Palmerton Area School District is at the top of the food chain in relation to high school graduation rate percentage.

Superintendent Carol Boyce informed the school board on Tuesday that the district has a 96.21 percent graduation rate, which ranks first among its contemporaries."Compared to other school districts in the Colonial League and Carbon-Lehigh Intermediate Unit, we are tops in both," Boyce said. "To our staffs, students, administrators, and school board, I congratulate you."Board President Barry Scherer said the district's graduation rates speak volumes."This is very good news; our students and teachers should be very proud," Scherer said. "We're proud of our teachers and our students."Boyce said that from the 2006-07 to 2009-10 school years, the district grew in total daily membership by 4.2 percent. It also grew in actual instruction expense - $661.87 per pupil was the actual instruction expense - which resulted in an $807,283 decrease.As a result, the district is eligible for an exception regarding maintenance of effort because the district lowered the expenses instead of spending more on instruction, Boyce said.The exception would essentially yield more money to the district so that it could increase the budget and to support instruction, she said.In other business, the board:• Tabled the ratification of the collective bargaining agreement between the district and the Palmerton Area Educational Support Personnel Association; the term of said agreement is from July 1, 2010 through June 30, 2013.• Approved the 2011-2012 Facilities Plan Committee Report that was unanimously adopted by the CLIU Facilities Plan Committee on Jan. 28, 2011. In addition, the board reaffirms its commitment to the original construct of the Facilities Planning, approved Nov. 1, 1989, which consists of a series of prioritized inquires to be considered in determining future locations of the CLIU and school district special education classes.• Approved, on a 7-2 vote, with directors Carl Bieling and Carol Dwyer opposed, new curriculum for media literacy, honors world history, AP US history, American cultures II, American cultures III, world geography & cultures, American bovernment/economics, and civil/criminal law, human relations, current events, and American history on film.• Approved the following new business textbooks: The Web Collection, 2011, Web/Desktop Publishing; Adobe Dream, 2011, Web/Desktop Publishing; Adobe Photoshop, 2010, Photoshop; Computer Applications and Keyboarding, 2010, Computers for Today; Law for Business and Personal Use, 2009, Business Law; Accounting Multicolumn Journal, 2009, Accounting I; Managing Your Personal Finances, 2010, Personal Finance.• Tabled a motion to add the bidding software module from Central Susquehanna Intermediate Unit to the financial software package at a cost of approximately $1,200 per year (a fee based upon student enrollment).• Tabled a motion to approve the purchase of sufficient user identifications to implement the electronic purchase order feature of the fund accounting software at the fee of $75 per user .5 additional user IDs anticipated at the approximate cost of $375 per year.• Approved the high school graduation date of June 8, 2011.• Approved, on a 7-2 vote, with directors Susan Debski and Dwyer opposed, the 2011-12 school calendar.• Approved the resignation of Lucy Perkins, server/dish room cafeteria worker at the high school, effective March 4, 2011.• Approved prorating extracurricular elementary chorus stipend for the 2010-11 school year to Natalie Dize, due to her leave of absence.• Approved paying a prorated extracurricular elementary chorus stipend for the 2010-11 school year to Sara Pysher, who will be substituting for Dize during her leave of absence.• Approved Paul McArdle as a 1/2-year mentor for Mark Weiss. The salary is to be the 1/2-year stipend of $660.50 as per the current contract.• Approved the removal of substitute teachers Megan Heffelfinger and Sarah Sidor from the substitute list, per their request, effective Feb. 17, 2011.• Approved the salary adjustment for horizontal movement for Melissa Beahn from BS to BS+24 on the respective salary levels per the teachers' negotiated contract effective the second semester of the 2011-11 school year.• Agreed to suspend professional employee #2988 without pay for two days, effective March 16, 2011.• Approved the contract between Palmerton Area School District and Invo HealthCare Associates, Inc. for therapists, on an as-needed basis, at a rate of $70 per hour, April 1, 2011 through June 30, 2012, funded through IDEA funds.• Accepted the proposal from Gorman and Associates, P.C. for audit services for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2011 at the following costs: Audit Fee $20,500; Single Audit Fee (if required) $2,450; AFR Fee $875; and hourly rate for additional services, if necessary, $72.• Agreed to maintain the 2011-2012 medical insurance premiums for all employee groups at the 2010-2011 rates.• Approved the request to accept the proposal from Markley Actuarial Services, Inc. for the Post-Employment Benefits Valuation required under the Governmental Accounting Standards Board's Statement 45, at the cost of $3,300, payable from the 2011-2012 general operating budget.• Approved the request of the Environmental Club for a one-day field trip to the Bronx Zoo and China Town in New York City with David Kellerman on May 5, 2011, expenses paid for by the students with the cost to the district of one substitute (approximate cost $100).• Approved the request of the high school band for a field trip to Williamsburg, Va. with Thomas Heinick April 28-May 1, 2011, expenses paid for by the students with cost to the district of a substitute (approximate cost $200).• Accepted a gift of books for the elementary school libraries from Michael Ballard.• Approved the revision of the 2010-11 school calendar to adjust for snow makeup days.• Granted approval to advertise for bids for copy paper for the 2011-12 school year.• Approved disability leave in conjunction with Family Medical Leave beginning approximately May 1, 2011 for employee #2756. The return to work date is to be determined.• Approved grievance #2011-01.