The Tamaqua Area School Board is looking at purchasing new uniforms for the Raiders Marching Band.

Band Director Mark Beltz on Tuesday presented the board with a sample uniform from one of three major manufacturers in the industry that he reached out to for quotes.

Only two of the three sent samples after a year and a half of research and design work on the uniforms, he said. Those samples were then examined for durability and quality, Beltz said.

The uniforms would be the traditional navy blue with the T that is currently on the band’s uniforms and was on the band’s uniforms in the 1930s, he said.

“I’d like to continue that,” Beltz said of the tradition.

The district might need to consider changing the uniform material, as the industry has shifted away from wool uniforms, he said.

“Wool is a thing of the past,” Beltz told the board, explaining that company representatives laughed at his request for full constructed wool uniform. “They said they can’t even get wool from the mill.”

The sample Beltz presented the board is made from RejuviTex, which is a synthetic fabric made from recycled plastic water bottles that is breathable and moves with the wearer.

“It actually has the same feel as the wool,” Beltz said. “It just breathes differently because it’s more synthetic.”

The band front uniforms, which he also brought a sample of, could be purchased off the shelf or from Amazon, and cost less than $5,000 for the entire band front, he said.

The last time they “built” uniforms for the band front, they were not flexible enough to allow for mobility, Beltz said. The off-shelf option is also more affordable.

The new band uniforms, outfitting 130 musicians plus additional 45 uniforms to accommodate different, future sizing of members, would cost $120,000 for the synthetic, and $135,000 for wool, Beltz said.

The current band uniforms, which were purchased around 2013-14, are at the end of their life, as band uniforms last about 10 to 15 years, he said. The current ones lasted about 12 years and originally cost about $75,000, Beltz said.

The turnaround time for the new uniforms is 210 days, he said. So, the board would need to make a decision by November to ensure the uniforms arrive for next school year, Beltz said.

Board members expressed concern about the synthetic, recycled material, even though it is less expensive and a new standard in the industry.

Board President Larry Wittig asked about the warmth of the uniform, especially in the cold weather.

“Intuitively, I think wool is going to be warmer,” he said. “What kind of insulation do they use?”

Beltz explained that the inside of the uniform is exactly the same as the ones they’re using from DeMoulin Brothers, which is where they purchased them last. Other band directors who have similar uniforms have not had a problem, and they are still a warm uniform, he said.

Wittig said that he wasn’t buying the lack of availability of wool, as the material is used in many applications still.

The board asked Beltz to get prices and information on both the synthetic and wool options, as members weren’t sold on the synthetic material as it appeared the board was being cheap looking at uniforms made from recycled bottles.

Superintendent Dr. Stephen Toth also asked that Beltz document the lack of response from the third company, so that the district had that on record as it moves forward with a purchase later this year.