The Tamaqua Area School Board held its final meeting of 2020 on Tuesday night.

Heading into the new year, health and safety remains to be the top priority, Superintendent Ray Kinder said.

“Most importantly is going to be the health and safety of our students and staff,” Kinder said. “From there, it’s trying to replicate the best academic environment we can for our students along with trying to provide them as many opportunities to be a regular high school and elementary student (and) try to provide them with as many opportunities that they normally get, even if they have to be delivered sometimes in an abnormal way.”

Kinder said the board received capital project information, as well as building-entry plan information, and will be looking for feedback from board members in January.

The district had a complete feasibility study done earlier this year, which included information regarding the current status of each building entryway.

One of the Tamaqua district’s main project priorities has been to enhance security measures at these entryways.

“I think our intent is for the board to communicate the types of things they see in the building-entry plan, as well as the options that we gave them for different things; and for them to send us in a direction. Hopefully meeting with and utilizing an architect to put some things out on bid.”

COVID notifications

Starting in the new year, district staff and families will be notified of COVID-related cases and incidents by a tracker on the district website. Kinder said it’s an Excel-type sheet that will get updated on a daily basis.

“It will be a running list - so you’ll be able to see yesterday’s and the day before,” Kinder said. “But it’ll be one place, on our website, where every day you can go in and see if there was a case, which building it was at, the number of people quarantined and that type of information. As cases become inactive, there would be a way to indicate that. It’s kind of like the one-stop shop; you go there every day and this is the way you’ll be notified.”

Tax collectors

The board approved the tax collector’s compensation rates from Jan. 1, 2022, to Dec. 31, 2027.

“Last time we increased our tax collector’s compensation was probably about 15 years ago,” said business manager Connie Ligenza during the meeting.

Ligenza’s research showed that surrounding districts had structures that were substantially higher than Tamaqua’s.

“We were paying 87 cents per paid bill. That’s 87 cents a bill that’s paid on the real estate side, as well as 87 cents for per capita and assessed occupation, which are considered one bill. We are currently at a rate of $1.10, so the maximum would be $2.20, if a household or an individual receives both bills.”

After the vote, both the real estate and per capita/assessed occupation rates were increased to $1.60 each - a 50-cent raise.

Meeting schedule changes

Starting in January, the school board will meet on the second and third Monday of each month, instead of Tuesday.