Palmerton Area School District will spend nearly $1.3 million to replace its deteriorated high school roof.

The school board, on a narrow 5-4 vote at a special meeting on Tuesday, agreed to award the high school roof replacement project to Budget Renovations and Roofing in the amount of $1,288,942, to be paid from the 2010a bond fund.Directors Darlene Yeakel, Michael Ballard, Clarence Myers, Susan Debski and board President Barry Scherer voted in favor. Directors Carl Bieling, Carol Dwyer, Stuart Henritzy and Tina Snyder were opposed.Last October, the board agreed to borrow an additional $5 million to fund maintenance and repair projects, with the stipulation that unused borrowed money be used to pay down the debt.That decision came after two prior motions, one to borrow $5 million, and the other, to borrow $2 million, were defeated.In other business, the board:• Awarded the S.S. Palmer generator replacement project to Thomas L. Hoffman Co., for the lump sum base bid of $65,837, to be paid from the 2010a bond fund.• Awarded the high school underground storage tank project to Environmental Restoration, Inc., for a lump sum base bid of $21,160, to be paid from the 2010a bond fund.• Awarded, on a 5-4 vote, the Towamensing Elementary deck project to F.J. Lesher G.C. for a lump sum base bid of $11,700, to be paid from the 2010a bond fund. Yeakel, Ballard, Myers, Debski and Scherer voted in favor. Bieling, Dwyer, Henritzy and Snyder were opposed. Scherer initially abstained from the vote because his son-in-law is an employee of the firm, but as board president, voted in favor to break the 4-4 deadlock.• Awarded, on an 8-1 vote, with Bieling opposed, the Towamensing Elementary playground access walk project to F.A. Rohrbach Inc., for a lump sum base bid of $8,475, to be paid from the 2010a bond fund.• Approved the structural inspection of stadium light poles by Barry Isett & Associates, Inc., not to exceed $1,200, to be paid from the 2010a bond fund.• Approved the submission of PlanCon K to PDE for the 2010a bond issue.• Approved the salary and benefits of Jessica Silfies, to be paid from Title I grant due to the lack of available funding from the general fund.• Approved the Keystone Purchasing Network contract with Educational Shippers Association, at no cost to the district.• Approved a medical sabbatical leave for administrative employee #9842 for the 2011-12 fiscal year.• Acknowledged the 2011 Environmental Education Grant Award from the Commonwealth of PA for $3,000.