Following a presentation by architectural consultant Mark Barnhardt of EI Associates, Lehighton Area School Board has voted to accept the schematic designs of the architectural / engineering firm for the renovation projects at East Penn and Mahoning Elementary Schools.

As part of that same vote, the board also authorized EI Associates and Lehighton Area School District administration to proceed and prepare PlanCon Part D, Project Accounting and PlanCon Part E, Design Development for the building projects.The PlanCon paperwork will be submitted to the Pennsylvania Department of Education.According to school board President Rocky Ahner, "Our main focus during the next four months will be to develop clear-cut plans on the order of work to be performed on the renovation of East Penn and Mahoning Elementary Schools."Both schools were built in 1954.When a school district undertakes a major construction project and seeks reimbursement from the state, a comprehensive process known as PlanCon is initiated.PlanCon is an acronym for PLANning and CONstruction Workbook. It is a set of forms and procedures used to apply for reimbursement from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.The PlanCon forms are designed to document a local school district's planning process; provide justification for a project to the public; ascertain compliance with state laws and regulations; and establish the level of state participation in the cost of the project.With this in mind, LASD Superintendent Jonathan J. Cleaver has announced a special meeting to present to the public the school district's long-range facility plan.The presentation is scheduled for Monday, September 9 at 6 p.m. at Lehighton Area High School Auditorium. The public is encouraged to attend.During a presentation by EI Associates last September, it was noted that enrollment for East Penn was 138 students. That means the maximum eligible reimbursement for the school from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is $1,799,160. Mahoning is eligible for $2,092,440 with 187 students.According to the architectural / engineering firm, reimbursement would be 60 percent of these figures.The next regular meeting of Lehighton Area School Board is scheduled for Monday, September 30 at 7 p.m. at the LASD Administration Building, Conference Room A.For previous PowerPoint presentations by EI Associates, visit the LASD website at

www.Lehighton.org. Click on "Files and Documents" under "Quick Links." Click on "District." The various presentations can be found under "Building Feasibility Study."