The Tamaqua Area School District will once again ask its athletes to "Pay to Play." Fees will remain the same as last year - $40 for the first sport, $30 for the second and $20 for the third. The action was taken during a special meeting of the Tamaqua Area School Board on Tuesday.

The policy was first enacted in 2008, when students paid $10 per sport. An anonymous donor stepped forward at the time, making a $10,000 donation to the district to offset the costs. At $10 per sport, the donated amount was enough to pay the fee for every student athlete, as well as cover the cost of sports' physicals. The donor has continued helping the students throughout the years since then.However, with the hike in fees several years ago, the donation didn't stretch as far, only covering the cost of the physicals and providing a $10 reduction in the cost to the students. The district hasn't heard from the anonymous donor as of yet about this coming school year.In other sports related business, the board accepted the resignation of Michael Murphy, junior varsity boys' basketball coach. Murphy was then hired as the freshman boys basketball coach for the coming school year.Thomas Kanger was hired as the head cross country coach and the head track and field coach. Other coaches hired on Tuesday are: Robert Killian, assistant varsity girls basketball coach; Stephen Zuber, eighth grade girls basketball coach; and Andrew Smarr, assistant track and field coach #3.Approved as volunteer assistant coaches for the girls basketball team are Duane Barron, Kyle Kester and Tricia McElmoyle.All of the appointments were made contingent on submission of the necessary documentation. Salaries are all to be determined before the beginning of the school year.