The Palmerton Area School District Board of School Directors met last week, taking action on a range of financial, personnel and curriculum matters. Approved items include:

Financial

• An interfund transfer of $150,000 from the general fund to the food service fund to support cafeteria operations, pursuant to Sections 504 and 609 of the Pennsylvania Public School Code.

• An interfund transfer and reimbursement of $1,095,189.31 from the capital projects fund to the general fund for previously paid capital expenses tied to the high school and administration building construction, pursuant to the reimbursement resolution adopted May 21, 2025.

• Insurance renewals effective Nov. 12 totaling $191,364, up from $189,344. CM Regent Insurance Co. carries property at $86,297; general liability and law enforcement at $34,094; crime at $1,244; automobile at $7,360; equipment breakdown at $5,866; umbrella at $11,987; and school leaders’ liability at $28,915. Houston Casualty Co. carries cyber liability at $15,601.

• A reimbursement agreement and release with UGI Utilities Inc., effective Oct. 21.

Personnel

• Katherine Eckhart as a high school special education teacher at an annual salary of $66,640, prorated, at Master’s +45, Step 9, with a start date to be determined.

• Tenure status for teachers Alyssa Miller and Sage Nalesnik, each having attained three years of satisfactory performance ratings in the district, and recognition that Karissa Nenscel previously satisfied the statutory requirements for professional employee status under Section 1108 of the Pennsylvania School Code.

• Horizontal salary movements for four teachers effective the first semester: Lisa Heffernan, Tammy-Lynn Muniz, Kayla Sander and Joseph Trimmel.

• Holly Sell as an additional mentor for Savana Serfass at $1,535, prorated, retroactive to Oct. 9.

• Brian Cwiertniewicz as an additional Palmerton Area Music Parents’ Association volunteer chaperone, retroactive to Sept. 15.

• Molly Conklin, Konstantine Georgiades and Adam Reichard as substitute teachers and Antoinette Gravell as substitute food service, all at prevailing rates effective Oct. 21.

• Resignation from Christine Fruit as a food service worker.

• Three additional George’s Transportation bus drivers: Joseph Smith Sr., Amanda Spitzer and Lawrence Falk.

Programs

• An affiliation agreement with Northampton Community College running from Oct. 21 through Oct. 20, 2029.

• A program agreement with Connected Nation for the Teen Teach Tech Program, to be used as a fundraiser for the high school FBLA club.

• Public performances including the high school band and the high school and junior high cheer teams at the Palmerton parade on Oct. 18, retroactively; the high school band at the Carbon County Veterans Day parade on Nov. 8; and the select elementary band for grades 5 and 6 at Lehighton Middle School on Jan. 15, 2027.

• Six conference requests totaling an estimated $5,048, including Audrey Pinczok and Caitlin Goldberg at the Pennsylvania Music Educators Association in-service conference in Erie in April and Substitute Superintendent Ryan Kish at the CLIU 21 Superintendents Advisory Council leadership conference in Hershey next month.

• Authorization for the board secretary to cast votes for 2027 Pennsylvania School Boards Association officer candidates.

Policies

• First readings of seven policies: Policy 105 (Curriculum), Policy 209 (Health Examinations/Screenings), Policy 704 (Maintenance), Policy 803 (School Calendar), Policy 805.2 (School Security Personnel), Policy 822 (Automated External Defibrillator/Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation) and Policy 903 (Public Comment in Board Meetings). The policies will be brought back for final adoption at a future meeting.

*Second reading and final adoption of four policies: Policy 102 (Academic Standards), Policy 204.2 (Virtual Attendance and Wellness Checks), Policy 246 (School Wellness) and Policy 249 (Bullying/Cyberbullying).