Tamaqua Area School District continues to gain steam on a suicide awareness prevention policy.

That's after the school board's education committee at a workshop session on Tuesday approved the second reading of the suicide awareness prevention and response policy.Superintendent Carol Makuta noted that the move is mandated by the state.On June 26, 2014, Act 71 was signed into law in Pennsylvania.The law specifically requires school entities to adopt a youth suicide awareness and prevention policy, and provide ongoing professional development in youth suicide awareness, as well as prevention for professional educators in buildings that serve students in grades 6-12.Also on Tuesday, the board's finance committee approved the purchase of three copiers at a cost not to exceed just over $44,000.Two of the copiers are for elementary schools, while the other will be for the middle school.Business manager Connie Ligenza said the funds for the copiers were budgeted in the district's 2014-15 budget.The finance committee also approved the repository sale for a parcel at 132 Orwigsburg St., for the price of $1,030; and approved a resolution regarding granting the appropriate staff access to Berkheimer electronic tax records.