Lehighton Area Elementary Center students living in Lehighton Borough will be able to get a bus ride home starting Jan. 4.

The district’s board unanimously approved afternoon transportation Monday night with drop-off locations at Second and Coal streets, Second and Iron streets, and Second and Bridge streets.

“We want to thank Mr. (Leon) George for working out an economic solution to transporting these students,” board President Larry Stern said following the vote.

In late August, Lehighton’s board passed a motion allowing for up to $800,000 to be spent on student busing with George’s Transportation Co. This came after nonmandated transportation was not included in the district’s 2020-21 budget. The transportation plan, however, did not call for busing students who live in Lehighton Borough.

In November, the district added three bus stops, at the same locations as proposed for the afternoon, for morning pickup.

Adding the morning transportation cost the district an additional $50 maximum per day.

The afternoon runs will also be capped at $50 per day.

Lehighton’s board on Monday also approved Roxanne Stroup as an additional bus driver to help accommodate the afternoon transportation, but not without a dissenting vote from Director David Bradley.

Bradley said the board had not received confirmation of Stroup’s qualifications or requirements needed to be a driver.

“I think we should postpone until the board has that information,” Bradley said.

Superintendent Jonathan Cleaver said the district’s administration is in receipt of all testing results and clearances, but that is not handed out to the board for privacy reasons.

“There are Social Security numbers and other kinds of personal information,” Cleaver said.

Stern said if Bradley had an issue, he should have requested the information before the meeting.

“That is what should have been done instead of grandstanding on the issue as you normally do,” Stern told Bradley.

Stern, Wayne Wentz, Stephen Holland, Richard Beltz, Nathan Foeller and Rita Spinelli approved Stroup as a driver. Joy Beers was absent and Gail Maholick did not vote, as her audio was not working at the time.

Before Monday’s meeting adjourned, Bradley also requested a special meeting to discuss a state audit released in October, which was critical of the district for a depleted fund balance and a $3 million STEM academies contract with the National Education Foundation.

“That,” Stern said, “can be added to the finance committee agenda on Jan. 11.”