Tuesday night's Tamaqua Area School Board meeting started off with a surprise. Seven elementary school students were recognized by the school district as their teachers spoke of special accomplishments and achievements since the start of the school year. The students are Kubilay Arabaci, 6; Gustavo Pereda, 7; Carly Minchoff, 8; Grant John, 5; John Goho, 8; Kendle Miller, 5; and Marissa Miller, 9.

Board members voted to place numerous resolutions on the agenda for the next public school board meeting set for Oct. 15 at 7:30 p.m. None were rejected.One resolution will involve the board's Auxiliary Committee to enter into an agreement with the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association, Inc. in Mechanicsburg for the development of a partnership with the National Federation of State High School Association's licensing program.Another resolution asked the board's Education Committee to discuss items relating to the possibility of applying for a Safe School Grant. Board members talked with administration about the pros and cons of the grant. Most conversations revolved around the idea of using the grant to pay for a resource officer or security staff.The majority of the board spoke of other options, including the possibility of using grant funds to train teachers, rather than have security guards roam the schools. Assistant Superintendent Raymond J. Kinder said he plans to do more research on the grant.Resolutions to be voted on during the next public meeting involve appointing Portnoff Law Associates as the district's delinquent real estate tax collector for the 2013 collection cycle; appointing Powell, Rodgers and Speaks as the district's assessed occupation and per capita tax collector for unpaid taxes from the 2013 collection cycle; and authorizing Portnoff Law Associates to proceed with the Sheriff's Sale on 13 properties;Other resolutions to be voted upon will consist of approving a second reading of the Child/Student Abuse Policy #806; approving Memorandum of Agreement with Pennsylvania State University, Hazleton Campus, for a spring semester, dual enrollment course; approving the request of the High School Science Department to apply for a Honda Grant (the competitive grant could award up to $100,000); approving the independent and single audit as presented for the 2012 fiscal year; and approving the Department of Education's set base index for the 2014-2015 budget cycle at 2.1 percent.