A policy whereby students in the Northern Lehigh School District would be able to bring their own electronic device to school has been met with mixed reviews.

After various viewpoints were mulled over, the school board on Monday unanimously approved the first reading of the policy concerning "Pupils - Electronic Devices." Superintendent Michael Michaels cautioned that the approval was for the first reading only."We have to make sure we are comfortable," Michaels said. "I think it's a good policy, but I need to understand it better."Michaels said he needs more time before he makes a recommendation to the board to approve the policy."We want to make it work, and make it work in the right direction," he said.Director Lauren Ganser said she anticipates the board will go to great lengths to review the policy."We will look at it and pull it apart to make sure we are all covered," Ganser said. "I just want to make sure we do it properly."Ganser said she doesn't want staff to be responsible for policing the situation.Director Gregory Williams said he is in favor of the policy because the vast majority of students have some type of electronic device on them.Director Natalie Green said she wasn't certain the policy was a good idea."There's a lot of peer pressure today, and I fear some of the repercussions for the students who don't have the luxury to have that," Green said. "I'd hate to single students out."Michaels said he was glad to listen to the dialogue."This is why I love working with this board," Michaels said. "Everyone has great opinions."Assistant Superintendent Karen Nicholas said administration believes the different types of technology are an advantage."We all have different devices, and the advantage is how to use that different device," Nicholas said. "You have to be able to use any of that technology."Further, Nicholas said the purpose would be for everyone to be "collaborating and sharing in a collaborative setting."Director Donna Kulp said she was glad that the district isn't afraid to look at different ideas.Ganser added "in a world of so many distractions, I don't want to make this a big learning distraction."Also on Monday, the board revisited discussion on a marketing company that has proposed a negotiable contract amount based on student enrollment.Sherri Molitoris, co-director of Business Affairs/ Human Resources, said that Advantage 3, based out of Maplewood, N.J., had proposed a negotiable contract amount based on student enrollment.Molitoris said the district and the marketing company have since talked, and a representative from the company will attend next month's board meeting to discuss the matter."In order to do a schoolwide campaign, we'd be looking at $10,000," Molitoris said. "It would cost less to do just the high school and middle school."In a related business office matter, Rhonda Frantz, co-director of Business Affairs/Employee Payroll & Benefits, announced the district will realize a substantial loss in Charter School funding.Frantz said the district currently has 38 students who attend 10 different Charter Schools, which will result in the anticipated cost of $465,000.But, she said the district will only receive $138,000 in Basic Education Funding, which leaves a shortfall of $327,000.The board also approved the following trips:• Rhonda Frantz to attend the A/CAPA Spring Conference from March 22-23, in Hershey. The total approximate cost of $514 is to be funded from the Business Office budget.• Gail Lafferty, EdithAnn Fella, and Marilyn Steckel to attend the 2012 PA/Title I Improving School Performance Conference from Jan. 29-Feb. 1, 2012, in Pittsburgh. The approximate cost of each for $1,370, is to be funded through Title I.• John Hrizuk to attend the 2012 Pennsylvania Educational Technology Expo and Conference from Feb. 12-15, in Hershey. The total approximate cost of $1,091 is to be funded from the Technology budget.In other business, the board:• Acknowledged that David Carroll has completed the requirements per the Collective Bargaining Agreement that would entitle him to a salary increase for the second half of the 2011-12 school year;• Granted homebound instruction for an 11th-grade student, Student No. 1390082, for five hours per week, effective Nov. 29, 2011, and continuing until approximately Feb. 1, 2012.• Approved to contract with Art Feinberg as an independent contractor school psychologist. Upon receipt of missing personnel documentation, Feinberg will be employed on an as-needed basis to assist the Special Education Department with student psychological services. The rate of pay will be $325 per day.• Approved abatement/exoneration requests of per capita taxes, for the residents that fall within the guidelines.• Approved the purchase of network blade servers and storage area network (SAN) equipment, along with the requisite software, cabling, and support, from IntegraOne, of Allentown, at a total cost of $184,335, to be paid from the Long Range Technology Budget.• Approved the purchase of Microsoft Windows 2008 Server R2 from the Lancaster Lebanon Intermediate Unit #13 Software Sales, at a cost of $6,400. This is the operating system software for the network blade servers, to be paid from the Long Range Technology Budget.• Authorized administration to transfer $366,351 from the General Fund Account to Capital Reserve to cover expenses incurred for Long Range Maintenance Projects completed during the 2010-11 school year.