Tamaqua Area School District is one step closer to changing its point-of-sale system.

On a 7-0 vote, the school board on Tuesday approved the first reading of the policy. Directors Thomas Rottet and Aaron Frantz were absent.That action comes after Superintendent Ray Kinder told the board last month that the district plans to change its point-of-sale system, effective this school year.Kinder said at that time that the district plans to change the system to a numeric code for students, in which they will get a four- to six-digit number, and after their food is rung up, they will enter in their code.He said the change will result in a more effective way for the district to get through its current cafeteria issues.Kinder said there were consistency and reliability issues with the scanning, and said a numeric code is more reliable.The Primero system will cost the district about $8,400, he said.Kinder said breakfast and lunch costs will remain the same for the 2016-17 school year.Other actionIn other business, the board:• Agreed to apply for an A ACHIEVE (An Autism College and High School Integration for Education and Vocational Experience) grant, July 1, 2016 to June 30, 2017, for $10,000.• Approved the resignation of Timothy Gombar as an elementary teacher, effective Aug. 26.• Approved Kristen Jean Zellner as an elementary teacher at a salary of $43,975, effective Aug. 26.• Accepted the resignation of Ann Marie Hadesty as a part-time paraprofessional.• Rescinded the motions of Aug. 16 hiring Marie Dunn and Jane Dowling as part-time paraprofessionals.• Approved the resignation of Teresa Deren as a full-time custodian.• Removed Arthur Oakes Sr. from the substitute custodian list; Megan Hahner, Jill Hoppes, Jen MacMillan and Lauren Pellock from the substitute professional teacher list; and Don Ressler as a substitute professional guest teacher.• Approved Ashley Longo, Janelle McDonald, Kelly Pleva, Michael Uranko and Joe Yurkonis as substitute professional guest teachers.• Ratified Carina Stoves as a substitute professional teacher.• Approved Michele Bittner as a mentor for Kristen Jean Zellner, at a stipend of $600.• Approved Barbara Acker as an access billing coordinator and Marie Skripnek as a clerical substitute.• Approved the membership agreement with the Schuylkill County Area Vocational-Technical School Authority to extend the existence of the authority to an additional 50 years.• Approved the AP biology students to attend the Sam Rhine Genetics Update Conference in Wilmington, Delaware, on Oct. 13. The cost for registration is $20 per student.