The Northern Lehigh Class of 2020 is asking the school district to make an exception for class funds that expired due to the pandemic.

Jason Check, of Slatington, who served as class vice president, said the class had about $10,500 in leftover funds.

“But due to COVID we weren’t able to meet, so the funds kind of expired,” Check said.

Class advisers said the money could be used after the pandemic ended.

“Originally there was an idea to do something in December, but COVID was not even near the end in December of 2020, so we decided to basically just wait, and we talked about having a five-year reunion and using the funds to pay for it.”

Typically the class account is closed after graduation, because the class officers and advisers spend the money or use it to donate something to the school.

“I just want to also reiterate that we had spent countless hours to raise this money and we planned on using it to fund our end-of-year, end of high school activities, however that obviously did not happen. We had multiple fundraisers and we spent a lot of time on it. So it kind of is important to us that something happens with the money,” Check said.

Check said his goal was to find a solution.

“I believe the money is in the student activities fund, so we’re also wondering if we can’t get the money back to plan something for our future, whether we have the access to buy something for the school and basically pick where the money goes because we would be OK with doing something for the school with it.”

Connie Check spoke on behalf of the parents of the class.

“I don’t know where the communication was dropped, but it was told to this class that they would be willing to extend it and the money would be in the class activity fund when they came and needed it, and now we’ve been told otherwise; so, we’re just looking for some suggestions,” Connie Check said.

Board solicitor Avery Smith said two things dictate exceptions that the district can make.

“They can be used to finance a program of activities not a part of the regular curriculum,” Smith said.

“Unfortunately, there is case law out there that says that the class reunion is not an activity within those parameters.”

Smith said the student activity funds have to be used for the students currently in school and must be closed by June 30 of the graduation year.

“I would say that from a legal perspective, the district can certainly make exceptions when it comes to its policy, as long as those exceptions don’t violate the school code, and the school code does not dictate by when you need to use certain funds,” she said.

“I think there are probably some areas where you can discuss mutually beneficial ways of using those funds and again the district would have the discretion, the board would have the discretion to waive a policy requirement on the time frames.”

However, Smith said it has to be related to the school program.

Superintendent Matthew J. Link asked if the class officers from the Class of 2020 could work with the current class officers to come up with recommendations to bring back to the board before the next meeting for Smith to review.

Board President Gary Fedorcha said the board could act on it next month.