The Tamaqua Area School Board moved quickly through its committee meeting and regular meeting Tuesday night.

• Superintendent Ray Kinder announced that there will be an early dismissal on Dec. 23, as the district breaks for the holidays. Classes will resume Jan. 5, he said, and he wished everyone a merry Christmas.

• The board approved the purchase of three police vehicles from Miracle Ford, a state COSTAR vendor, at a cost not to exceed $165,000.

The vehicles will be used by the district’s three school police officers, who travel between the schools, Kinder said. The district does not currently have any police vehicles.

The purchase is possible through a grant from the John E. Morgan Foundation, which is also funding other safety and security purchases, Kinder said.

• The board also approved the purchase of various security equipment from Verkada, another COSTAR vendor, at a cost not to exceed $120,000.

Cameras and door protectors were among a “hodgepodge” of items that were being purchased, said Kenneth Dunkelberger, chief operations officer.

• Also related to school security, the board hired Michael Weaver of Nesquehoning as a part-time SPO at an hourly rate of $28.03.

Other matters

In other action, the board approved:

• Appointing board member Daniel Schoener as board treasurer for a one-year term. The appointment was not done during reorganization earlier this month.

• Policies 102, Academic Standards, and 105, Curriculum, on second reading.

• Homebound instruction for one elementary student and one high school student.

• An affiliation agreement with Alvernia University for providing experiential learning for education students.

• The tax report, tax exemptions and tax refunds, as well as the payment of bills totaling $3,323,363.84.

• Appointing Portnoff Law Associates as delinquent real estate tax collector and Berkheimer Inc. as collector for delinquent per capita and assessed occupation tax, both for 2025.

• Not raising taxes above the Act 1, the Taxpayer Relief Act Index for the 2026-27 budget cycle. Business Manager Connie Ligenza said the index remains at 5.6%, the same as last year, due to the county reassessment.

• Purchase of baseball/softball security netting from Keystone Sports Construction, a COSTAR vendor, at a cost not to exceed $25,000.

Personnel

• Retirements of full-time custodians Robert Geissinger, effective Jan. 6, and Bernard Witcofsky, effective Feb. 4.

• Resignations of Jillian Saltz, occupational therapist, effective immediately, and Courtney Kovatch, teacher, effective Feb. 8.

• Family medical leave for Carla Kella, from about Feb. 4 with tentative return of April 29; and Diann Belsak, beginning Dec. 2.

• Substitute teachers, Sarah Hope of Tamaqua, and Zachary Antosh, of Mountaintop, and substitute guest teacher, Jilliam Saltz of Jim Thorpe.