A nearly four-hour Lehighton Area School District board meeting Monday night featured Larry Stern remaining as president, a 4-4 deadlock on recommending a Carbon County judge appoint Richard Beltz Sr. as a ninth director, and 12 of 13 motions submitted by board member David Bradley Sr. failing to pass.

Stern remains president

The night began with the conclusion of a reorganization meeting started in December. Bradley called for a motion to remove Stern as board president, which failed due to a 4-4 tie.

Two residents, Francis Flickinger and Janice Bowman, spoke out against Stern, claiming he didn’t allow them to speak when they had their hand raised to do so at the December meeting.

“I was totally ignored and I hope that doesn’t happen again,” Flickinger said.

Others spoke of Stern’s leadership abilities and advocated for his continued presidency.

“He has been on the board a long time and there is no basis to remove him,” former board member Gloria Bowman said. “He does a fine job and knows the information and procedures.”

Meanwhile, Stacey Duerst said Stern has the knowledge it takes to lead the board.

“Larry is brand-new to the position and has been on the board for many years,” Denise Hartley said.

“This should not be about a personal vendetta.”

Bradley, Richard Beltz Jr., Joy Beers and Gail Maholick voted for Stern to be removed as president. Stern, Andrew Yenser, Wayne Wentz and Stephen Holland voted down the motion. Stern was eligible to vote because he receives no financial gain from serving as president.

On the night before Carbon County President Judge Roger Nanovic is scheduled to preside over a hearing on Lehighton’s vacant ninth board seat, Bradley made a motion that the board recommend Beltz Sr. as the top candidate.

The motion also failed at a 4-4 deadlock.

Those opposing Beltz argued that former board member Duane Eidem would be a better candidate.

Eidem received 1,569 votes in the general election for a four-year term in November and Beltz tallied 1,288 for a two-year term, which is the one up for grabs.

Frank Tamburri, who is also seeking the vacant board seat, suggested the board flip a coin to decide who becomes the ninth director.

“The townspeople are really upset,” Tamburri said. “If this appointment is fixed like the last one was, people voted off will be put right back on again. I think you should flip a coin and run with it.”

Tamburri has asked Nanovic to recuse himself from appointing a ninth board member. In 2016, Nanovic appointed former board member David Krause to fill a vacancy after the death of director William Hill.

Tamburri also sought the vacancy at that time.

Candidates for the vacancy appeared in Carbon County court today.

4-4 votes

Under the district’s policy, any board member can put a motion on the meeting agenda and a baker’s dozen submitted by Bradley, were included Monday.

The only motion to gain board approval was that the district acquire two independent appraisals prior to the sale of property. District officials said that is already required under school code.

The discussion led Bradley to ask about appraisals for East Penn and Mahoning elementary schools, which were sold via public auction last year.

“I was told they were verbal appraisals and no written copies exist,” Bradley said. “I think we are finding out right now those appraisals may not exist.”

Lehighton Business Manager Brian Feick said he has not seen a bill for any of the appraisals.

The schools each sold for $350,000.

The remainder of Bradley’s motions did not pass or were tabled with the majority ending in a 4-4 tie.

Among them were requests to issue rebate checks equal to 0.76 mills for the tax year 2017 and carry the tax decrease forward for the 2018 tax year, and have “school board formally apologize for the way it treated a decorated veteran at the meeting where Superintendent (Jonathan) Cleaver and then President Gloria Bowman apparently signaled a police officer to remove him from a meeting.”

“The gentleman was out of order,” Bowman said about the incident in question. “He was yelling and carrying on and that is documented in the minutes.”

The veteran in question was not named.

Bradley also requested the board host a voter referendum on the use and disposition of the ongoing elementary center construction project.

“The sales of the East Penn and Mahoning elementary schools are not final and the bill of sale will not cost the district money if revoked,” Bradley said Monday.

Director Andrew Yenser, however, said $13 million in state reimbursement and other grants would be in jeopardy if the new elementary center were not used as a school.

One motion the board tabled was for “students of the district and the parents of the district be sent an evaluation form of the district performance, adding an anonymous suggestion box to be placed at the post office for the collection by a school director so we can change the downward trend of Lehighton’s school performance review these past three years.”

Director Joy Beers said the intent of the motion is to try to collect data from parents and guardians, but the wording didn’t sit well with Cleaver.

“I can tell you there is not a teacher in this room or this district that thinks our district is in a downward trend,” he said.