An entity that provided after-school music instruction to students in the Palmerton Area School District has been let go.

The school board on Tuesday unanimously voted to not extend the 2009-10 contract with Community Music School of Allentown for music instruction.Resident George Ashman asked the board why the district decided to drop the program after it was recently lauded for its services.Superintendent Carol Boyce said the district has opted to move in another direction, and added that the Community Music School was aware that it was brought in to provide a temporary service."We're looking at the internal needs (to provide musical instruction)," Boyce said. "We do need to bring it back in-house, and that's what we intend to do."After the meeting, Boyce told the TIMES NEWS there figures to be some "programmatic changes.""It's still a topic of discussion," she said. "Administratively, we have talked with the music staff, and it's an ongoing conversation."Boyce said the district has targeted next fall to be able to provide music lessons for students."We also want to see who is the most comfortable and best trained at what, whether it be vocal or instrumental," she said. "We want to provide the best we can possibly provide to our youngsters."In what was viewed as a controversial move at the time, the board in August agreed to a cooperative arrangement with the Community Music School for after-school music instruction for grades 4-8 in the 2009-10 school year.The lessons were offered to students at S.S. Palmer Elementary, Towamensing Elementary, and the Palmerton Junior High School, through the Community Music School's affiliation with the Allentown Symphony Orchestra.In other business, the board:- Approved a one-year contract for food service, which includes no increase in lunch prices, as proposed by the Nutrition Group commencing July 1, 2010, and ending on June 30, 2011.- Approved, on an 8-1 vote, the extension of the Natural Gas Contract with UGI to June 30, 2012. Director Susan Debski was opposed.- Approved, on an 8-0 vote, with one abstention, the Resolution for Legislative Action on School Pension Reform. Director Tina Snyder abstained because she works as a teacher in another school district.- Removed from the table the request for consideration of a waiver for insurance coverage for Palmerton Community Band's usage of Palmerton Area High School.- Dismissed the request for consideration of a waiver for insurance coverage for Palmerton Community Band's usage of Palmerton Area High School, due to the fact that they have obtained insurance coverage.- Approved the resignation of Thomas Morgan as English teacher, effective May 11, 2010.- Approved the transfer of Kelly Ruddick from .5 kindergarten teacher to full time first grade teacher at Bachelor's Step 2 ($38,259), effective the 2010-11 school year.- Approved the employment of Gail Sacelaris as a substitute instructor/non instructor assistant, effective May 12, 2010, at a salary of $7.25 an hour, and as a substitute secretary, effective May 12, 2010, at a salary of $8.45 an hour.- Approved the employment of Janice Blose as a substitute instructor/non instructor assistant, effective May 12, 2010, at a salary of $7.25 an hour.- Approved the employment of David Bobst as a substitute custodian, effective May 12, 2010, at a salary of $8.50 an hour.- Approved the employment of Shanna Matthews as a special-education teacher in the 2010-11 school year, BS Step 1, $37,507.- Approved the employment of Brielle Siegfried as a special-education teacher in the 2010-11 school year, BS Step 1, $37,507.- Approved the employment of Tricia McElmoyle as a special-education teacher in the 2010-11 school year, BS Step 1, $37,507.- Approved the employment of Alexandrea Spalding as a kindergarten teacher in the 2010-11 school year, BS Step 3, $39,122.- Approved the employment of Spalding, Matthews, Siegfried, and McElmoyle for professional development during the summer of 2010 at the rate of $28 an hour.- Approved the employments of Dan Haney, Shelby Keefer, Julian Lutz, Gregg Romig, Blake Campbell, and Brent Green as student summer employees, effective June 9, 2010, at a salary of $7.25 an hour.- Granted permission to release the 2010 tax duplicates to the respective tax collectors for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2010.- Approved the first reading of the revision to Policy 408, Professional Employees Employment Contract, to include a Temporary Professional Employee Contract.- Approved Director Michael Ballard as a representative for the Carbon Lehigh Intermediate Unit board of directors.- Approved Director Carol Dwyer as board treasurer, effective July 1, 2010 through June 7, 2010, at the rate of $400.- Approved homebound instruction for student #11297 from April 16, 2010 through June 7, 2010.- Approved the attached tuition reimbursements.