Aug. 20, 2025
— Jeff Ward, Lehigh Valley News Briefs
A cyber charter school plans to occupy an office building at 2200 W. Broad St., in west Bethlehem.
The Commonwealth Charter Academy Cyber School may teach students online, but it needs space for teachers and staff, and has chosen a 46,670-square-foot former insurance office for conversion “into office space for teachers and staff of a cyber charter school at 2200 West Broad Street. The existing building will remain and surrounding parking improvements are proposed,” according to the Aug. 28 meeting agenda of the Lehigh Valley Planning Commission.
The building will be renovated and structural repairs will be made to the interior, according to the agenda item. The building is in the Lehigh County portion of Bethlehem.
Charter schools are publicly funded but privately operated. Supporters say they provide alternatives to public schools, while opponents say they siphon off taxpayers’ funds and are not as accountable as the public options.
Commonwealth Charter Academy purchased the building in 2024 for $3.45 million from Erie Insurance, according to Lehigh County property records.
The LVPC will consider the plan at a committee meeting on Tuesday, Aug. 26 and at the full commission meeting on Aug. 28. Both meetings are being held virtually and are open to the public. Links to webcasts are in each agenda.
The Lehigh Valley Planning Commission is in most cases an advisory body. Final land-use decisions for the cyber school will be made by the City of Bethlehem.
Lehigh Valley News Briefs 