The Panther Valley School Board on Thursday signed a new three-year, $850,000 contract for bus service.

The board hired Kistler Transportation. The contract cost is $190 per day for vans and $207 per day for buses at 180 days.The board also approved a one-year, $15,000 contract with BusTracks, a software company that provides bus rosters, routes and global positioning information to generate more subsidy revenue, said Business Manager Kenneth Marx.In other matters, the board:*Hired Radocha Excavating, Coaldale, to pave the path between the high school and middle school at a cost not to exceed $3,200. The project will be paid for from the district's capital projects fund;*Bought two used golf carts at $5,000 from Don's Golf Cart Repair, Lehighton. The carts also will be paid for from the capital projects fund. They replace two carts that are no longer usable;*Approved the sale of a Coaldale property by the Schuylkill County Tax Claim Bureau. The property, at 255 W. High St., was owned by Diane M. Leon Breiner and Calvin D. Breiner. It was bought for $20,000 by the borough of Coaldale;*Created the positions of in-school math and ELA tutors at all three schools. The positions will be funded by an Accountability Block Grant to improve the academic performance of subgroups identified by the No Child Left Behind Act. Each position will be scheduled for 100 days at $135 per day until the funds run out;*Agreed to extend the interim elementary school principal position to Sept. 24 at $260.23 per day;*Awarded tenure to Erin Shober, Amanda Peters, Nicole Hajak, Hollie Carsia and Mark Christ. All were hired Aug. 24, 2009;*Learned that BET has paid $146,840.21 in delinquent 2010, 2011 and 2012 school taxes for a property in Coaldale. However, solicitor Robert T. Yurchak said the company, which acquired the former Lehigh Coal and Navigation Company, has appealed the court order requiring it to pay the delinquent taxes.