Lehighton Area School District’s board of directors voted Monday to authorize administration to pursue up to $2.5 million from the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development Facility Improvement Grant to address maintenance at the high school, with a deteriorating roof as the top priority.

The board’s action caps the district’s local match obligation at $500,000 — not to exceed 25% of total project costs — and does not commit the district to any capital work unless grant funding is awarded and the board separately approves contracts.

Superintendent Jason Moser told the board the district is well-positioned to cover its share without straining the budget. Last year, the board transferred $2.8 million into a capital reserve fund that has since generated roughly $8,500 per month in interest.

“By the time that rolls around, we will probably have about $100,000 of interest from that initial investment, which in my mind, helps to pay for the match that we’re talking about in a very budget neutral way,” Moser said. He credited Business Administrator Matt Lentz for the underlying strategy.

The grant, which is competitive and requires applicants to focus on a single building, would target the high school.

“Our primary focus is we have a necessary roofing project at the high school, and that’s the biggest ticket item,” Moser said. “We’ll focus on that roofing project — that will be our top priority.”

Beyond the roof, Moser said eligible upgrades include a conversion to LED lighting and replacement of flooring he described as original to the building, approximately 30 years old. The application will be prepared in partnership with SiteLogic, the district’s facilities consulting firm.

The district also received good news on the HVAC front heading into the application. An earlier facilities assessment had flagged significant costs for heating and cooling system components, but a follow-up review by SiteLogic — verified directly with manufacturers — found the systems remain within their expected service life.

“We’re in much better shape than what we thought we were,” Moser said.

The district would not be obligated to accept the full grant amount if awarded. “We don’t have to take everything — we can scope the project down if we choose to, depending upon what we’re granted,” Moser said, adding that he believes the district has “a pretty good chance, at least at getting partially funded.”

The grant is offered annually, though Moser cautioned availability is not guaranteed. “It might not be available next year — we just never know,” he said.

During board discussion, directors raised the possibility of targeting different district buildings in future grant cycles. Moser confirmed the grant structure would allow that approach, subject to state budget passage each year.

A separate funding avenue also surfaced during the meeting. Board member Dave Bradley described a state program through which Pennsylvania partners with Carlisle Syntec, one of the state’s largest roofing manufacturers, to subsidize roof purchases for public schools and government buildings.

“This school district has regretfully not participated in that, usually, because they need a little planning ahead — but if you already know you need a high school roof, we can do this,” Bradley said.

Moser said the district would investigate whether the Carlisle program remains active and whether both funding sources could be pursued simultaneously.