With the passage of a state budget for the 2015-2016 school year, Palmerton Area School District received $928,000 for basic education funding from the state.

Ryan Kish, the school district's business manager, said that between this amount and funding received in January, the district has received about $3.6 million for basic education funding."We will still receive less than budgeted," he said.Kish told the school board it is difficult to create a budget when the district doesn't know how much it will receive from the state and the formula to be used to calculate what will be allotted is unknown."When you're off a $100,000, it makes a big difference," he said.In late March, Gov. Tom Wolf vetoed a formula for school funding developed by a bipartisan state legislative committee and members of his administration.The school board approved the items in the consent agenda. Those items are discussed in an executive session before the public meeting.Items approved from the consent agenda include paying Markley Actuarial Services Inc. $2,970 for Government Accountability Standards Board 45 valuation, which involves calculating and recording the cost of post-employment benefits.The school board also approved several staff positions. One of these is Marcy Zelinsky for homebound instruction at $30 per hour. There were also 10 personnel approved for the Extended School Year Program, which will run Monday through Thursday mornings from July 5 to 28. The program was designed by the federal government to help specific students who had significant regression from the previous year maintain or improve academic abilities, as well as social, behavioral or communication skills.Teachers Ashley Hummer, Christine DeLong, Tiffany Bachart, Joshua Nenscel and teacher for the homebound Suzanne Lynn will earn $30 per hour. Michelle Bisbing, a nurse, will earn $16.33 hour. Instructional assistant Gail Savage will receive $15.85 per hour, while instructional assistants Marcia Heinick, Ann Marie Ross and Casey Rinfret will earn $14.65 per hour.Engler said the school district plans to add to the handbook that police will be allowed and encouraged to visit the schools. He hopes to have officers come in and talk to classes about their work, eat lunches with students and become familiar to the students. Engler said he is bringing it up now because he wants to prevent rumors from spreading on social media any time police come into a school. Their visits are positive, not because of a problem.