The cost to eat breakfast and lunch will increase slightly next year in the Palmerton Area School District.

On a unanimous vote, the school board agreed on Tuesday to approve the breakfast and lunch prices for the 2013-14 school year.The new costs are as follows: Elementary breakfast, $1.05; elementary lunch, $2; secondary breakfast, $1.15; secondary lunch, $2.10; and adult lunch, $3.30.The 5 cent increases are a result of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act, whereby districts are required to increase lunch prices annually.In other business, the board:- Approved the 2013-14 workers' compensation coverage through PMA, at an estimated cost of $75,827. The premium is based upon total payroll, and will be reconciled upon completion of the 2013-14 fiscal year.- Approved the contract with Xerox Corporation, Wilkes-Barre, Pa, at an annual cost of $67,266, beginning on July 1, 2013, and ending on June 30, 2018.- Awarded the food service bid to Metz Culinary Management, beginning July 1, 2013, and ending June 30, 2014, with the possibility of five annual renewals once approved by the Pennsylvania Department of Education, at a guaranteed profit of $25,000 for the 2013-2014 fiscal year.- Accepted the IDEA 619 grant with CLIU#21, for the period of July 1, 2013, through June 30, 2014, in the amount of $3,416.- Approved Child Abuse Recognition and Reporting Tracking Software Contract with CLIU, at the cost of $1,200.- Accepted the agreement with PATH for an Alternate Ed Program.- Accepted the resignation of Jonathon McCabe as a summer employee, effective immediately.- Approved the transfer of Christine Greenzweig to the position of groundskeeper/warehouse/maintenance position, effective July 1, 2013, at the new hire rate of $37,198, pending negotiated contract.- Approved Diane Benner as part-time custodian at Towamensing Elementary, effective July 1, 2013, at the rate of $11.65 per hour, for four hours per day, pending contract negotiations.- Approved Dustin Ahner as a summer employee at the rate of $7.25 an hour, effective June 19, 2013 through Aug. 24, 2013.- Approved elementary teachers Katie McCarroll, Jared Zurn, and Kaitlyn Andrews at BS, Step 1 ($37,882), pending the negotiated contract, effective Aug. 21, 2013.- Approved, on an 8-0 vote, with an abstention from Director Sherry Haas, elementary teacher Lauren Smith at BS, Step 1 ($37,882), pending the negotiated contract, effective Aug. 21, 2013.- Approved Jennifer Esposito as a .8 Art teacher at BS+24, Step 1 ($38,893, prorated at 80-percent), pending the negotiated contract, effective Aug. 21, 2013.- Approved Jody Kocher as a mentor to Jennifer Esposito, Art, for the first semester of the 2013-14 school year.- Approved Angela Harris as an Elementary Librarian/Gifted teacher at BS, Step 1 ($37,882), pending the negotiated contract, effective Aug. 21, 2013.- Approved the transfer of Kristen Heller from Grade 4 teacher at S.S. Palmer, to reading specialist at Towamensing Elementary, effective Aug. 21, 2013, at her current salary of Master's, Step 6 ($49,353), pending contract negotiations.- Approved the transfer of Debra Smith from Team Leader at Parkside Education Center, to cashier at S.S. Palmer Elementary, effective July 1, 2013, at her current rate of pay of $11.48 per hour, pending contract negotiations.- Approved Eileen Heiney as Team Leader at Parkside Education Center, effective July 1, 2013, at the new hire rate of $10.95 per hour, plus an additional .75 cents per hour as Team Leader, pending contract negotiations.- Approved salary adjustments for Miranda Allen, BS to BS+24; Jodi Kocher, from MS+15 to MS+30; Kenneth Mettam, from BS to BS+24; and Andrew Remsing, from BS to BS+24, for horizontal movement on the respective salary level per the pending teachers' negotiated contract, effective the first semester of the 2013-14 school year.- Approved Holly Sell, K-1; Roberta Yeager, grades 2-3; Meghan Barclay, Grade 4; Deanna Iles, Grade 5; and Monique Hofford, Grade 6, as curriculum coordinators at Parkside Elementary/S.S. Palmer for the 2013-14 school year.- Approved Joyce Paulinho, K-1; Susan Warakomski, grades 2-3; Susan Deem, Grade 4; Lisa Ward, Grade 5; and Jaclyn Ivancich, Grade 6, as curriculum coordinators at Towamensing Elementary for the 2013-14 school year.- Approved Patricia Boyd, co-chair, English/Language Arts; Kevin Kolodziejski, co-chair, English/Language Arts; Michael Stefanek, Social Studies; Kathy Englert, Math/Science; and Whitney Babyak, secondary specialists, as curriculum coordinators at the junior high school for the 2013-14 school year.- Approved the following mentors for the 2013-14 school year: Lisa Ward to Jacob Zurn, elementary; Alexandea Spalding to Lauren Smith, elementary; Susan Warakomski to Katie McCarroll, elementary; Roberta Yeager to Kaitlyn Andrews, elementary; Natalie Madeira to Angela Harris, library/gifted.- Approved the following as mentors for the first semester of the 2013-14 school year: Joyce Paulinho to Ashley Hummer, Life Skills; Stephanie Shiffert to Michael Brennan, Learning Support; and Jodi Kocher to Jennifer Esposito, Art.- Approved Bonnie Tavella, co-chair, English; Anna Corby, co-chair, English; Michael Gombert, co-chair, Social Studies; Paul McArdle, co-chair, Social Studies; Pamela Wuest, Math; John Hrebik, Science; Thomas Smelas, Business; Jose Elvir, Foreign Language; and Carol Andrews, Health/Physical Education, as curriculum coordinators at the senior high school for the 2013-14 school year.- Approved, on a 7-2 vote, with Director Barry Scherer and board President Tammy Recker opposed, employment contracts for Deborah Scheckler, confidential secretary to the superintendent; Beth Sterling, confidential secretary to the business administrator; and Kimberly Ottinger, confidential secretary for personnel/PIMS/central office.- Approved Scheckler as board secretary, for a four-year term, with the annual stipend of $1,500, effective July 1, 2013, through June 30, 2017.- Approved Ottinger as assistant board secretary, for a four-year term, effective July 1, 2013, through June 30, 2017.- Approved Serfass as open records officer, for a four-year term, effective July 1, 2013, through June 30, 2017.- Appointed Director Susan Debski as the board treasurer, effective July 1, 2013, through June 30, 2014, at the rate of $400.- Appointed Dr. Scott Aldinger,

D.D.S., as school dentist for the 2013-14 school year at the flat rate of $750.- Appointed Dr. Patrick Sewards as school physician for the 2013-14 school year at the cost of $8,000 for services.- Approved the athletic insurance coverage through Mid Penn Insurance, for the period of Aug. 15, 2013, to Aug. 15, 2014, at a cost of $30,179. The coverage will be Plan AAA, primary excess over $100.- Approved voluntary student accident coverage through Mid Penn Insurance, for the period of Aug. 15, 2013, to Aug. 15, 2014, for a 24-hour wrap-around rate of $75. The coverage will be Plan A, primary benefits, excluding all sports.- Approved the affiliation Agreement for Graduation Assistant, and Use of Facility as in Internship Site with East Stroudsburg University, from June 18, 2013 through June 18, 2014, in the amount not to exceed $9,528.- Approved the contract with Historic Hotel Bethlehem for the senior Class of 2014 prom event to be held on May 2, 2014.- Accepted the second reading, and approved policy #802, School Organization.- Accepted the first reading of Policy #806, Child/Student Abuse.- Accepted the first reading of Policy #249, Bullying/Cyberbullying.- Approved the 2013-2014 Athletic Ticket Prices & Season Pass Prices.- Granted permission to release the 2013 tax duplicates to the respective tax collectors for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2013.- Accepted the $80 donation to the PAAC Activity Club from Jack and Sharon Westermann.- Approved the name change from Palmer Franklin Education Center to Parkside Education Center.- Accepted the status that members of the senior Class of 2013 have completed the graduation requirements set forth by the Pennsylvania Department of Education, and the Board of Education, of the Palmerton Area School District.- Approved the attached tuition reimbursement.