Each time the Tamaqua School Board met, its members, district administrators and people who attended walked away with a sheaf of paper.

This month that changed as the meeting agenda and other information is now provided electronically.As the meeting proceeds, the sections of the agenda are projected on a screen. District Superintendent Carol Makuta said that at a minimum, the cost of paper used for past meetings could approach $36, depending on the items for discussion and the projects for the month."We asked the board to consider going paperless over the past few years, but we were not interested in investing any money in a software program," Makuta said. "Over the past 10 years, districts all over the state began implementing it, but in its infancy, districts purchased software to support the organization of paperless agendas."Recently, she said, the administrative team designed a method to conduct an organized meeting without any cost to the district. The board recognized that the district would realize a savings in paper costs and also save money by reducing the time spent by clerical staff, and saving wear and tear on copying equipment."The board members receive all information electronically prior to each meeting," Makuta said. "They still want to see certain reports on paper because of the ease of readability, and the board secretary needs an outlined paper agenda for his notes of the meeting, which get transcribed and recorded."Throughout the district, staff and administrators are trying to cut down on the use of paper."The savings may range from $9 to $36 per meeting," Makuta said. "We assume a conscientious effort to save costs whenever and wherever we can."