While the debate over keeping existing elementary schools versus consolidating into a new elementary center rages on in Lehighton Area School District, where fifth-grade students will end up is a major question mark.

In a presentation to the school board Monday night, Vice President Richard Beltz voiced his recommendation to keep East Penn, Franklin, Mahoning and Shull-David elementary schools.The buildings currently house all K-4 students in the district, but when the majority of a previous board favored building an elementary center, it voted to move fifth-grade students from the middle school back to the elementary level.According to Beltz, that wouldn't be feasible under his plan."We're going to have to have extra discussion on that because at this point we could not move fifth grade back to the elementary level," he said.That could pose a problem, Superintendent Jonathan Cleaver said, as the district is currently renovating its middle school with the expectation that only students in grades 6-8 will be there."To be able to move forward with the middle school work, we had a Uniform Construction Code hearing in the borough for which we submitted occupancy levels that only support 6-8 grades in that building," he added. "I'm not sure how changing that would impact the UCC approval we received."The school board voted in 1993 to move the fifth- and sixth-grade students from the elementary to middle school level."I'm just not sure how you accommodate the fifth-grade students at the current elementary schools, in particular at Shull-David because it's pretty landlocked."Grade alignment aside, Beltz said his plan calls for addressing temperature control, lighting and sound levels in elementary classrooms.His methods included using fans in classrooms, opening windows and allowing students to bring bottled water to class.The board tied in a 4-4 vote Monday night that would have authorized engineering firm Barry Isett and Associates to get estimates for repairing and renovating the four elementary schools.