The Tamaqua Area School Board is considering an anti-vaping program for students caught using e-cigarettes.

The program is offered through St. Luke’s University Health Network, Superintendent Ray Kinder said during Tuesday’s board committee meetings.

Kinder said it would allow students with first-time vaping offenses to enroll in a multi-step vaping prevention program.

“They still have their consequences within our discipline code,” he said. But if they complete the program and the vaping violation goes to court, they would not have to pay a fine, he said.

If approved by the board at Tuesday’s regular meeting, the program would be used in conjunction with the district’s Student Assistance Program (SAP). SAP is designed to help school personnel identify alcohol, tobacco, drug and mental health issues that pose a barrier to a student’s success. The goal is to help students overcome the barriers so they remain in school and advance.

“I feel it would be a great addition to our program,” Kinder said.

When directors meet Tuesday, they’ll also consider an agreement with the Richard W. Riley College of Education and Human Science’s Licensure Programs at Walden University to provide clinical practice experience to student teachers. A similar agreement with Wilkes University’s School of Nursing for student nurses will also be considered.