person with a train head wearing maroon and gold overalls, similar to that of a conductor.

Parent LoriAnn Fehnel approached the board at the meeting Feb. 26 with disappointment that the students were not involved in the decision.

“I’m still disappointed that the kids can’t design their own mascot,” Fehnel said.

“The community has basically said, ‘Hey, we don’t want this,’ but yet, no change,” she alleged.

While the mascot pays homage to the word Zephyr - the name of a train that used to travel through Whitehall Township - Fehnel said she believed the mascot should represent everybody in the district.

The mascot’s costume is expected to arrive this spring and will be known as Big Z. The students and staff in the district worked to come up with name options and then vote on a name.

Whitehall-Coplay School Board will next meet 7 p.m. March 25 in the large group instruction room at Whitehall High School, 3800 Mechanicsville Road.