Tamaqua Area School Board on Tuesday approved policies regarding salary determination and attendance and is considering an addition to another policy that could help with teacher recruitment.

The change in Policy 248, salary determination, allows the district to recognize multiple certifications when hiring teachers, giving them credit for those when determining salary, Superintendent Ray Kinder said.

The attendance policy, No. 204, has been updated to reflect the district’s practice of allowing five days for educational trips, or vacation, but not excusing additional days taken.

Another policy under consideration, and approved on first reading, is Policy 202, eligibility of nonresident students.

“The main change in this policy is the ability for not only the academic career group, but for teachers, to be able to bring their kids to school,” Kinder said during the board’s committee meeting last week.

Under the policy, criteria need to be met to allow a teacher who lives outside of the district to enroll their children in Tamaqua Area, such as the district having the space to accommodate the additional students, he said.

“We’re hoping to attract teachers to the district to deal with the teacher shortage,” Kinder said.

Other business

In other business, the board approved:

• Thom Devlin of Tamaqua as ski club adviser at a stipend to be determined.

• Homebound instruction for one elementary student.

• An agreement with LearnWell for educational services at the time of admittance to a medical facility, if needed.

• Resignation of Heather Metric, occupational therapist, and access billing coordinator with a separation date to be determined.

• Professional status given to Gaosen Gertile, Amy Hefflinger, Tayor Prehotsky and DarciJo Smarr, as of Oct. 21.

• Kristen Klingaman, certified teacher, as a mentor to Brianna Vlcek, certified teacher. The stipend is $700.

• Continued intermittent family medical leave for Marsha Rodgers.

• Ratification of Carson Barron of Tamaqua as a substitute guest teacher.

• Alyssa Bell of Tamaqua as substitute teacher.

• Tax report, tax exemptions and tax refunds, and payment of bills of $706,067.43 for October and interim bills of $360,334.90.

• The business manager to participate in the Pennsylvania Education Joint Purchasing Council’s bid process for 2026-27 fiscal year.

• The business manager to participate in the E-Rate Program for the 2026-27 funding year and to execute agreements necessary for timeline compliance subject to future board ratification. This discounts the district’s internet and WAN costs, and other equipment, at 90%.

• Tuition rates for 2025-26 as elementary, $11,950.92, and secondary, $13,345.52. The rates were $9,856.47 and $10,384.84 in the previous year.

• The John E. Morgan Foundation grant acknowledgment for security items, including cameras, doors and vehicles.

• A five-year lease for four Xerox AltaLink copiers, including unlimited servicing, for the high school and district office at a cost of $1,198 a month.