The Joint Operating Committee of Carbon Career & Technical Institute voted to approve transportation contracts with the following contractors for the 2026-27 school year, noting that each contractor will be paid any cost for gasoline used to fulfill the terms of the contract that exceed $2 per gallon.

• Jim Thorpe Area School District, 410 Center Avenue, Jim Thorpe, $52 day per bus.

• Lehighton Area School District, morning and mid-day runs: George’s Transportation Company Inc., 84 Ashtown Drive, Lehighton, $105 per day per bus.

• Palmerton Area School District: Leon George II School Buses Inc., 660 Delaware Ave., Palmerton, $229 per day per bus.

• Panther Valley School District, 1 Panther Way, Lansford, $96 per day per bus.

• Weatherly Area School District, 602 Sixth St., Weatherly, $140 per day per bus.

Facilities report

Ken Walters, CCTI’s supervisor of building and grounds, reported that the school was ready for classes to start.

All the summer maintenance was completed. Floor care, the school and school preparations are all complete.

Installation of additional HALO Vape Detection System units is just about complete. Final inspection, operational testing, and integration into the Genetec security system are in progress.

Maintenance staff completed forklift operator certification through Adult Ed, and the break-in preventative maintenance has been scheduled for the new Yale forklift.

Properly rated galvanized slip-resistant replacement drainage covers are being sourced for the auto collision repair technical area.

“Also, in the auto collision technical area, that goes into what they call an interceptor, which is a hazardous material cleanout, and I’m working with the hazmat vendor to have that area pumped out currently, and that will cause no disruption to the students,” Walters said.

New furniture tops in the Engineering Department were replaced under warranty.

The Carpentry Department’s new planer that was paid for by a grant and arrived damaged has now been replaced and is being tested.

The roof restoration grant application remains under state review. It may be September or October until the grants are dispersed.

All CCTI drinking water test results from the prior year were below 5 parts per million for lead; therefore, no corrective action or reporting to the Pennsylvania Department of Education is required.

“Just to let the JOC know, Pennsylvania Act 20 of 2026 was amended this year, and the provision governing lead in drinking water effective for the ’26-27 school year establishes a 5 parts per billion as the lead action threshold for school drinking water outlets,” Walters said. “Results above that level require the outlet to be taken out of service, an additional water source is being provided, and notification to PDE.”

The trailer for the tiny home build project arrived.

“We’re going to schedule our first meeting with the customer for early September,” Walters said, “but the students can already start talking about it on day one, looking at the plans and seeing what they have to work with.”

Walters thanked his staff for their hard work: Kyle Ahner, Jeff Donadi, Terry Blose, Richard Gingrich, Steve Brili and his two part-timers, Eric Bott and Douglass Witt.