Lehighton Area School District’s board of directors unanimously approved a $6,765 contract last week with LB Fencing to install protective fencing around the high school orchard, but not before board members addressed critical social media comments about the project.

Director Jeremy Glaush said he was “appalled by some of the things” he had seen on Facebook about the fence.

“We’re spending money to try to assist our agricultural program, assist our students with actually learning how to grow things,” Glaush said. “This is a step in the right direction.”

Board member Denise Hartley emphasized the educational value of the project, noting that students are grafting and growing apple trees from the beginning.

“This fence is not just a fence to keep the deer out,” Hartley said. “It’s a fence for our students to be able to see their accomplishments.”

The district reviewed four quotes before selecting LB Fencing of East Earl as the lowest bidder.

The funds, district officials said, will be allocated from the high school capital budget.

“A fence was needed to protect the orchard at the high school from deer infiltration,” Jordan Cook, high school agricultural education teacher, said.

The approved proposal includes 400 linear feet of 8-foot-high woven wire deer fencing on treated round posts, 10 tension braces and two access gates.

Cook said LB Fencing was recommended for its competitive pricing. Some quotes came in significantly higher because they included concrete installation rather than pounding posts into the ground.

The district had tried alternative deer deterrent methods before pursuing the fence option.

“We’ve tried these methods,” Cook said, referring to suggestions like human hair and liquid repellents. “They work for a little while. Either the rain comes and we have to keep reapplying. Nothing is a physical challenge like a fence would be.”

The 8-foot height was chosen strategically.

“Chances are you’re not going to get a lot of deer jumping over 8 feet on a hill,” Cook said.

Glaush noted that board members’ questions about the expenditure led to better pricing and said the cost was reasonable compared to other district expenses.

“We spend a lot more on our sports,” Glaush said. “A couple thousand dollars here for fencing really is not a bad thing.”

Hartley said the project represents more than protecting fruit trees.

“There’s grafting, there’s development of not only trees but of our students, and those are the things we need to focus on,” Hartley said.

The board passed the motion 9-0.