Lehighton Area School District’s board of directors accepted a $6.8 million Qualified Zone Academy Bond on Monday night that will help it pay off a previous bank note for high school renovations.

According to Business Manager Brian Feick, Lehighton applied for around $17 million through the federal program in July and recently found out its allocation.“The QZAB bond is at no interest and we are planning on helping to pay back a 10-year TD Bank loan approved in 2014,” Feick said. “The $10 million TD Bank loan was at a 2.1 percent interest so this will help us save in the long run.”The federal QZAB program allows qualifying districts to receive the low-interest bonds for energy, renovation, technology and Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics projects.Feick said Lehighton would be starting a STEM program at the high school.Lehighton received almost $8.5 million in September 2014 for renovations to the middle school, but at the time it was not eligible to apply for high school funding because not enough students in the building received free or reduced lunch.“We previously fell below the 35 percent threshold at the high school, but we’re at 35.72 percent now,” Feick said in July.Lehighton added a four-pipe central heat pump system from the McClure Company at the middle and high schools in addition to other improvements.Monday night, Feick said Lehighton had paid $10 million of $16 million for the middle school renovations; and $8.4 million of $13.3 million for work at the high school.“We’re well over halfway complete for both of those projects,” he added.One expense that may be added to the middle school project is a concrete slab replacement.The board voted to spend up to $26,000 on the item if it is deemed necessary.“We won’t know until we start trenching the new drain lines for the cafeteria area,” Superintendent Jonathan Cleaver said. “In the past when we dug trenches out for additional drainage in the hallway areas, we did notice a little subsidence there. The board took action tonight so if the work does need to be done, it won’t delay the project.”In other action, the board:• Approved payments of $1,400 from the stadium construction account, $2,334,437.98 from the middle school construction account, $2,220,760.83 from the high school construction account and $210,279.57 from the elementary center construction account.• Approved occupational tax refunds for Dale Walck, James J. Gieniec, Wash Barno and Sheila Barno.• Approved use of the Commerce Advantage AP card for payment of bills.• Approved hiring John Henne, elementary teacher assigned to the middle school, $43,558; and Terri Johnson, lunch aide assigned to East Penn Elementary, $7.25 per hour.• Accepted the resignation of Melodie Eckhart, lunch aide at East Penn Elementary, effective immediately.