Students in the Lehighton Area School District can expect to start next school year before the Labor Day holiday.

The school board on Monday unanimously approved the 2014-15 school calendar, which calls for students to start classes on Monday, Aug. 25.Additionally, Superintendent Jonathan Cleaver noted that five make up days have tentatively been built into next year's school calendar.Those dates are Jan. 2, Feb. 13, April 1, April 2, and April 7.The last student day for the 2014-15 school year is scheduled for Thursday, June 4.In other business, the board:• Approved the Special Education Plan for submission to the Pennsylvania Department of Education after the April 28 board meeting.• Approved hiring two business ed/technology certified teachers for adult education computer courses computer Internet basics, and social media, for four sessions per class, at a contracted hourly rate of pay. The classes begin on May 20.• Approved the recommendation to hire Robert Hawk as a custodian, assigned to Shull-David Elementary, at the step one, prorated rate of pay of $23,897, for the 2013-14 LAESPA bargaining agreement, effective May 12.• Approved Denise Drum, Jessica Gildner, and Angela Tobash as professional substitute candidates, as well as Drum and Robert Hawk as support substitutes candidates, for the 2013-14 substitute list, pending clearances.• Approved, upon recommendation of the building and grounds committee, the purchase of a Kubota F2690 mower/snow blower from C.W. Waltz Sons, Inc. through Charles H. Snyder, Inc., in the amount of $25,536 through the Pennsylvania Co-Stars Purchasing Program.• Approved the renewal of the eLearn21 contract for the 2014-15 and 2015-16 school years with the Carbon Lehigh Intermediate Unit at a cost of $9,000 for annual membership per year. The agreement will run from July 1, 2014, through June 30, 2016, and is a cost savings of 50 percent from the 2013-14 agreement ($18,000 per year). This agreement is for the Lehighton Area Virtual Academy, and will be paid through the technology budget.• Agreed to contract with CIU20 to provide on-site training from June 17-20 for 12 district employees to become certified trainers of TACT 2 Crisis Intervention Program at a cost of $9,816 ($800 per person, plus travel expenses of trainer), to be paid out of the 2013-14 Accountability Block Grant and special education funds.• Approved Lory Frey to attend the Pennsylvania Department of Education Data Summit in Lancaster from May 18-21, at a cost not to exceed $257, to be paid out of the 2013-14 curriculum budget.• Accepted the resignation of Mary Lisa Stimpfl, part-time cleaner at the high school, effective May 2.• Accepted the resignation of Albert Kintzel, part-time cleaner at Franklin Elementary, effective April 16, and Peggy Dotter, lunch-time aide at Franklin Elementary, effective April 4.• Accepted the intent to retire from Shirley Gombert, part-time cleaner at Shull-David Elementary, effective at the end of this school year.• Approved the recommendation to hire Amy Neeb at Shull-David Elementary School, and Dale Moulthrop at Franklin Elementary School, at the hourly rate of $7.25 an hour, pending clearances.• Approved employee #918 for a sabbatical leave due to health reasons, for the first semester of the 2014-15 school year.• Acknowledged FMLA leaves for several employees for various dates, none of which are to exceed 12 weeks.